Vernard T. Gant, DMin
Director, Urban School Services
ACSI
Their education needs to intervene in order to compensate for what may be lacking in their family structure, and it may even need to counter any destructive or potentially destructive elements in that structure.
The times are dictating a new paradigm of schooling, and Christian schooling is no exception. Historically, Christian schooling has functioned in a parallel relationship with the home. The Christian school has viewed its role as that of an extension of the home. The Christian educator’s role under this system is not to take the place of the parent but rather to pull alongside the parent in reinforcing the values and principles instilled at home. Parents engage in what was once called “home training,” which includes instruction in morals, values, discipline, and respect—the bases for the child’s social and behavioral practices. In the past, these practices were the expected social norms that schools could easily reinforce. The child who constantly misbehaved or was disrespectful in school was said to lack home training. It was common for a child to be told to act as though he or she had home training. Today, such misbehavior and disrespect have become the norm rather than the exception. Schools have not been designed or equipped to provide home training, nor have educators been trained to compensate for the lack of it. Its absence is one of the reasons why discipline and classroom management are such critical issues in education.
Many young people have little to no semblance of the family structure that was in place a generation ago. According to the latest census data, 30 percent of children under the age of 18 are growing up in homes without the benefit of both parents. Of those, 65 percent are African American children, 35 percent are Latino children, and 23 percent are white children (ChildStats.gov 2005). These numbers amount to more than 22 million children nationwide who run a higher risk of being under-parented and under-resourced socially, economically, and academically (AECF 2005b). Of course, because a child lives with a single parent does not mean that the child is under-parented, just as there is no guarantee that a child who lives with both parents is not being under-parented. Research shows, however, that children living in single-parent homes are more susceptible to adverse social and academic experiences (AECF 2005a). While this finding indicates a crisis for the nation as a whole, it is calamitous for the nation’s urban centers because most of the children living there are growing up in single-parent homes. The way schooling has been done historically is not working and will not work for this generation.
Under-resourced, under-parented children, who are academically and socially at risk, require an education that is largely interventionist in nature. In other words, their education needs to intervene in order to compensate for what may be lacking in their family structure, and it may even need to counter any destructive or potentially destructive elements in that structure. For example, an intervention could be as simple as correcting a child who says, “My momma said if someone hits me, I’m to hit them back.” Or it can be as complex as teaching and modeling an alternative biblical lifestyle. This educational model follows Jesus’ example in the Gospels where He stated, “You have heard it said …, but I say to you …” In essence, it shows the child “a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Such an education holds out perhaps the greatest promise of providing the child with what is needed to avoid repeating destructive social patterns. This interventionist education takes place of course with the permission of the parents who know the position and policy of the school on such matters and agree to support and abide by them. Moreover, despite their own circumstances, these parents want something better for their children. The Christ-centered school can educate these children into a more excellent way of life.
Urban School Services: Interventionist Education 9.3