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Child Guidance
Its Goal Is Character Building—The highest class of education
is that which will give such knowledge and discipline as will lead to
the best development of character, and will fit the soul for that life
which measures with the life of God. Eternity is not to be lost out
of our reckoning. The highest education is that which will teach our
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children and youth the science of Christianity, which will give them
an experimental knowledge of God’s ways, and will impart to them
the lessons that Christ gave to His disciples of the paternal character
of God
It Is a Training That Directs and Develops—There is a time for
training children and a time for educating youth, and it is essential that
in school both of these be combined in a great degree. Children may
be trained for the service of sin or for the service of righteousness. The
early education of youth shapes their characters both in their secular
and in their religious life. Solomon says, “Train up a child in the way
he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This
language is positive. The training which Solomon enjoins is to direct,
educate, and develop.
In order for parents and teachers to do this work, they must them-
selves understand “the way” the child should go. This embraces more
than merely having a knowledge of books. It takes in everything that
is good, virtuous, righteous, and holy. It comprehends the practice of
temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to God and to one
another. In order to attain this object, the physical, mental, moral, and
religious education of children must have attention
It Prepares Workers for God—Upon fathers and mothers de-
volves the responsibility of giving a Christian education to the children
entrusted to them. In no case are they to let any line of business so
absorb mind and time and talents that their children are allowed to
drift until they are separated far from God. They are not to allow their
children to slip out of their grasp into the hands of unbelievers.
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They are to do all in their power to keep them from imbibing the
spirit of the world. They are to train them to become workers together
with God. They are to be God’s human hand, fitting themselves and
their children for an endless life
12
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 45, 46
.
13
Testimonies For The Church 3:131, 132
.
14
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 545
.