During the COVID lockdown there has been some confusion over who is working, who is on furlough - who is paying for what - who is working from home, indeed what is work! Many large corporations are reassessing how work is managed. Some have said they don’t need large offices in big cities. Office staff can work more efficiently online from home etc. etc. Some have been made redundant (not a biblical term). This all seems far removed from the curse on Adam due to sin, 'by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground’ and the follow up--only slightly more positive--text in Ecclesiastes 9:10: 'Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going’. Through the ages work has evolved from being a curse to becoming a way of salvation. Indeed in many religious traditions good works lead to salvation of one form or another. However, the biblical teaching is that good work is evidence of the saving Grace of God in our lives. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. But then some (not all) in society argue that if you get free gifts--such as Government benefits--you are less inclined to work. Paul corrects the misapprehension of easy grace in Romans 6 and of course in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 he writes: 'For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.' Doesn’t that describe some of the problem of busybodies in society today?

Secular sociologists, historians and philosophers may see the ‘work ethic’ as a method for making money, spawning an industrial revolution or achieving protestant hegemony (as some Chinese researchers have surmised) but for Christians it is simply a matter of diligence before God as an outcome of a great salvation--not looking out for the praise of men but looking forward to the heavenly commendation, “Well done good and faithful servant."

Human nature tends to follow the crowd. We are afraid of change – of being different or of doing things differently. But without innovation, we wouldn’t have seat belts, the heart transplant, or the internet. Innovation can be positive, and doing things differently hugely changes not only our lives but also the world around us. 

This concept applies to education, too. It’s easy to ‘go with the flow’ and send our children off to school when they are of age, entrusting them to the care of their teachers. But is this what’s best for them? Is it effectively preparing them to live and work in today’s world? Have we considered whether there is a better way?

There are alternatives that we, as parents, grandparents or carers, could – and should – consider before making a decision regarding our children’s education. Each child is an individual, and each education experience should be individualised.

So, what are the options?

1. Consider home educating

Although homeschooling sometimes gets a bad rap, many well-known people were educated at home, including Sir Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Tim Tebow, and Bethany Hamilton. The reasons to choose to home educate are varied and could include:

• Your family values or lifestyle
• A negative school experience -- e.g. bullying
• Your child not making progress in a traditional school setting
• Wanting to provide additional areas of study
• Freedom to choose a curriculum
• Living abroad
• And many more

Whatever your reason, home educating is worth consideration. Weigh up the responsibilities and benefits, and if you opt for this approach, pursue it wholeheartedly and with excellence.

It also helps to connect with a home school support service and other home-educating families. To find out more about about how Christian Education can help with this click the button below.