Early Childhood Education
By Metropolitan Isaiah of
From Holy Scripture we know that God created all things in existence, both visible and invisible. His highest creation was man, whom lie created in His image. All of humanity is created in His image in that we have intellect; we have free will; and we are given the opportunity to express our free will, either in harmony with the divine will or in opposition to it.
On the basis of this Scriptural reality it is normal for humans to desire to learn more and more about the universe, their existence, and the purpose of their life here on earth.
As members of the Body of Christ, which is His Church, we have the natural desire and the commitment to live, as much as we can, according to His divine will, which promises a perfect, unending life. This should he the highest goal for our being here on earth during our finite life span.
In regard to children and their education, we must begin with the words of Christ that are found in all three of the Synoptic (Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke.) 'The Lord says, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is rill kingdom of heaven" (Mart 19:14). From these words of our lord, we realize how important it is to prepare our children to look upon their lives in ways that would reflect the existence of God, His love for all of His creation and His divine plan for the anticipated, joyful' and eternal life in His coming kingdom. Whenever we speak of early childhood education, it is imperative that we stress these basic truths, which should be foundational in the fundamental lessons in the education of children.
Today’s educators have a formidable task of educating children in a spirit of synergy between creator and creation, if they wish to see them develop with moral and ethical principles. The secular education of the young during these past several decades has brought about tragic results in the lives of children in their teens and young adults. As we look upon society today, whether locally or nationally we witness a growing callousness, not to say anarchy, among the young people toward one another and toward society in general. The social principles, of the past, which instilled a high regard for order and harmony in a family or the greater society, have all but disappeared.
Is it any wonder that our youth, generally speaking, have no high expectation for their future years? Additionally their lives are literally inundated with so many recreational and entertainment experiences that have no moral code. And when something of a serious nature comes into focus and appears problematic, their thought processes stop. When real problems arise, some of the young appear to be in a state of shock. They have now way of resolving even the smallest of challenges because their lives have been filled with experiences that do not demand focused responsibility. Broken homes with divorced parents or the deaths of loved ones especially some of their peers bring real confusion into their lives. The abnormal lifestyles of friends their own age, including what they observe in the lives of Adults around them, result in the negation of right and wrong in their own behavior.
Moreover, there is no sense of embarrassment when one does wrong, or when one is punished for the wrong inflicted on another. There appears to be no expression of sorrow, except perhaps in the accidental killing of a friend or acquaintance. Suicides among younger children are on the rise because they no resolution to apparent problems. Thousands of children, perhaps millions, are now patients of psychiatrists and are on prescribed medication.
All of this is a result of a secular and materialistic society in which education on a higher standard has a lower priority among human values.
This bleak picture demands that we look upon proper education of our children as the highest priority in our troubled world. The children must be given reinforcement in being positive and eager to learn those things that result in a higher quality of life, which are not the same as those things resulting in a more mundane wav of life. The only manner in which this can be done is to imbue in the learning process of our children the knowledge that this is a world created by a loving God who is always ready to assist children in their proper development. We, therefore must be participants in this effort for bettering human life for our children, ourselves, for others, and - ultimately- for the world around us.