“Great game on TV last night, right?” With these words John greets his friends in the schoolyard on Monday morning. The game is the topic of the day. Until the bell rings. Later in a class discussion, John brings the topic up again. “Sir, I thought that penalty for Messi was plain nonsense. He was doing nothing wrong.” The Grade 8 teacher is uncomfortable with John’s remark. It is well known that John’s greatest interest is football. But that he watches the games on a Sunday, what does this tell the other students? Should he reply harshly? It would hurt John’s feelings. But is John the responsible party here? Yet, as teacher, can he let the remark pass by without a comment?

The Grade 10 teacher also catches a fragment of a conversation. “Hey, Tim, where were you yesterday? I missed you in church.” “O, man, I had a terrible headache. I was at the club on Saturday night until three o’clock or something. We had a blast! The place was rocking, and the girls were smoking hot. So, I stayed in bed yesterday. Skipping church once won’t hurt.” The teacher hesitates, is this the right time to say something?

Gray Area⤒🔗

 In this article we deal primarily with the role of the school in the moral education. How far does the authority of the school reach? When does the school intervene and when does it say, “This is not our responsibility; it belongs to the parents”? Or does the school place itself in somewhat of a hypocritical position? Almost like the priest and the Levite when they passed the wounded man next to the road. A teacher is also the brother or sister of the students entrusted to their care. Or perhaps not at school? Wasn’t this one of the advantages of Reformed education. Moral education takes place primarily where children meet other children. Whether at home or at school. But the guiding role of the school is especially important in places where children need to learn to relate to a lot of other people. In this article we want to attempt to give some basic conditions concerning the moral education in school. What are the possibilities in school? What are the roles of the board, the teacher, the student, and the parents? What can or may parents expect from the school in this regard?

Consciously Living out of Faith←⤒🔗

One could call the school a pedagogical institution. That means we think that the school has an educational task toward children. Within the school the modelling of teachers is greatly valued. The measure of influence varies with the kind of education. It makes quite the difference whether we have to do with a child aged six or sixteen. One thing remains the same for an elementary school teacher and a high school teacher: you can make it a condition for all the teachers at a Reformed school that they live consciously out of faith. It needs to be noticeable what faith in God means to them. For instance: insulting the name of God is absolutely forbidden. They do not do it themselves, but also take it as an affront when God’s honour is damaged by students.

Shining←⤒🔗

Teachers are in fact an extension of the parents. The parents have, for part of the day, entrusted the responsibility of raising their children to the man or woman standing in front of the class. Therefore, a hiring policy places high expectations on the teachers’ life of faith. This also receives a lot of attention during application interviews and later in appraisal and evaluation conversations. For a board member this is the most important part of the conversation.

This does not relieve the parents from their responsibility toward their children. They remain the primarily responsible ones. This is a deciding factor in choosing a school for their child(ren). Parents and teachers are God’s ambassadors for the children. They reflect, whether consciously or not, something of God’s image to the children. This means that all these educators need to study the Scriptures regularly for insight in how the Lord reveals himself. For every Reformed teacher this should be a basic part in lesson preparations. Teachers stimulate each other in this with lively discussions. This can be done by starting every staff meeting or section meeting with a short Bible study. This does not have to take hours, but it does form a beautiful start to the meeting. The guidance comes from the leadership in the school to the faculty and is passed on to the students. Would it not be great if all teachers would ask themselves regularly: how do I reflect God’s image to my class, to my colleagues?

Examples←⤒🔗

Children find out very quickly whether their teacher is an authentic believer or not. Is this faith only a shell or does it come from deep within? How does the teacher treat the opening and closing devotions of the day? Is it only a formality? Or does the teacher show that it is an essential relationship with God, without which he nor the children can exist. Do the teachers apply the things they ask of the children in their own life? The students on the camping trip are well aware of the teachers who drink too much at night. What kind of image does that evoke in children? It might become the new standard: so, this is how adults party—drinking is cool and the only way to have real fun.

What is the quality of the relationship between the student and the teacher? Does the teacher always remain sufficiently aware of the fact that a teacher can step into the shoes of the student but that you cannot expect this in return from the child? The responsibility for the quality of the teacher–student relationship therefore rests with the teacher. For this reason alone, undesirable intimacies between students and teachers are unacceptable. To protect the weakest in this context, and because people will talk or draw faulty conclusions about relationships, the school sets up a code of conduct for its teachers and students.

Precious Pearls←⤒🔗

The interaction with students is one filled with respect for the child. Belittling of students, certainly while in the company of others, is unacceptable. Even if it is just an expression of the teacher’s powerlessness. Does our heavenly Father ever treat us that way? Due to the ever-growing school communities, there is a danger that students will increasingly become mere numbers. They are then no longer a worthwhile individual, a precious pearl in the hand of God. They will disappear in the greater mass of students.

