There are many things for Christians to think about as we approach a General Election. One area the Free Churches have long been concerned about is education. We were pioneers in areas like teacher education and creating wider access to higher education and still have an active interest. The Free Church Education Committee (FCEC) has a deep interest in schools and has done particular work on further and higher education over recent years. Visit the Education section of the Free Churches Group website and follow the links to learn about that work and see the documents the committee has produced.
You can read the full FCG FCEC summary and source document for the
General Election and Education HERE.
We have written two further papers - one on schools and further education (FE)[in England} and one on universities, which set out more of our thinking relevant to the Election:
We encourage all who can to pray for those involved in education at all levels, and to engage with what the political parties and individual candidates are saying about education in the run up to the General Election. To help with that, we have produced the following headline points. They arise from our work and express some hopes, aspirations and visions for education, arising from Christian understandings, and which we believe will benefit individuals and communities. We hold a vision for education which is:
1. Holistic. It is about fullness of life for all, the development of the whole person, helping each to reach their God-given potential. So we seek education which embraces a broad and balanced curriculum, covering the vocational and academic, the artistic, cultural and spiritual, which deals with questions of morality and which enables the development of skills for work and living.
2. About the good of the whole community. Our thinking is inspired by the Kingdom teaching of Jesus; the seeking of a world of justice and peace where all can flourish. Education seeking such will be about the economic; it will also, and equally, be about such things as citizenship, social inclusion, community cohesion and helping students engage with the big (and not so big!) issues society faces.
3. For all. All are made in the image of God and so of inestimable value, whatever their age, ethnicity, social or economic background. Constant effort is needed to ensure that those from lower socio-economic groups and minority ethnic groups are not disadvantaged. That means policies, plans and resources to help pre-school services, schools, colleges and universities to enable all to flourish and become all they can be.
4. Not just about the economic! There is a huge stress at present on education serving the economy, preparing people for work. That matters; work is one way we seek to advance our individual and common life. Ultimately, however, an education system over-dominated by economic criteria will fail students and society, for human living is about far more than the economic. It is about beauty, truth, what is (or might be) good, about faith and hope and reaching out throughout life for a future better than the present. A question might be: does what is being offered in this school, college, university, and the policy framework within which they operate, encourage us to look up and dream?
5. Held to account in clear and appropriate ways. As it is about the good of society, and the common nurturing of the young, society has an interest in what happens in education. How that accountability happens needs to be through clear systems and structures which reflect the concerns we express here, the legitimate interests of many different stakeholders and taking seriously things central to education, such as academic freedom. That is true of governance, assessments, and all mechanisms through which the various sectors in education are monitored and inspected.
6. Which advances religious understanding. Religion is a hugely important force in the world and, we believe, a profound source of wisdom for living. Not all will hold the latter; the former is difficult to refute. It is therefore important that students at all levels have the opportunity to access high quality teaching about the world religions, and, indeed, about non-religious world views, that knowledge and understanding might grow.
These points arise from our own work on education. We put them together here whilst Party Manifestos are being launched. Readers might like to use what is here as they consider what the Parties and candidates say about education, and use them as they form their own views, and in posing questions to candidates.
On behalf of the Free Church Education Committee & Free Churches Group
Other useful links from JPIT and CTBI:
...which offer further information about other issues connected with the election, prayer suggestions and information about holding hustings.
(photo courtesy of Plush Design Studio @ Unsplash)