THE BIBLE AND CHILD TRAINING (Part 2)

PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)

NCE (English); Dip (Computer Studies); ND/HD (Journalism); Dip, BA (Theology) MA, PhD.

Call: +2348037346939 E-mail: professorbenonyeukwu@yahoo.com

THE BIBLE AND CHILD TRAINING (Part 2)

Formal Training of the Child

Presented by: Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Devotional Text: Prov. 22:6

INTRODUCTION:

           The formal training of the child is the school education, and parents, at this stage of child training, should be careful as to where their children obtain this training. The definition which shows that training is, “the process of learning the skills one needs to do a particular job or activity, readily suits school education. However, it is important to highlight here that certain schools do not make public some items of their curricula, designed for indoctrination, which may not agree with the aspirations of parents and family. Therefore, parents and other care-givers are, by this, enjoined to monitor the observable changes in their children as they enrol them in schools, to ascertain if they are desirable or not.

GENERAL REMARKS

(1)       The school education of the child is one of the duties parents owe their children by DIVINE mandate,(Prov.22:6)

(2)       This dimension of child training still carries the DIVINE directive, “train up a child in the way he should go”(vs 6)

(3)     With the DIVINE directive in mind, parents should ensure that their children attend schools that would build on

the cited DIVINE objective,(vs 6)

(4)     Parents should be proactive, and should quickly withdraw their children from schools which have different

          objective from what our LORD GOD says they should have,(vs 6)

FORMAL EDUCATION OF THE CHILD AND THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD’S WORD

Formal education in Nigeria begins at 0-3 years, for nursery education, and 0-6 years, for primary education. These are periods in the child’s life when the family begins to share the training duties of the child with the state, mission or private schools. In some places, the nursery-primary education of the child is compulsory at the state schools, whereas, in some other places the job is shared among the state, mission and privately owned schools. This is where the problem sets in, as the state which is purely a secular one, by their objective, will definitely present the child with certain beliefs and principles that may be against the ideals and faith of the family. And, if the child is sent to certain mission or private schools unchecked, he may find himself in places where godless school proprietors and operatives hold sway, thereby endangering the true faith of the child. To this end, godly parents, who want their children to remain godly, are by this, advised to always cross-examine the curricula and extra-curricula activities of the schools they wish to engage their kids, to see if they tally with the tenets of GOD’S WORD, as enshrined in the book of Leviticus chapters 19 and 20, and other passages of the Holy Scripture. Therefore, the DIVINE directive, “train up a child in the way he should go” (Prov.22:6), involves:

(i)                    Ensuring that everything the child studies in the process of his education is not in violation

 of GOD’S WORD, (vs 6;Deut. 6:6-7)

(ii)                  Helping the child maintain his godly faith in CHRIST JESUS, our LORD and BLESSED SAVIOUR, so that

 his school education does not become a snare against his faith and the aspirations of his family,(vs 6;6-7)

(iii)                 Continuing the godly exercise of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the LORD, while

 in school,(Eph. 6:4B)

FORMAL EDUCATION OF THE CHILD AND EVALUATION OF OUTPUT

Godly parents should not just be concerned with the intellectual performances of their kids, while in school, but should, as well, pay attention to what goes on in their spiritual lives. Here, the evaluation of the educational output, as it concerns the child is, indeed, necessary, and should be concrete, since the training of the child is the primary assignment given to parents by GOD(Prov.22:6), as schools are only employed to complement their efforts, and should not be allowed to destroy the goal which the LORD, our GREAT GOD, targets for them, as family heads,(vs. 6). For your information, good schools are not known for indoctrination, but are known for objective presentation of the approved module courses, which are the stuff of every school; public or private. But, common knowledge shows that some schools indoctrinate pupils into beliefs and principles that are not central to the biblical faith, and this, godly parents should wisely find out, for necessary action, before it becomes too late. Furthermore, be informed that some schools; public or private, are better referred to as citadels of corrupt and godless pupils, who negatively influence the godly ones in the process of their education. This, often may be as a result of the moral laxity associated with the management or leadership of the school. This, also, should be checked, if the godly aspirations of parents must be achieved, as all efforts are geared towards ascertaining if the spiritual life of the child is what it used to be, before his enrolment in the school or if there are any negative or positive changes, at the time of assessment. Based on the foregoing, this lesson opines that:

(i)              It is the duty of godly parents to find out if their children in school still maintain or achieve more of the godly

 ideals of the family or have joined bad companies,(1 Cor. 15:33-34)

     (ii)           Schools which harbour unchecked corrupt and godless pupils can be places for the destruction of the godly

                     seeds planted in the lives of kids before their enrolment,(vs. 33-34)

     (iii)          High academic achievement of a child in school, at the expense of his moral or godly life, is a step to the total

                     destruction of the child,(Mark 8:36-37).

In conclusion, please, reflect that formal education of the child, especially at his formative age, nursery or primary, should achieve two basic things, namely; the laying of a solid academic foundation for the child, as well as building or improving on his moral life, irrespective of his background before enrolment. And, something is definitely wrong, where these are not simultaneously achieved, PLEASE, MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD GETS A BALANCED EDUCATION!