The moral code which the school formulates can try to stop this trend in all kinds of ways. Rules in themselves can set people in motion. However, the role of the teacher in a school is at least as important, because they are placed in a position where they can offer the extra effort, clarity, and warmth to a child. Having an eye for that individual child entrusted to a homeroom teacher or class mentor, is a minimum standard for a school. One can be so easily mistaken in the reason for a child’s behaviour. Why is he failing in his studies? Why does she never get her homework done? Where does that negative attitude come from? What is behind that withdrawn, silent boy? If a child notices that his teacher is really paying attention, it can be an enormous support. It can create a bond of trust in which the student finds safety. A teacher can sometimes have the idea that a strict and stern approach with a loud voice would be good for a group, while the youth have the most respect for a person in front of the class who also respect others. Within the community of schools there is no escape from punishing intolerable behaviour. In this punishment the school keeps a focus on the idea that one sinner educates the other. This means that grace and forgiveness have a large place in all this.

Another example in which the school can show that it respects its students concerns the marks and report cards. How does the school treat marks and report cards? Have the marks become a goal in themselves in which a decimal behind the point decides progress or failure? Unfortunately, most secondary schools and beyond still work with such a model. Does this motivate the students in a right way? Students will attempt to walk the decimal line instead of putting a full effort into their tasks. How do schools stimulate this attitude?

Care←⤒🔗

Some of the moral education of the students also shows through the care the school gives toward students who need extra care. Are those the troublemakers or the ones who need a little extra love and understanding? The attitude of the man or woman in front of the class is a strong determining factor.

The attitude toward a child influences the surroundings. When students notice that there is concern for another child, the surrounding group will react toward this concern. But if students notice that the teacher is irritated by a child, the rest of the group often treats that child in the same way and can even turn to bullying behaviour.

Authority←⤒🔗

Teachers can show that “authority” is not a dirty word in school, that authority must not be confused with power or even abuse of power. Authority has a serving purpose. The authority of a teacher is meant to help students, to create the circumstances in which they can function well. Students quickly pick up how the atmosphere among staff is at a school. How do the teachers at the school act amongst themselves? They say that the children have to look out for each other, that you have to help each other when needed. Do teachers do this as well? Is there a clear mutual care among colleagues at school, or does everyone retreat to their own island? This is an important point for attention in a school. Should this not be a part of a school evaluation? Children can function well only in a safe school. A safe school is, among other things, a school with clear rules. Not rules for the sake of rules, but rules which are purposeful, ones that can be maintained without falling into an automatic unquestioning obedience. It is not only good that children like school; it is also important for the man or woman in front of the class. A school in which the teaching staff feels at home has a good head start in the creation of a positive pedagogical climate.

We could ask the question whether an affective bond between a teacher and a student is desirable. Doesn’t that take it too far? Such a bond belongs in the family. Of course, affection can grow through the daily contacts between a student and a teacher. On the other hand, it is important that a teacher creates a bond with all his students, not only those who are easily approachable. In this aspect, the teacher has a modelling function as well. The role of the teachers as educator is steadily pushed toward the background.

Teaching is a vocation with a lot of responsibility. Teachers are the face of the moral code a school maintains. A school can have many beautiful rules, but they need to work and be enforced in the practice of every day. This is where the teachers are the standard-bearers.

Students←⤒🔗

The Grade 3 teacher has yard duty today. This role has its nice and not so nice sides. She likes being among the children, to observe how they behave in recess. However, she dreads the confrontations with the students in Grade 8. And just like she thought — one of those students runs off the school property. Miss Ashley quickly walks to the fence. “Ben, why did you run off the school property?” Initially, Ben acts as if he does not hear a thing. Then he turns to look at the teacher with an insolent face, and an expression that says: you have no authority over me. Ben tries to save himself by shrugging his shoulders and says, “They were chasing me, and I did not want to get tagged.” Miss Ashley reacts by stating that the rule is that you may not leave the property. Ben replies, “You are not my teacher, and my teacher allows this.”

How will she react now? Should she ignore this to prevent an escalation, or should she hold her position and give him a piece of her mind? It seems that children react like this more and more these days. They are sweet, polite, and kind when they need a grown-up, but when they receive a corrective comment, watch out! How many schools don’t have a problem with the so called “stay-at-home moms” or other parent volunteers? They do not seem to be allowed any authority over the children of others. If the child himself does not react aggrieved, you can expect a phone call from his parents with words like “Look at your own kids!” Could the reactions of the child and the parents be related? Parents easily push the responsibility for their child’s behaviour to the school. Surely the school makes mistakes in a consistent approach with the child. But a child receives its behaviour primarily from the home.

In the first part of the article we have primarily looked at the role of the teachers. We will now  shift our attention to the role of the student. Everything we wrote in the first part of the article makes it seem like everything depends on the educators at the school. However, students are not passive in relationships. They define for their part the quality of the content of this relationship. As students get older one can demand higher standards of them. The role of the teachers as educators is lessening. Their task becomes more one of advisor or coach, one who stimulates, advises, and encourages.

