THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PART 3
The Roleof the Church in Fostering Sustainable Education
Given the knowledge on the purpose of education, it has become important to establish the role of Christian churches in the provision and fostering of sustainable education in a country as a supplement to the efforts of government, parents and local communities.
*The major role of church in fostering sustainable education is establishment of schools;*
Christ’s faithful are to consider schools as of great importance since they are the principal means of helping parents to fulfill their role in education."The school has been defined as a place for integral formation by means of a systematic assimilation of culture.” On elaboration the school should not be merely a place where values which are being actively lived are presented but also be a community whose values are being transmitted through the interpersonal and sincererelationship of its members and through individual and cooperative adherence to the outlook on life that permeates the school.
Also churches have made different contributions towards fostering sustainable education in countries through their schools. The role of the church in early childhood education includes, but not restricted to employing teachers and support staff. The overall supervision of administration composed of a committee of church members under a pastor which managed the school accounts; provided physical facilities including buildings, furniture and repairs; promotedspiritual well-being of the teachers and pupils; and sponsored children who were disadvantaged through payment of fees, buying uniforms and provision of meals.
Missions and churches had also been involved in the establishment of primary, secondary (including modern and high or grammar), teacher training, vocational and theological schools. It is also, a well-known fact that the quality of education produced by these schools when the missions and churches were running them was high, academically and morally. The graduates of the schools were disciplined, hardworking and brilliant. The high quality that the missions and churches gave education then is what is spurring the state governments to return the schools to the churches and even allowing private universities. The Christian churches had been in the vanguard of establishing these private higher institutions in a country .The Church feels responsible to contribute concretely towards the progress of the society within which it finds herself; for example the church in the face of incessant strikes by government owned institution, is capable of providing a stable, qualitative and accessible education in order to discourage citizens from traveling abroad seeking for quality education. It is not enough to establish schools that ordinary church members cannot afford to send their wards; hence making the purpose for which the schools were established elusive. Most churches have been criticized of high cost of education but note: *Education anywhere in the world is costly especially private university education.*
This article has successfully conceptualize the role of the church on Education in a country especially in fostering sustainable education. The church will contribute so much to the educational and social development of a country both in terms of human development and physical transformation.
The implication of these roles of the church in education is that as a kingdom of priests, the Church is to demonstrate to the county at large what God expects; the Church is to be exemplary. In other words, Christians are to be the light of the world; they are to be the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5: 13, 14 ) *13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men". 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."*
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