Should believers send their dear children to government schools?

Certainly government schools are not the ideal learning environment for any Christian child.  The ideal environment for every child would be to study in a genuinely Christian setting.  However, there are several Biblical principles which we must consider when evaluating this consequential and oftentimes emotionally-charged question.

First, there is the fact that in many nations of the world, education is mandatory for children.  In his epistle to the Christians at Rome, Paul makes clear that we are to submit to the human governments which are over us:

¹Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. ²Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. ³For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; ⁴for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. ⁵Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. ⁷Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.  (Romans 13:1-7)

Of course, we understand from other passages of Scripture that we must not disobey God in submitting to any human authority:

¹⁸And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; ²⁰for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  (Acts 4:18-20)

²⁷When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  (Acts 5:27-29)

Some governments allow parents the option of satisfying the law by home schooling their children; however, not all governments permit home schooling.  Additionally, even in regions where the law does make such allowances, there are Christian parents who, for any number of reasons, are not equipped to teach their children the required academic subjects.  In either of these situations, parents often have little option, but to enroll their children in government schools.

Parents in such circumstances may be comforted to consider that the prophet Moses, chosen by God for an important leadership role, was surely educated by the ungodly government of Egypt, as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  (See Exodus 2:1-10.  This is not to diminish any Godly influence by Moses’ mother, who was blessed to be allowed to serve as his nursemaid.)

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were other great servants of God who were educated by an ungodly government – in the court of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon!

¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. ²The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

³Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, ⁴youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. ⁵The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. ⁶Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ⁷Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.  (Daniel 1:1-7)

However, the Biblical “bottom line” to parents in all of this is God’s command:

⁵“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. ⁸“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. ⁹“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

Thus, whether we educate our children at home or send our children to some sort of school, Christian parents are responsible to God to educate our children in Godliness.  With this in mind, we must carefully monitor what is taught to our children in any setting.  We must seek to have our children excused or alternately instructed where subject matter is inherently inappropriate, and correct and re-teach at home whenever we discover that our children have been mistaught on any point of spiritual truth.