Teaching the Word in Christian School, Part 2

Here’s the situation.  A parent with three children enrolled in your school, one in elementary school, one in middle school and one in ninth grade, walks into the office to see the principal with a complaint.  The required Bible class each semester in ninth grade crowds her son’s schedule.  In order to get all the credits he wants to have upon graduation, he will have to take a full schedule of seven classes each year, and the four credits of Bible means that if he fails a class, or wants to add something to his schedule, he’ll have to take a summer session.  The parent insists that’s not fair, since his public school counterparts only have to take their required courses their senior year, and can work in the afternoon.  If he transfers to a public high school, he loses the credit, since they won’t recognize the Bible course.  And, well, her son just hasn’t really been all that good in Bible in middle school, and the grades will have an effect on his GPA and may hurt his chances to get into college. 

“Let us be responsible for his Bible training at home and at church,” she says, “so he won’t have to miss out on what other kids have.” 

So, what do you think the principal should tell her? 

Our philosophy here at The Kingdom Educator, is to advise schools to do as much to head this off at the pass before it happens.  When enrolling students, a handbook or handout of policy should make it explicitly clear that the school’s philosophy of Christian education requires all students to be involved in a Bible class every semester that they are enrolled, from pre-K through 12th grade.  Church related schools should also make it clear that they are going to employ teachers who are in agreement with the church’s doctrinal position and the school’s doctrinal statement, and that they will teach the Bible from that perspective.  It should be the responsibility of whoever enrolls the students to verbally explain this to the parents, and make sure their signature is on a copy of it in the files.

There are some alternatives which can be employed to help ease the “credit crunch” on students, short of waiving the Bible requirement.  Some schools simply offer an eight period day, with an optional “early bird” period in the morning.  Students can opt to show up early to take classes for original credit.  Others simply offer the eight periods and a later dismissal time.  Either way, the extra period adds four credit possibilities back into the schedule.  Being creative with block scheduling also allows for an extra class to be inserted into the schedule to give students an extra option. 

I’ve seen some schools, mostly related to Episcopal dioceses, that have a daily  30 minute chapel program and a 30 minute follow up Bible class that floats through the block schedule.  The combination of the two gives the students 1/2 credit for Bible per semester.  Other schools break their Bible curriculum into semester length electives, permitting students to sign up by their interest area.  That way, they can fit their schedule together without having their grade level Bible class block access to another course they may want to take that semester. 

Daily instruction in the Word of God should never be compromised in a Christian school for any reason.  That is a principle of Christian educational philosophy that should be reinforced in your parent community at every available opportunity.