In their own words: Parents celebrating teachers and Adventist education

Abstract

In Australia, over one-third of school enrolments are in non-government schools and a large proportion of these are in faith-based schools. Why do parents choose to send their children to fee-paying schools when there are free government schools available for all children? Further, in Australia’s secular society, why do parents, and many non-faith parents, choose faith-based schools to educate their children? Parents choose faith-based schools for many reasons and this chapter presents the qualitative findings from interviews with parents. While exploring their reasons for choosing faith-based schooling for their children, many parents shared positive perceptions of Adventist education, and how schools and teachers had favourably influenced their choice. In their own words, parents provide a window into their experiences, perceptions, and affirmation of Seventh-day Adventist education and the teachers who are the face of Adventist education: truly, a celebration of teaching.