a partner church in the WOLDSBURN benefice
CHURCH AT KIRKBURN
OUR RECTOR WRITES ....
June 2007
“EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.
In the early days of the Labour Government, Tony Blair was asked about the priorities of his administration and the above was his reply. It’s true, of course, that vast of money have been poured into education, but failing schooled continued to be a cause of controversy.
Ofsted inspections, introduced by a previous Conservative government, have highlighted many areas of concern, and rightly so, for the equipping of future generations to take their place in society and to contribute to our nation’s life is of paramount importance.
One development has been the introduction of specialist colleges which place special emphasis on design, technical training , the arts etc. in an attempt to train for future careers, in other words, vocational training. Another innovation has been the setting up of “Academies”. These are managed by external agencies. One such agency is the “”OASIS TRUST”, a Christian based organisation, headed by the Rev. Steve Chalke, widely known via radio and television. There are other agencies, some of which are sponsored by industry, but seemingly the word “Christian” has caused more concern. It is the fear that indoctrination may result from the influence of Christianity, that young lives will be in some way influenced, , if they develop students in the right ways of responsibility and citizenship they should be supported.
It is all too easy to “knock” innovation, but if our nation is to survive and prosper skilled and responsible citizens are vital. We owe it to our young people to provide the best possible education and opportunity. If colleges and academies are a modern way to achieve that goal, then we should give them our support, and indeed, fervent prayer.
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www.churchatkirkburn,org,uk page 165 1 of 1 Rector 25 June 2007