How to Educate Young People “In” and “Out” of School

However, the end of the school year is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on what we achieved and to reap the fruits of our efforts. It is important to look back on the progress we made, as well as the progress our children have made, both in the context of their scholastic and spiritual activities.

Particularly, parents should pay attention not only to ensure that their children will have fun and get rest during summer — which is also important — but to ensure that they have gained important experience and have progressed mentally during the year.

It would be very beneficial for the parents to take some time to look back on the school year and discuss it with their children. What did they learn during the year? Did they have a good time or did they encounter difficulties? If there were things that put pressure on them, how did they react? Which were the best moments and which is the strongest memory they will keep regarding this year? Did they keep God in their minds during their daily life? The parents will thus be able to ascertain, among other things, the benefit of their child gaining not only in theoretical or practical knowledge, but also in mental perception.

On the occasion of the end of the school year, let us reflect on the teachings of the Three Holy Hierarchs. Let us remind to our children the faces of these three saints, who stand by them throughout their school years, silently protecting, helping and supporting them in their work.

According to St. John Chrysostom,

"We take care of the property that has been given to the children, but not of the children themselves. How senseless! Train the child’s soul first; everything else will come later."

Today, it is noticed that education has taken a distinct technocratic direction, while mental values and principles, greatly important to the children’s growing, are repeatedly neglected.

Basil the Great, as pastor and educator of young people, has written many discourses on their upbringing. Among other things, he states that

"When, indeed, the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The delight of melody He mingled with the doctrines so that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound heard we might receive without perceiving it the benefit of the words."

He finds that humanity is ignorant of virtue. We do not receive proper education and neither do we show enough devotion to be able to receive the light of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the church seeks to educate people through its psalms. Melody is used as a pedagogical tool. Prayer and petition are adapted to the learning needs of young people. The aim remains to get familiar with ethics, virtue and the Christological truth.

In the texts of the Fathers of our Church, the need to educate young people, to expand their mental boundaries and strengthen their spiritual richness is highlighted. Faith, recognition and embrace of the Christological doctrine presuppose the dynamic spirit with strong foundations and will, so that it can always discern and choose truth over falsehood. 

Along the way, people, and especially young children, should be provided with certain guidelines that they can follow. The mentality of parents and their attitude towards the events of everyday life, are the most powerful lessons for a child who, being very young, has not yet sufficiently developed his or her reason and will.

In this context, school bears a great responsibility, as it constitutes the environment in which children spend almost half of their day. It is a vehicle of ideas; in a certain way, it shapes the society of young people. It must therefore, not only shape the theoretical knowledge and the individual skills of students, but also ensure their mental education and spiritual progress by setting some standards and inspiring them. As St. Gregory the Theologian strongly advised,

"Do not try to persuade anyone by words, but by actions. I detest teachings that are contrary to the way of life."

As this school year comes to an end, let us give our children a rest from the study of scholastic courses, but let us not abandon the effort for their mental education and spiritual uplift. Let’s provide stimuli that will educate young people and constitute a great spiritual resource for their later adult life.

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May the Lord, through the intercession of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos, bless you, your family and all your loved ones!