Education

The Protestant Reformation significantly impacted education because of the major reformers’ theological philosophies and their specific contributions. Martin Luther, Melanchthon Philip, and John Calvin planted the seed that enabled education to propagate and advance to become what it is today. However, the concept from the week’s assigned reading “CE: The Heritage of Christian education” that I found impactful is the Lutheranism approach to education via state, where education is perceived as a tool for character formation or personal piety.

Lutheranism’s purpose of education was to develop the child both morally and intellectually to offer better services both to God, the church, state, and society as a whole. According to Luther, schools acted as a pathway to nurture Christian teachings, thus enhancing loyalty to the state and strengthening nationalism. The particular aspect of Lutheranism that I find more interesting and practical even today is the idea that the context of education includes schools and the church and within the home. Luther emphasized home as an important aspect in shaping the child’s education (Estep 2003). As quoted by Painter, Martin Luther believed that “by natural and dive right, authority is lodged in the parents, who occupy at once the threefold office of prophet, priest, and king.” It is, therefore, their responsibility to teach, train, and govern the kids. Luther further sought to prepare the family as a player in the child’s education by providing backing from the church and catechism that parents could use with the children (Estep 2003).  According to Lutheranism, the parents provided the initial foundation for the child’s education with schools only coming in to provide education beyond the capabilities of the parents.

The emphasis on Lutheranism idea of family being part of the child’s education is because of the neglect of today’s parents to participate in the children’s educational development, which should not be the case. Research evidence shows that many parents today erroneously trust that their kids’ education is in the teachers’ hands. However, just as Luther argued, parents are the pillar of the children’s educational development. Parents occupy a “threefold office of prophet, priest, and king,” responsible for instructing, training, and governing the kids (Estep 2003). Research also firmly supports the case for parental participation in the education of the child. Study shows that irrespective of backgrounds or income, learners with actively involved parents have a higher probability of scoring better grades, attending school regularly, improving their social skills and behavior, and adapting well school environments. The degree to which the parent is involved in the kid’s education is considered the perfect predictor of the learner’s achievement in school, not social status or income. It is irrefutable that families actively involved in children’s education are giving the children the best chance for educational achievement. Parental participation also benefits the child beyond just academics (Brooks 2019). Learners with active family support are more likely to take risks to learn new concepts.

Therefore, as educators, you and I should strive to encourage parents to be part of their children’s educational development. How do we achieve this? As a teacher, you can engage in one-on-one discussions with parents on the importance of parental involvement in the child’s educational development and how they can do it during a meeting with parents. For the children in lower grades, the teachers can draft homework requiring parents to assist their children in completing. 

References

Brooks, A. (2019). Experts Discuss the Importance of Positive Parental Involvement in Education. Rasmussen College.

Estep, J. R. (2003). CE: The heritage of Christian education. College Press.