Why Pay Tuition When Public Education Is Free?

Parents must never lose sight of the philosophical differences that exist between Christian education and public education. The spiritual development of your child is too important to do otherwise.

Why would parents pay tuition for their children to attend a Christian school when they can attend a public school free? For some parents, it’s caring, loving teachers, protection from undesirable influences, or small class sizes. For others, it’s strictly academics, a safe environment, or discipline. Yet for other parents, it’s Christian school teachers, Bible study, prayer, Christian values, and Christian character.

Do you want God’s blessings on your children’s lives? Of course you do! Does God place conditions on His blessings? God’s blessings come from valuing the things that God values, obeying the things that God commands, and keeping one’s heart in tune with the things that please God. The Bible teaches that parents should have a genuine love for His commandments and obey the teachings of Scripture, which include His child-rearing instructions (John 15:7-17).

The Old and New Testaments talk much about parents’ duty to teach God’s truths to their children, to talk about these truths in the home, to talk about the truths when traveling to and from the home, and to bind the truths in their children’s hearts (Deuteronomy 6:4-15). If parents want God’s blessing on their children, they must teach God’s truths in their homes, and instill truth in their children’s minds and hearts, especially during the formative years. This would include reading the Bible regularly in the home and talking about the things God loves. If God wants preeminence (first place) in the home, don’t you think that He wants preeminence in your children’s lives as well?
With these thoughts in mind, let’s examine six reasons why Christian school education is worth the financial investment.

1. Truth. School is a place where learning occurs; and learning, if it honors God, is based on truth—Bible truths. This means the truths of Scripture and academic knowledge are presented from God’s viewpoint. Truth is always in harmony with the Creator of the universe, for it is “by Him” and “for Him” that all things were created (Colossians 1:16-17). Truth, then, is an integral part of education.
2. Bible and Prayer. God bestowed upon man a means to communicate directly with Him—prayer. God also provided a way that He can express His thoughts to man—the Bible. The Bible states that parents are to rear their children to love and obey God (Proverbs 22:6). This can only be accomplished when parents genuinely want their children to know the mind of Christ, which means to give Jesus Christ preeminence in every area of life—home, church, school, and society (Colossians 1:16-18).
3. Academics. Truth in academics harmonizes with Bible truths. And truth, if it’s preserved, is never mixed with error or contaminated by human thoughts. In the Christian school, all subjects are taught from a theistic worldview perspective. In other words, God is exalted in every school subject— mathematics, English, science, history, music, computers, etc.
4. Protection. The four most damaging influences children face today are negative peer pressure (including wrong friends), instruction from teachers at school who reject Christian beliefs and values (humanism), electronic media, and lack of discipline. Any one of these influences can destroy your child’s confidence in God, in you (dad/mom), in school rules, in authority, and in Christian values and beliefs.
5. Training. The Christian school complements the home and church by training children to love and obey God and the teachings of Scripture (Matthew 22:3 7), to love and honor their parents, and to honor government and God-ordained authority. Education is more than book learning; it’s about knowing God and His universe. What is taught by word and example is a major influence in training children.
6. Philosophy. How parents view God is the basis for their philosophy of education. Knowledge is influenced by one of two worldviews—theism or humanism. Theism is rooted in creation and the Bible; humanism is founded upon evolution and the belief that man is a god. The Bible warns against viewing life through the wrong philosophical lens, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). When the biblical worldview of education is excluded from school, human reasoning displaces biblical truth (Mark 7:1-13).

Conclusion
Whereas more reasons could be given to explain why parents should send their children to a Christian school, those listed are sufficient to validate Christian school education as a wise, biblical choice for parents (1 Thessalonians 4:1). For education outside the home, there is no schooling alternative that matches with Scripture except the Christian school. In the final analysis, the blessings parents (and their children) receive from God for investing in Christian education go beyond description.

Dr. Charles Walker is the executive director of the Tennessee Association of Christian Schools.