Benefits of Children Receiving a Christian-Based Education
As the job market continues to recover in 2013, more and more reports indicate the benefits of receiving a Christian-based education. Recent studies show college graduates who attended private schools throughout their education tend to have a 7 percent higher chance of landing an elite job.
Reasons why are unclear, but many speculate that those who attend private school perform better in interviews.
Research suggests preschool and early childhood education is perhaps the most influential time of a child’s life. What a child learns during these years has an impact on their behavior throughout middle school, high school, college, and their adult life. Some of the things at school that influence this early foundation include:
- How authority figures communicate with them
- The social environment that surrounds them
- Peer pressures faced at a young age
In Christian-based schools teachers are generally able to spend more time with each child because of the smaller class sizes. Some say the extra attention and higher success rate gives children more confidence. In addition, children in smaller school settings are able to build stronger relationships that last well into high school and college. Perhaps these attributes are instrumental to their confidence in job interviews.
Why Choose Private Christian Education
Deciding where to send your child to school is a big decision. Factors that often influence the decision include academics, cost, safety, location, and overall learning environment. There are benefits to both private school and public school, but for the sake of this article let’s stick with private education.
1st Benefit: Great Academics – Parents want their kids to succeed academically and be well prepared for college. Generally private Christian schools offer challenging curriculum and are known for preparing students for college. Typically private school students score better on tests such as the SAT and ACT. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), students who attended private school into 8th grade or higher were twice as likely to graduate from college as a young adult.
2nd Benefit: Superb Learning Environment – Another benefit of receiving a private Christian education is smaller class sizes. Typically the student/teacher ratio is significantly better in private schools than it is in public schools. Smaller class sizes don’t just give teachers better control over their classroom. It also enables them to spend more one-on-one time with each student.
3rd Benefit: A Sense of Community – Students who attend Christian private schools are surrounded by other kids who are more likely to share common values and beliefs. It’s common for parents to be friends with other parents and families get together on weekends and for special events.
4th Benefit: Safety – Providing a safe learning environment for children is important to their success. The NCES reports that private school students are much more likely to feel safe while on campus. One of the major contributions to such feelings is the smaller class sizes.
5th Benefit – Strong Focus on Values – Possibly the greatest benefit of sending your child to a private Christian school is that their learning in an environment that focuses on the values that are important to your family. Academic lessons that include biblical stories prepare children for further education as well as life lessons.
If great academics, a positive learning environment, safety, and good values are important to your child’s upbringing, consider enrolling them in a private Christian school. The benefits are well worth the cost.