I strongly believe that man is a physical, moral, spiritual, and eternal being and needs to be educated. Education shall be the means that will lead him toward a better understanding of himself, his surroundings and a cognizance to a magnanimous power of authority that lords over him. Educational ends and the learning process must always cause positive changes in man and his society. Education must look freedom not as something one would want to do but as a great liberation from the yoke of immorality and wickedness and cause men to draw to Jesus Christ - the way, the truth and the life. Finally, educational experiences must depict the realities of life because education itself is life.
VISION OF MAN AND SOCIETY
Metaphysically, man who is made up of body, soul and spirit, is a sinner by nature and by choice. The spirit and the soul are strong but the body is weak. Thus, man struggles to escape from his sinful nature through a rebirth and a fellowship with his Creator who has three persons - the Father, the Son who is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are manifested when man recognizes the saving power of God. These are values such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control and long-suffering - which can truly transform a chaotic world into a serene place. He then uses the BIBLE as God's inspired words where he acquires wisdom and discernment as the ultimate means for rationality and guides him to make meaningful choices according to the will of God. He resorts to the value of love when struck by indifference, envy, hatred and injustice.
Such qualities of men likely form a Utopia - a near perfect society: a society that is humble enough to kneel down in prayer and recognizes the power of the One greater than anything; a society that does not promote the interests of those who are in power but protects and preserves the interests of God; a society that curses sin and immorality; a society that values all things that have life; a society that embraces unity and discards racism and castes; a society that does not rely on its own power to succeed and prosper but recognizes God to be its deliverer to better ends; and a society where war and famine are non-existents.
MISSION OF SCHOOLS
Schools shall be molding the youth for intellectual excellence coupled with spiritual virtues and values that make them total persons. It shall provide a desirable atmosphere to know the truth from the Bible and to have faith in God alone. It shall develop good and proper attitudes toward family and society and also the understanding and skills needed to establish a God-honoring society and homes.
AIMS OF EDUCATION
The educative process will be the means so that students will be brought into fellowship with God. As such, the educational institutions must direct their objectives to the spiritual, moral, personal, social, and academic development of the students. Education should aim to teach the Bible as God's inspired Words and to develop attitudes of love and respect toward it; to teach students consistent daily Christian living; to help the students develop a God-conscious and a consistent Christian world-view by integrating life and studies with the Bible; to develop a balanced personality based on students' proper understanding and acceptance of themselves as unique individuals created in the image of God and on the full development of their own capabilities in Christ; to make the students contributing members of their society who realize their dependence on others and others' dependence on them and feel the need to serve others; to promote high academic standards with the potential of the individuals as uniquely created by God and to help students realize their full academic potential; and to promote good citizenship through developing, understanding and appreciating the heritage of responsible freedom, integrity, human dignity, responsibility, and acceptance of authority.
CONTENT OF EDUCATION
The school where the students spend much of their wakeful hours must integrate in their everyday lessons values that will make the students and the nation grow. Academic subjects like mathematics, science, social sciences, literature, geography and language can be taught in Biblical perspectives. The Bible is a literary piece interspersed with such disciplines. Bible education subject must be taught to lead the students toward a fellowship with God, and thus, the rebirth. The teaching methods are memorizing of scriptures and emulating values of people. A field trip or a retreat is one way to draw the students nearer to the natural works of God and likewise, see the vastness and beauty of His creations. Deductive dissection of Biblical doctrines can be done through an inquiry approach. To deal with some difficult Biblical topics, parables can be effectively used.
MEANS TO REALIZATION
Firstly, the foundation of this philosophy starts in the family. Parents must bring their children to church and let them attend church school services for kids. Parents must follow-up by asking questions about the stories they have heard in church. Bible story books can also help them enjoy the doctrines being promoted by this philosophy. Familiarization of Bible characters who have great faith and relating themselves to these characters will inspire the kids to possess the same values. And when they grow old, they will never forget their storybooks, favorite Bible character, and hymns.
Secondly, the church role must be optimized as they follow up the growth of the individuals. It must always be on the guard to give ladderized lectures about ways to survive in a sinful world based on their developmental needs. The church should not cease doing these. The individuals must be kept busy in spiritual activities so that they will be less distracted by the world. The church must be there to answer questions related to physical, emotional, or psychological problems. It foremost must promote the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, the community together with the other social agencies, specially the rulers must be living a Godly, moral and simple life. They can educate others by setting their lives as open books to be looked upon. They must protect the constitutional, moral and spiritual rights of their constituents. They should not engage themselves in gambling, corruption, immorality, and other forms of evil-deeds. They must be the source of inspiration for the young people for a responsible and conscientious governance. They must not insist their interests but rather recognize the interests of others more supreme than theirs. With these, the passion for service and not the passion for power will be inculcated in the kids' minds.
Eventually, a meaningful spiritual-social reformation shall make our country educationally competitive, a better place to live in and a country at par with others.
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