Debunking the Myths about Classical and Christian Education

As thousands of parents adopt Classical and Christian education, many more are left with questions.  Unfamiliarity with the "Classical Method" seems to have given rise to some common myths.  While you may find some truth in each myth, we believe your concerns about classical education will begin to fade as your knowledge increases.  In fact, you may be find yourself voicing the same enthusiasm that has motivated thousands of parents to return to education that works!

Myth #1: Classical Education was fine for back then, but we need modern education in a modern world.
The Facts: Classical education teaches students facts, provides them with logical tools to use those facts, and perfects the student’s ability to relate those facts to others.  There is nothing outdated about this important process.  This fundamental skill-set is more valuable today than it has ever been.  The process of teaching students to think extends far beyond filling their heads with knowledge.  Modern education, to varying degrees, has succeeded in teaching facts and some skills.  The end goal of Classical education is different.  Classical education helps students draw original, creative, and accurate conclusions from facts and then formulate those conclusions into logical and persuasive arguments.

Modern subjects based in science and technology are taught in classical schools using classical methods.  Parents who are exposed to classical education recognize that its "back to the basics" approach contrasts with the distractions of modern education.  Is the classical method applicable in a modern, technological age? The technology we have today was invented, in large part, by the classically educated.  It is no coincidence that the groundwork for these achievements was laid within the last 400 years when classical education was at its height.  Classical education teaches children the timeless skills of thinking, reasoning, logic, and expression.  Our subject matter is as up-to-date as that found in any modern school.  We simply add a depth and dimension through this time-tested method unseen in most modern schools.

Myth #2: My child is not intelligent enough to attend a classical school.
The Facts: Students admitted to the Classical and Christian schools generally accept a wide range of students.  Most ACCS schools, including LCA, accept students from “below average” to “exceptionally intelligent”.  Because the school is not equipped and funded adequately to deal with special needs children, we do not accept students with learning disabilities.  However, we do expect children to arrive at Logos Christian Academy with widely varied skill levels.  Many (even most) parents assume that a classical education is only accessible to “gifted” children.  In fact, all children benefit greatly from the classical method.  Until this century, there was no credible alternative.  If you were educated in Western society prior to 1880, you were classically educated.

As is usually the case, myths start from a spark of reality.  Many parents, after hearing about the Classical curriculum assume that children accepted for admission at Logos Christian Academy must be abnormally bright.  In reality, classical education challenges children and is uniquely able to leverage their natural abilities during different stages of childhood.  In short, Classical schools take ordinary children and deliver extraordinary results by employing proven methods tested for centuries.

Myth #3: Classical education is too extreme.
The Facts: This myth usually stems from the fact that Classical education is very different from today’s conventional education.  Parents are rightfully skeptical of anything that differs so boldly from the norm.  However, classical education was the norm 100 years ago.  Almost all of the world’s great authors, scientists, statesmen, and politicians were classically educated.

Conventional education has taken an experimental approach to educating our children over the past four decades.  Many different methods have been tried, only to be consigned to the scrap heap of history a few short years later.  This constant state of change in education creates an environment where anything “traditional” seems extreme.  Unfortunately, this is where modern educational thought is upside down.  Classical education provides a basic structure upon which we can build effective, successful students.  We are not advocating an experiment.  Rather, along with many other Classical and Christian schools, we are  pioneering a return to a system that was proven for more than one thousand years.

Myth #4: Classical education is unnecessarily difficult.
The Facts: Children enjoy learning.  They are wired for it.  Assuming that a child will not be able to succeed in a challenging environment is tempting, but simply untrue.  The common assumption is that a demanding curriculum results in unhappy children.  As adults, learning new things can be uncomfortable.  However, as a matter of record, most children are fascinated by what they learn in classical schools.  As a humorous example, the excitement of children learning Latin becomes apparent as they converse with one another in a language that most adults do not understand.  The rich and complex texture of classical literature is strangely amplified by youth.  Science and the history of Western Civilization come alive for those who hunger to know about their world.  For more convincing evidence, visit some of the web sites listed on the accompanying hand-out.

The spark of truth in Myth #4 may lie in student grading at most classical schools.  As public school GPA’s continue to edge upward (even though our national scores related to other countries continue to be disappointing), parents of students in classical schools find that a “C” truly means their child is doing average work in a particular subject.  It is important that grading standards be upheld and that students earn their marks.  This can create some frustration among students (and parents!) who have been conditioned by “grade inflation” to expect “easy A’s” in other schools.  The relative success of classically educated students on standardized tests more than compensates for their slightly lower GPA’s.  Education is about developing the minds of our children, not flashing around a meaningless GPA.

Myth #5: Classical & Christian schools seem too harsh.
The Facts: This myth seems to have begun with Hollywood’s negative view of anything traditional, including classical education.  Movies like The Dead Poets Society depict harsh classical schools driving children to the breaking point.  Remember, this is the same crowd that depicts Christians as wild eyed, unthinking rednecks who prefer pointing the finger of indignation to performing an act of compassion.  Reality tells a different story.

Like all Classical schools, Logos Christian Academy will place a high value on order in the classroom.  However, this does not translate to stoic classes where interaction is limited to an occasional, downcast “yes sir”.  In fact, the Classical schools studied as models for Logos Christian Academy encourage extensive interaction between students and teachers.  Students are not allowed to be disruptive, but they are constantly encouraged to offer observations, ask questions, interact, and make comments.  In short, the classical method at Logos Christian Academy will encourage a stimulating and enjoyable environment for students.