There are many reasons why parents elect to send their children to a private school such as we have locally.
One common reason is that the curriculum here is Bible based and children are taught from early grades through graduation the values of religious instruction. I heard recently of several instances that show the system is working even for those just entering the school.
There is in Dillon a residence near the hospital where a life-sized status of a religious figure has been erected. It is clearly visible by passing motorists and one day while a DCS first grader was riding with his friend, the driver called his attention to the statue and said to him rather casually that this is where Jesus lives and pointed out the statue to him. He immediately challenged this statement and said, “It is not where Jesus lives. He lives in my heart.” This is from a 6 year old who obviously has learned one of the important tenets of his faith, early.
And some of the little ones are much smarter than they are given credit. This first grader, a product of the same school, was in the presence of two adults and as they are wont to do, the grownups made a comment about another person but a comment that the speaker did not wish the first grader to hear so instead of saying the word ‘ugly’ she spelled it out to her friend as U G L Y . Immediately the child challenged the speaker by saying what she said was not so. At this early age, she had already learned to figure out what the sounds of what the letters meant. Be careful what you spell.
Just entering the first grade and apparently loving the experience, he was asked about his studies, and he mentioned that the class was studying the Bible. Intrigued that a first grader would have instructions in The Book, he was asked what part of the Bible was being studied. He immediately replied that we are starting from the beginning; we are studying Genesis 1:1 and then he repeated the verse. There is nothing like getting a good start.
While in our system of government public school teaching from the Bible is generally forbidden because there is a constitutional separation of church and state. There is no such distinction for non-public schools, and many believe that is a distinct advantage over the government supported educational institutions. Should one want proof in the eyes of many this alone would cause some parents to choose Bible based schools where in their opinion important values are taught and followed. Of course, for many this instruction is not exclusive to private schools; the home is the real school for learning important life values.
Proverbs 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
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Bill Lee, PO Box 128, Hamer, SC 29547
