Morality and Education

I would love to know the statistics on the number of students being home-schooled now as compared to thirty years ago. I know the number would be vastly greater today, therefore, my next question is, why? Does education today have a different purpose and dynamic than it did thirty years ago? Does it have a different focus than envisioned when America was established?

The Founding Father's set the Constitution on pillars of decency and morality. Because of this standard, there was a philosophy of acceptance of all religions in the communities being established across the country. The Northwest Ordinance, drawn up in 1787, outlined the standards that territories must follow in order to become states. Article 3 of the Ordinance required that schools in the new communities should be established, and that students should be taught three basic things: religion, morality, and knowledge.

When French political statesman and writher Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in 1831, he was intrigued by the vibrant successes he witnessed in the fledging country. In his famous work, Democracy in America, he wrote the following:

Religion in America takes no direct part in the government of

society, but it must be regarded as the first of their political

institutions...in France I had almost always seen the spirit of

religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions.

But, in America I found they were intimately united...There is no

country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater

influence over the souls of men than in America.

 

 

In the early 1900's an influential educator by the name of John Dewey began to train teachers at Columbia University Teachers College. By 1953, 1/3 of all the presidents and deans of teacher training schools in America were graduates of Columbia's Teachers College. There is a note of interest which should be looked at in connections with this training. John Dewey based his entire program on humanism, in fact, he was the President of the American Humanist Association. He signed the Humanist Manifesto, and consented to its principles, one of these being:

 

I believe in no God and no hereafter. It is immoral to indoctrinate children with such beliefs. Schools have no right to do so, nor indeed have parents. I believe that religious education and prayers in school should be eliminated. I believe that denominational schools should be abolished...I believe that children should be taught religion as a matter of historical interest, but should be taught about all religions, including Humanism, Marxism, Maoism, Communism, and other attitudes of life...I believe that unborn babies are not people; I am as yet unsure whether the grossly handicapped are people in the real sense. I believe there is no such thing as sin to be forgiven and no life beyond the grave, but death everlasting.

 

 

With such dogma permeating our "modern" educational system, is it any wonder that the basic strength of our system has deteriorated? Whereas America in its early years was the envy of its European neighbors, it now ranks towards the bottom of global comparison. The 1950's, 60's, and 70's brought a further "dumbing down" of American education and morality.

 

Is it any wonder that more and more parents are opting for private schools with a return to the principles of education set down by the founders, or for home schooling? It doesn't surprise me in the least.