There was a day when the world consisted of small villages subsisting on agriculture. Tiny places where everyone knew and were probably related to each other. Education was a rare commodity in such places that even the elite found it difficult to attain. During this period, the most educated within society were the clergy. The church needed clerics to be able to read scripture, translate the Bible, and educate the landed elite and future clergy and monks. At the advent of the Industrial Revolution, there was an increasing need for basic elementary education and universal elementary and eventually, high school became an expected rite of passage for children. College education became increasingly critical as the post-war economy shifted from factory-based work to a knowledge, technology, and financial services-based economy.
Fewer Americans are going to college now. In fact, fewer parents support their children attending higher education because of the costs, perceived bias, and the false premise that jobs with good middle-class wages can be had with only basic education. All of these assumptions are wrong and we are seeing the results of this in the decline in young adults standard of living. There are schools that provide a Conservative Arts education and schools that have reasonable costs, but there are few jobs that provide the salary needed for a solid standard of living without higher education. Employers expect the degree and have only raised job requirements and pay for those with credentials. So, how can the church respond?
Those within the Church with education, starting with the clergy, must make education attainment meaningful again. We need to challenge our congregations to encourage children to obtain higher education. This means teaching kids not just the knowledge for getting into college but how to make good financial decisions to pick affordable schools and to graduate on time. The purpose of the Church is not merely a Sunday worship experience. It is to function as a community network so that regardless of faith people within the community can benefit from the knowledge of the worshipping community. We are called by God to prepare all children for success.
Why? Because the Bible says so! In Proverbs 22.6, the writer advises, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” We have forgotten this critical role of parenting and community life. All members of a family and church are charged with this. We vow this at a child’s baptism! Young people know nothing about how the adult world works. Young adults require a guide. Congregations can help by mentoring teens through the process, by going with teens on college visits, and most importantly, by sitting down and helping them make good financial decisions surrounding it. And for parents who have never attended school, the best resource for getting help is within the natural network of the Church!
We were never meant to be independent islands. We were meant to be in the community. I fear that COVID-19, social media, and gaming have destroyed many of the natural community centres, and as a result, places like social clubs, community sports teams, the church, and now education have lost their value. I fear that we are fast moving back to the dark ages of small village life again. We don’t have to. We can choose differently. We can live the sage advice of Proverbs.