Editorial

This year I started studying with the National Institute for Christian Education. One of the best things I’ve picked up so far is a clearer way to describe what’s unique about the way MECS interprets Christian education. Ever since I started at MECS it was obvious to me that Christian Education meant something different here compared to my experiences at other Christian Schools, but sometimes I’ve struggled to explain how or what. Now I’m finding words to name it, and it’s giving fresh focus to my planning and approach in the classroom.

Some people may see Christian schools as just safer places, with families who share values and raise their children in a similar way. And while there’s truth in that, it’s not the main game. If that’s all Christian Education was, it would be a bubble, not a vision or a place of transformation.

What I’m learning that I hadn’t noticed previously, is that the classroom, the curriculum, my posture, the content, the assessments, none of it is ever neutral. Every teacher, in every subject, whether they acknowledge it or not, teaches out of their own worldview.

The scary part is, that if we don’t recognise those two truths; that the default is not neutral, and everything we do comes from our worldview, then there is a genuine risk that the environment that we curate is shaped towards a secular set of beliefs rather than Kingdom ones. If our defaults, such as how we run our classes, how we frame the learning, and how we assess and provide feedback, mirror the wider culture, our whole system starts forming students towards a secular picture of success and of what is worth our love (Smith, 2009). Either we start with God and his story, or we don’t. There isn’t a middle ground. It may sound harsh, but sometimes a Christian school can look almost identical to the independent school down the road. If the school’s heartbeat is chasing performative achievements, NAPLAN results, or ATAR scores; if Bible verses are only on the walls or teaching about following Jesus is kept for lunchtime clubs and morning devotions; and if the curriculum is driven by the same cultural storylines, such as achievement, competition, and success, then what, of substance, is really being offered that is any different? 

That’s why I’ve been challenged by David Smith’s reminder that worldview is not just a list of beliefs you can memorise (Smith & Parker, 2020). It’s something that forms us in the everyday habits of learning. The way we teach matters just as much as the content that we teach. If we talk about forgiveness in morning home group but model competition and comparison in the classroom, our students may not notice it explicitly, but they may quietly conclude that results matter more than grace. If we claim God cares about justice but never shape our curriculum to reflect that, then our words fall flat. Curriculum and practice are not just a vehicle for 'neutral knowledge'. It is already full of assumptions about what matters and what doesn’t, about what success looks like, and about what kind of people we’re aiming to be formed in to.

And this is what makes Christian Education exciting. It’s not about compromising academic excellence, but it’s centred on re-defining what 'excellence' means more broadly in light of the gospel. Are we helping young people love God, themselves and their neighbour? Are we forming them to care about discerning truth, seeking justice, and being people of hope? That’s a bigger story than simply grades and assessments. 

So, when I think about Christian schooling, I don’t want it to just be a safe place, or a moral place, or a school that churns out high scores. I want it to be a place where students are being prepared to see the world differently, to notice when the cultural stories don’t add up, and to step into God’s story with courage. That’s what makes Christian Education more than just another option.

Tim Eddy  

Year 9 Coordinator, Deputy Head of Secondary & Secondary Teacher

Smith, D. I., & Parker, C. (2020). Worldview, curriculum, and pedagogy: A dialogue with David Smith. Christian Teachers Journal, 28(4), 18–23.

Smith, J. K. A. (2009). Desiring the kingdom: Worship, worldview, and cultural formation. Baker Academic.