Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, to call. It’s widely used in my field of work, (education) to describe a certain set of careers such as education, medicine and care services. People choose to enter these professions because of their skill base, their interests and their desire to be involved directly in caring for fellow humanity. But what does the word ‘vocation’ mean to a Christian? Is it related just to the fields of full time Christian ministry or... Read more
In a video clip defining values based education, international consultant Dr Neil Hawkes suggests that ‘beliefs divide: values unite’. What does this mean in the current context of the British values agenda as a response to religious extremism? Does it mean that we should, like France, become a secular state, making belief a matter of personal and private opinion? Can we still afford religious debate in the public arena? Or must we, in defence of free speech and the right... Read more
Earlier this week a report was published entitled Religion, Security and Global Uncertainties It called, among other things, for an increase in religious literacy and a wider vocabulary among us all, in order to overcome the current simplistic response to religious violence as a purely religious issue. But is this the answer? The report acknowledged that the embedded understanding of most people is restricted to the ‘radicalised fringes’ of religion – the extreme area which politicians and media often choose... Read more
Their Name is Today: Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World This is a very timely book for anyone who wants to ‘raise and influence children to be more compassionate and considerate, more courageous and confident, more independent, secure and unselfish ’. Written by Johann Christoph Arnold, a widely experienced parent and counsellor from the Bruderhof community, it gives voice to passionate advocates for children, people who are fighting to take back childhood. This is not a self-help book or a... Read more
A recent article in The Guardian reported a six fold increase in cheating in UK Primary school national tests due to teachers ‘flouting rules or fiddling results’: 37 schools saw their results scrapped. The Department for Education response was that ‘strong action is taken’ to secure integrity of testing. This included a tightening of the rules, and guidelines that make it easier for whistleblowers to report suspected wrongdoing. Yes, of course parents and teachers want to be assured of the... Read more
One of the aspects of teaching that I most enjoy is introducing children to Shakespeare – it leads to all sorts of interesting discussions. One day, while thinking about exits, entrances and the seven ages of man as metaphors for birth, death and the passage of life, we started to talk about the line ‘one man in his time plays many parts’ (As You Like It Act 2 scene 7). A pupil asked me what it meant, and I explained... Read more
Pisa tests and the need to be seen as internationally successful are increasingly dominating education policy. Sir John Rowling, of the PiXL (Performance in Excellence) Club, argues that Pisa tests are so politically important that schools should actually prepare pupils for them. Not unsurprisingly, the PiXL Club is ‘dedicated to boosting pupils’ performance’, so teaching to yet another test to gain footing on an international stage fits the agenda. You can try the tests yourself if you want to know... Read more
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote that ‘the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ’ (Galatians 3:24). In fact, he personified the law by describing it as our pedagogue which leads us to Christ, and it is picture language which Paul’s contemporary readers would have well understood. Our modern word ‘pedagogy’ is defined as ‘the art and science of education’. But this isn’t where the word started its life. In Greek, it derived... Read more
A disturbing report from Childline recently described a huge increase in the calls it is receiving from suicidal teenagers. In 2013, 17 year olds were the ones most likely to receive suicide counselling. In 2014, it is 15 year olds. One of three of these young people also talked about self harm, which has increased by 29% in the last two years. The reasons for this are, of course, very complex, but let me offer a perspective as a teacher,... Read more
Welcome to the Christians in Education blog – I hope you will find it a useful and thought provoking place to visit. For my first post, I thought it would be good to tell you a little about Christians in Education and the intended purpose of its blogs. Christians in Education has two aims – to support all Christians working in the world of education, and to advocate for the Christian worldview through challenging contemporary thinking. Although my professional experience... Read more
Christians in Education
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