From the Inside out←⤒🔗

A Reformed school considers it their task to lead children to become young independent Christians who can make their own choices. In doing so, the school presents them with the values that the school considers important. These values are not only reinforced and lived out, but also taught and discussed. The latter especially with older students. The youngest students in the elementary school can be told, “This is allowed and that is not.” But with older students these rules are explained and discussed. One tries to motivate the students from the inside out, in the hope that the students will stick to the rules not out of fear for punishment but because the rules make sense in the given situation.
The young student still lives very much in their own world. You want to teach the children to look beyond themselves and recognize they are not alone in the world. That other people are not there only for their personal convenience or pleasure. Everyone is equally important. The school, even more than a family, is a place where we can make a child experience this firsthand. In principle, everyone in the classroom is equal. Everyone has the same rights. To show this to a child, an educator will not show favour or disfavour to a certain student. Even the appearance of such will be avoided.

Focus←⤒🔗

We and our children live in a culture of consumption. This mindset can penetrate relationships. Others will become articles for use or consumption. “I can play a great game of soccer with John, but I can have really good conversations with Jack.” That is very much focused on oneself: what can I get out of the relationship? A narrow focus on oneself. Are you really interested in the other as a person? There are also wonderful challenges and opportunities to work with at a school, precisely due to the presence of so many others.

Another threat to the moral education of a child is that today children are raised without experiencing many obstacles. We mainly do the things that the children like. Chores they do not feel like doing are quickly taken from their hands. In this we deprive the children of something valuable. In this the school is also a good place to confront children with tasks which really must be done. It is good for children to learn how to handle these things. Demanding some things of children shapes their personality.

Confidence←⤒🔗

It is important for each child to build enough self-confidence. This happens mostly at home, but the school can cooperate in a positive way. Confidence is built mostly through positive attention. You praise the child for the things that went well but do not exaggerate this. That can have the opposite effect. The positivity needs to be authentic. When a child receives well-meant, but faked attention, they will not feel that it is taken seriously. Then their carefully constructed foundation of self-confidence crumbles again. A child asks for a trustworthy environment. That offers a good basis for self-confidence. Self-confidence is not only knowing what you can do but also knowing what you cannot do. You need to learn to handle this in a good way — to learn to accept that you have limitations and that everyone has their own limitations. Only if you can accept this, will there be a good balance within. With this as a starting point a child can cope with his world and continue to grow. Within this world and within the boundaries of his environment, a child will have to learn that bad things do happen. When this happens, an adult can demonstrate that this does not have to lead to panic.  

Respect←⤒🔗

A child needs to learn to have respect for another, first at home and certainly at school. They need to know the difference between mine and yours—not only in a material sense, in keeping their hands off others’ property, but also in a spiritual sense, in keeping hands off what belongs to another. This also pertains to the difficult child in the group. Having no respect for another is always theft. It is either theft of stuff or of worth. School policies will need to be modelled around this principle. In an elementary school it does not make sense to have thorough lessons about discrimination. Perhaps Grades 7 and 8 can handle this at times. In the context of the developmental stage in which the children are, they might often think: “Imagine they do this to you.” On the other hand, this teaching can be discussed in high school.

Vulnerability←⤒🔗

There is a lot of talk about the vulnerability of an educator. To admit that you are also not perfect and that you can be wrong. In itself, this is not wrong as long as it is not exaggerated or used as an educational ploy to get a child to do something. A child can also lose some confidence because of your vulnerability. Especially in the eyes of young children, mom and dad are heroes who can do anything. They need this ideal to feel safe in this world. By constantly having a vulnerable or hesitant attitude, or by letting your child guide you in your decisions, your young child can also develop a feeling of uncertainty or insecurity. Since the child is a child of God, the goal is that they learn to love their neighbour as themselves. In Christian education your goal is to teach a child responsibility for themselves and the other. This is the goal of moral education. This also applies to the school you send your child to. So you also include that in your considerations when choosing a school.

School and Parents←⤒🔗

The best school is not necessarily the one that is all about the high exam results, although this is not an unimportant factor in the choice of schools. Moral education remains the most important. Moral education starts at home — that is where the foundation is laid. The school continues to build on this foundation. There will be a lot of similarities in the moral education at home and at school. It is easier for the school to teach characteristics like effort, self-control, and perseverance because of the relationships in the school. This does not mean that you can skip this at home. Again: the foundation starts at home. A good pedagogical climate is of great importance for a moral education. It is in fact an absolute condition at home and at school. If the climate is filled with tension and stress or if there is a lot of confusion, it can cause the child to regard it as unsafe and problems can be expected. Schools can play an important role in promoting a valuable education. The school is a place of meeting for parents. The school could, for example, organize gatherings in which parents can discuss their norms and values in life. Especially through the presence of the necessary pedagogical knowledge and experience, teachers could, as professional educators, function as sources of information. Parents rightly do expect something from the school. The school can in turn profit from this in tuning its moral instruction toward the parents. This encourages the unity in the educational climate between school and home. Moral education is not a goal unto itself. Together schools and parents are busy equipping the students as citizens in God’s kingdom.