Episode 9: America’s Education Past and Future cover art

Episode 9: America’s Education Past and Future

Episode 9: America’s Education Past and Future

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 Welcome to the final episode of America’s Education Past and Future. Although this wraps up the series, I will have follow-up episodes, as this has opened doors for conversations and a deeper look at how we are going to move forward with education in our nation. As we look at the future of education in America, I want to point us back to the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah is the last of the Old Testament historical books. The book recounts the third return to Jerusalem after captivity, describing the rebuilding of the walls and the renewal of the people’s faith. Sounds refreshing, but as you read through this account, you realize it was not easy. You also find that it reflects where we currently stand in education and what the future might hold. I will give you a very brief overview. Nehemiah receives a report of the Jewish remnant who had survived the exile and were now residing in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 1:3 – They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” This is a picture of our current education system. Progressives have torn down the pillars of our nation’s once superior educational system and left it a pile of burning rubble.Although the exiles had been living amongst the rubble for years, they had not started to rebuild. The same can be said of us as we continue to use the progressive school model, hoping for different results.Nehemiah wept when he heard the news before seeking God’s help, which is key to his success. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he inspected the damage and then came up with a game plan to rebuild the walls and restore Jerusalem to its former glory.Nehemiah 2:17-18 – Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began the good work.Opposition rose immediately. Nehemiah 2:19-20 – But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”Remember what Dr. Witherspoon, the founder of Princeton, stated.“Government was a reflection of its citizens; if Americans became profane and immoral, their government would also become profane and immoral; and history has demonstrated conclusively that such governments do not survive. Consequently, it was simple logic that any true friend of America would promote religion and morality.” (4 Centuries of American Education, by David Barton, page 12)Any friend of America would promote religion and morality. As we have learned throughout this series, America was founded on Christian principles and morality. If you stand against this, then you stand against America, just as these men tried to stand against Jerusalem.As you continue to read through Nehemiah, you see he had many successes in rebuilding Jerusalem, but there was a lot of opposition. However, he stood strong and pressed on, knowing God was with him. One of my favorite verses from Nehemiah is 4:14. This comes as they face opposition once again.After looking things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”Does that not make you want to say hoorah, let’s get this done?In our last episode, we discussed the Classical Christian Education (CCE) model and how it served our children well for centuries, providing them with an education that was far superior to any other. Statistical and empirical data prove its superiority.We have the opportunity to be the Nehemiah’s of this generation so that the generations to come will enjoy the freedom that comes with an education that develops their thinking and reasoning skills. If we take a stand, do the hard work, and rebuild our broken education system, our children will end up with an education that surpasses our own. And don’t we always want better for our kids?The question is, how do we go about rebuilding our broken education system? I am no expert in this, and there could be more than one way to get this done. These are my ideas, and I am sure others have better ones. Right now, I just ...

What listeners say about Episode 9: America’s Education Past and Future

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
No Reviews are Available
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.