Myths of Christian
Education
Adventist Education
Unless the LORD builds the house, the
builders labor in vain. Unless
the LORD watches over the city, the
guards stand watch in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (NIV)
Adventist Education
Myth #1
Education given in Adventist
schools is very poor
Adventist Education
Myth #1
Today in the North American Division:
– 879 Schools
– 8,582 Teachers
– 80,541 Students
Worldwide:
– 6,709 Schools
Adventist Education is the second largest
denominational educational system in the
world, second only to Catholic schools.
Adventist Education
Myth #1
Challenges:
• Small Size
• Multi-grade Classrooms
• Low Budgets
• Lack of Adequate Facilities
• Cost
Adventist Education
Myth #1
“True education means more than the
pursual of a certain course of study. It
means more than a preparation for the
life that now is. It has to do with the
whole being, and with the whole period
of existence possible to man. It is the
harmonious development of the
physical, the mental, and the spiritual
powers. It prepares the student for the
joy of service in this world and for the
higher joy of wider service in the world
to come.”
Education p.13
Adventist Education
Myth #2
Adventist Schools Need
Better Teachers
Adventist Education
Myth #2
Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is
old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Adventist Education
Myth #2
Acquaint now thyself with
him, and be at peace: thereby
good shall come unto thee.
Job 22:21 (KJV)
Adventist Education
Myth #3
Better Facilities Mean a
Better Education
Adventist Education
Myth #3
If education is to prepare
youngsters just for this life,
then we are among all men
most miserable.
1 Cor 15:19 (adapted from)
Adventist Education
Myth #3
God does NOT want
Their Success
Their Achievement
Their Talent
Their Possessions
Their Beauty
Their Brain
Their Knowledge
Them for a Time
Them in Hell
God does want
Their Sincerity
Their Obedience
Their Commitment
Their Passion
Their Behavior
Their Heart
Their Loyalty
Them for Eternity
Them in Heaven
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Public Schools Prepare
Children Better for the Real
World
Adventist Education
Myth #4
…separate from Christ,
excluded from citizenship in
Israel and foreigners to the
covenants of the
promise, without hope and
without God in the world.
Ephesians 2:12 (NIV)
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Joseph: How can
I do this great
wickedness and
sin against my
God?
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Esther: If I
perish, I perish
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Daniel:
Purposed in his
heart that he
would not defile
himself
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Moses: Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Joshua: As for
me and My
house we will
serve the Lord
Adventist Education
Myth #4
Ruth: Thy God is my God
Adventist Education
Myth #5
Religion Should Only be
Taught in the Home and in the
Church
Adventist Education
Myth #5
These commandments that I give
you today are to be on your
hearts. Impress them on your
children. Talk about them when you
sit at home and when you walk
along the road, when you lie down
and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)
The Cognitive Genesis Study
“Amid all the buzz on education reform,
the Seventh-day Adventist school system
might seem an unexpected place to look
for models in improving student
achievement. But by educating mind,
body, and spirit, Adventist schools
outperform the national average across all
demographics.”
For real education reform, take a cue from the Adventists
By Elissa Kido, Ed.D., professor of education at La Sierra University
Posted on www.csmonitor.com on November 15, 2010.
The Cognitive Genesis Study
“Even we were surprised by the results. Our
four-year, independently financed study
showed that students at Adventist schools
outperformed their peers at the national
average in every subject area.”
“One of our most dramatic findings is that
students who transferred to Adventist
schools saw a marked improvement in
academic achievement. The more years a
student attended an Adventist school, the
more his or her performance improved.”