One of the strong points we keep making to all our students at their various levels, is that personal character is as important as what we know.  This means that success in school subjects, or on the sports field, or in some life endeavour, will not gain us much unless we develop the Christian character to go with it.  There is nothing novel or new about this idea!  It is just age old Christian wisdom based on God's Word, that we should put into practice.

The world is learning this lesson again to its cost this week, (late July, 2002) as the New York Stock Exchange leads us all on a downward economic path.  The fall is triggered by a serious loss of trust in the honesty of business corporations.  Australia has had its fair share lately too, with large companies going under due to greed and fraudulent dealing.  It is failure of character that produces these disasters, and everyone suffers for it.  The time to learn these lessons is when we are young.  The only foundation that will really stand the test of all life's terrible temptations, is an inner conviction of right built on the Christian Gospel.

We lament the faults of others, but the division in thinking between ethics and life is found everywhere today.  First, there is a division in thinking between ethical questions, and personal and private economics - a division, the Bible says, God does not tolerate.  Second, because we prioritise gain, not truth and justice, national goals lie in an improved economy and therefore more prosperity.  Politicians struggling to raise the profile of ethical issues risk being marginalized.

Schooling suffers from the same division of thought.  Education has come to be seen by many as a matter of preparing to be employed and to be economically successful.  The pressure on schools to produce for this goal comes from every level of society - from parents to governments.  Governments increasingly see their role in education as getting more "bang for their buck" in economic terms.  When, as an educational institution, we ask for caution from government and families in this area, we are not engaging in special pleading to avoid accountability.  We are, rather, asking for a re-alignment of priorities.

In Christian teaching, prosperity and the welfare of the people are inextricably bound together with spiritual and ethical issues.  It is "righteousness which exalts a nation".  In a Christian school we want to reflect this aspect of God's way for the world, by holding things in balance.  A school must commence from a well thought out philosophy and conviction, if it is to hold to the things it believes in, and not merely conform to the market demands.

It is our conviction that education in the Christian values is the best preparation for life, where this is accompanied by conviction and devotion.  Maturity, steadiness, trustworthiness, are values without which no economic venture in family or nation can prosper.  In the long run, devotion to Christ and his Kingdom, are the ultimate "values" to bring blessing to the world.  There is no other basis for enduring civilization.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Benfell.

(Neil is Principal of Kings College, Warrnambool.
This article appeared as an editorial in King's News, 25th July, 2002.  Used with permission)