In early 1903, Ellen G. White (1827-1915), a prolific American Christian author and counselor, published her first book on education. The subject came to Mrs. White’s eyes long before she aroused interest in our society. For example, in 1862, Mrs. White and her husband, James White, were interested in organizing formal education. As a result, his denomination initially established a school in Battle Creek, Michigan, to train church workers.
In the last few decades, a cultural phenomenon called postmodernism gained strength after World War II, when society went through a rapid process of destabilization of the Western family, school, churches and other traditions. Postmodern ideas threaten the very possibility of education. For postmodernist thinkers, truth isn’t even a slippery salmon: it doesn’t exist. However, the search for meaning is an inalienable human right. The belief in meaning and the freedom to seek it are the principles of a healthy society.
Mrs. White believes that when science and the spiritual are combined in studies in our schools, we give young men the chance to become men of deep thought. If we aim for a low standard, we will only achieve a low standard. This is the reason why the education system fails to educate students. They are not even able to think clearly. Entire generations are growing up addicted to laziness, homework is left undone, and all is well! In reality, despite great effort over the past 20 years, academic performance among students continues to lag. The truth is that the public school system does not provide a suitable environment for learning. Yet today’s public school system tolerates new ideas only on a small scale and does so largely to reduce pressures for larger changes.
It is time to ask some questions: what kind of education can rescue man from nihilism and allow him to achieve authenticity? And how will we try to achieve this ideal?
Therefore, the attention in education must be to keep away from the schools doctrines that are conjectures of men without commitment for true freedom. Christian authors and scientists believe in freedom, and that freedom gives us the opportunity to change. Unquestionably, the way to get education back on track is to provide young people with a broad-based education where they have the opportunity to study the sciences, arts, and skills in the context of a biblical worldview.