Saint Yared Institute for Orthodox Christian Classical Education

We live in an exceptionally difficult time to raise children with Orthodox Christian values, moral fortitude, and intellectual dynamism. Though difficult, this vocation is not impossible. However, we must first understand the nature of the challenge and the available solutions before embarking on such a vocation. So, we ask, “Why is it difficult to raise children in our time, and what must parents and priests do to succeed?”

Shaping the next generation is often discussed with an overemphasis on educational reforms. We at Saint Yared Institute for Orthodox Christian Classical Education believe that education is part of the equation but not the whole solution. Instead, we propose a three-pronged approach: a stable family, a nurturing early childhood, and a sound education. The first two are prerequisites for any coursework in grade-level education. In upcoming articles, we will explore the nature of the multifaceted problem and possible solutions in greater detail. But here, our opening salvo, let us briefly put forth our main thesis. 

1) A stable family  

 It is nearly impossible for a child to be educated if he/she does not have the safety and security of a stable home. It is from the safety of a household that we venture out to explore and learn about a world unknown to us. Increasingly, such safe and secure homes are proving to be luxuries (to be a luxury). The widespread difficulty to pair bond and subsequently sustain a marriage is now dubbed “the gender war.” A confluence of factors has culminated in the gender war. The main factors that are preventing marital unions and taking a toll on existing unions are shifting notions of marriage, the difficulty of balancing career and family life, especially for women, and the isolation of nuclear families. The multitude of factors can be narrowed to a single philosophical contention – essentialist versus existentialist anthropology. This exploration will take us to far-flung topics such as gender constructionism and tabula rasa, each having incalculable implications on marriage and education, respectively. Beginning with this fundamental philosophical contention, we will explore their practical implications in gender relations and education policies.

2) A secure early childhood

Early childhood, ages zero(from birth) to five, is a period of great vulnerability requiring extensive nurturing. Even in the increasing rarity of an intact nuclear family, it is a tall order for parents alone to meet the demands of early childhood. Historically, human societies provided parents with a robust multigenerational support network. As multigenerational support networks dissolved and the demand for isolated nuclear families became particularly taxing, institutes (institutions) such as daycares have risen to fill the gap. Although this shift is seismic, its impact on child development and educational outcomes receives little attention. What are the ramifications of institutionalizing early child care? Is it possible to reinstitute (or at the very least mimic) a multigenerational support system for parents? These and similar questions will be the focus of our second area of exploration.    

 3) A sound education  

Modern education is failing our children in its most basic task of training their intellect, not to mention its utter neglect of inculcating faith and virtue.

It is disjointed in that the connection between various areas of study and the various activities within an area of study is impossible to discern, if not nonexistent. Hence, it becomes one tedious exercise after another. To the great detriment of children’s academic success, modern education tries to break this monotony by abandoning the training of basic skills in pursuit of what is new and exciting. A case in point is the current crisis in basic skills in math and reading.

The disjointed nature of the subjects’ presentation can disorient students, making them unable to understand their inner lives and the world around them. Faced with such an education, most children become discouraged about their potential, cynical about the motives of others, and nihilistic about the world as a whole. Alternately, some try to fill the unavoidable void of despair by giving themselves to unbridled hedonism. Hence, the crisis in education has become a crisis of meaning.

Without overstating our case, classical education is a panacea to the problems introduced by modern education. Where modern education is disjointed, classical education is holistic. For example, the connection between the various subjects is emphasized, such as the connection between mathematics and music. Where modern education is disorientating, classical education is purpose-oriented. It highlights that the purpose of education is ultimately to know oneself and to know God. It is not designed to produce useful automatons simply but fully formed humans. 

Without being contrasted with modern education, classical education has withstood the test of time on its own merit. For example, its approach is well adapted to the progression of psychological developmental stages of children. And to us Orthodox Christians, it is part of our patristic patrimony, the education that many saints of the Early Church received.

We pray that subsequent articles will elucidate the crises and delineate the proposed redress for stable families, secure childhood, and sound education. The preface above and the subsequent articles are part a manifesto, part a creed. But to a large part, they are an invitation to you, the reader, to join us on a journey of discovering the authentic Orthodox theology of education and its praxis.