We live in a day and age with options, and the same goes for schools. From private to public to Christian to charter to homeschooling, parents and students have serious decisions to make from the moment a child enters preschool. Sometimes it can help to boil it down to the most basic question, so in today’s blog we’re looking at just that: what is the purpose of education?
Develop the Whole Person for Life
Education has taken on many different forms throughout history and around the world. Many of the first schools were established to teach religious principles and literacy. Later on, private and public schools were differentiated by their subjects, some teaching practical life skills like archery and farmwork and others, academic disciplines such as mathematics, history and music.
At LuHi, we believe a good education should include a balance of practical and academic courses. We’re not alone in that belief. The Greek philosopher Aristotle asserted that education should be well-rounded and include physical training, music, philosophy, play, and science.
Some public schools today are limited to teaching only what they decide are necessary academic subjects. LuHi, however, has the freedom to offer classes that are not just bare requirements, but are focused on developing the whole student. We aim to equip high schoolers in all areas of disciplines. Our teachers don’t just teach, but dedicate themselves to modeling life, character development, and creative problem solving. At LuHi, students are given service opportunities, a close-knit school family, and a safe environment in which to learn. All of these elements combined prepare them for a rich, well-rounded life after high school.
Build On Gifts, Talents and Passions
In just four short years, students will exit our halls to begin making an impact on the world, and it should be a positive and lasting impact. In order to maximize education, we need to build on the gifts, talents and passions they already have to help them hone in on their role.
In our Academies program, students can focus intensely on their God-given abilities in Art, Business, Lights, Music, Mission and Ministries, and STEM. Academy experience puts them a step ahead for collegiate pursuits and helps direct them toward a specific future.
We also have a wide variety of extracurriculars and specialty programs. Our fine arts program includes multiple music groups and theater productions taught by talented teachers. We offer fall, winter and spring sports for girls and boys with highly skilled coaches. Our clubs see a participation rate of 90% and are flexible for student interest. They include everything from robotics to video game development to ping pong to writing.
By offering all of these opportunities, our hope is that students explore the world and gain confidence for life in the real world.
Prepare Students to Impact God’s Kingdom
With all of the schools out there, you may be able to find one that offers both a well-rounded education for the whole student and one that builds on students’ natural giftings. But there is something else that sets LuHi apart – something absolutely vital to education: learning about and growing in a relationship with God.
As a Christian high school, we are rooted in God’s Word and hold a Biblical worldview. To be complete, we believe education must teach us about our identity as God’s children, our sin and need of a Savior, and our role in God’s Kingdom. The protestant reformer Martin Luther also believed strongly that a good education is not complete without a true understanding of our need for God: "True it is that human wisdom and the liberal arts are noble gifts of God. ...But we never can learn from them in detail what sin and righteousness are in the sight of God, how we can get rid of our sins, become godly and just before God, and come to life from death." For this reason "the foremost and most general subject of study...should be the Holy Scriptures" (taken from The Weimar Edition, page 48 and 78).
All that we do at LuHi stems from the goal of helping students understand God’s Word and how it applies to their lives. When they truly understand how much God loves them, their entire world changes. They can have the confidence to make a difference in God’s Kingdom by becoming the people he created them to be, fully embracing all the educational opportunities he gives them.
And that is the real purpose of education.
