Volume 2 Issue 1

Christian education is distinctly different from other approaches to education. But knowing what that distinctiveness is and acting consistently on it is vital, for Christian schools to be authentic and to justify their existence. This article seeks to identify fundamental premises underlying Christian education; then to establish a set of ground rules for critical discussion and the development of a model to faithfully represent that enterprise. The purpose of the model is two-fold: to capture realistically the dynamic nature or ‘special character’ of Christian schools as communities of faith, and in so doing, provide a useful frame of reference for critical review, strategic planning and renewal of schools calling themselves ‘Christian’.

In the first issue of TEACH, Arthur N. Patrick issued a challenge to educators:

grasp the opportunity to discuss the dynamic impact that Christian education has exerted and can continue to exert upon Australian society.

This article is one response to that challenge.

This article focuses on selected sections of a wider research study that investigated the perceptions of students in upper, lower, and mixed-ability stream mathematics classes, regarding their classroom learning environment. The study collected data from a representative sample of Year 9 and Year 10 students, employing recognised, reliable survey instruments. The most significant finding of the study, resulting from the analysis of quantitative data, was that lower stream students not only had more negative perceptions of their classroom learning environment, but wanted less change. This negative perception is seen to be worse in Year 10 than in Year 9, particularly in terms of teacher support, task orientation and equity.

This article proposes there are inherent core understandings in the words ‘Christian’ and ‘school’ that make this type of counselling different. The writer argues for a Christian distinctive through a critical challenge put to contemporary psychology and in reviewing 1 John 3:24-4:8. The unique character of school counselling is represented by two frameworks. These examine the direction of the counselling process and the interaction between the social ecology and the interpersonal relationship patterns of school life, from a student perspective.

One of the eye-catching headlines in the

Newcastle Herald, 8th February, 2008, read:

“Dreadlock Holiday”. It was designed, one would

suggest, to entice the reader to continue their

reading. Judging from the response to this

article, in the media, over the following week, the

headline fulfi lled its purpose.

The use of the Bible in Religion classes— variously referred to as Bible, Scripture, or Studies of Religion classes—in the Christian secondary education context2 appears to be something that should naturally take place. However, two issues may stand in the way of biblical study actually happening. First, it is all too easy to talk about the Bible without really studying it in any great depth. This article attempts to provide educators with some practical suggestions regarding effective scriptural study. Second, is the problem of not knowing where to start and perhaps where to finish. What is one to do with the biblical stories that seem inappropriate for early high school students? What if the Bible teacher gets out of her / his depth and cannot deal with the questions and issues raised by questing teenagers? How is one to deal with the considerable diversity within the Bible on many issues as well as with the vast disparity between contemporary culture and biblical culture/s? Again, I will attempt to provide some assistance in these areas.