In a Christian private school, a teacher will have significant religious freedom.
I recently received a Facebook message from somebody who has recently graduated as a teacher and is in her first year of teaching (Hey Liz), and she mentioned that she has the joy of reading the Bible to her students each and every morning. She also said that they even go home and ask there parents to read the Bible to them!
And it’s not like her students are all Christians, she estimated that around 90% are from non-Christian homes!
How exciting is that!
I must say that I do not have a public school teachers experience to draw from, but in my experience, this would never happen at a public school.
The freedom that Christians would have at private schools is certainly an exciting prospect as a pre-service teacher…
You can read the rest of the posts in this series at Public vs Private | Main Page.
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I’m sure you know this already, but the reason that she can talk about Christianity in a Christian private school is, well, because it’s a Christian private school. The reason people don’t have as much “freedom” to teach/talk about religion in a public school is because the public schools cannot support religious indoctrination. Teaching the Bible (as truth and without including the teaching of other religions) would violate that separation of church and state. And, it’s a very thin line between a teacher talking about religion and teaching it, since they hold so much power as an authority figure.
I guess the freedom you talk about in the Christian private school isn’t really religious freedom, just Christian freedom. I doubt your friend would be able to teach the Quran every morning, but then again that religious teaching is not what her students’ parents are paying for.
I’m sure you know this already, but the reason that she can talk about Christianity in a Christian private school is, well, because it’s a Christian private school. The reason people don’t have as much “freedom” to teach/talk about religion in a public school is because the public schools cannot support religious indoctrination. Teaching the Bible (as truth and without including the teaching of other religions) would violate that separation of church and state. And, it’s a very thin line between a teacher talking about religion and teaching it, since they hold so much power as an authority figure.
I guess the freedom you talk about in the Christian private school isn’t really religious freedom, just Christian freedom. I doubt your friend would be able to teach the Quran every morning, but then again that religious teaching is not what her students’ parents are paying for.
Thanks for your input Brittany.
I do indeed realise that this freedom is Christian freedom.
I am thinking through the question of teaching in a public school or a private school in NSW from a Christian perspective in my mind.
It is true that my friend would not be able to teach the Quran, but I would not want to either.
I agree also that teachers in public schools should not be able to “preach” to students, which is one of the points of this post. The ability to teach kids about Jesus in private schools is a definite advantage for me!
Thanks for your thoughts, and if you want to read more about the basis of my thought process, then you can read the introduction here.
Thanks for your input Brittany.
I do indeed realise that this freedom is Christian freedom.
I am thinking through the question of teaching in a public school or a private school in NSW from a Christian perspective in my mind.
It is true that my friend would not be able to teach the Quran, but I would not want to either.
I agree also that teachers in public schools should not be able to “preach” to students, which is one of the points of this post. The ability to teach kids about Jesus in private schools is a definite advantage for me!
Thanks for your thoughts, and if you want to read more about the basis of my thought process, then you can read the introduction here.