Position Paper

The Purpose of Education

If the crisis of meaning in western society stems, as has been argued, from an absence of shared values other than those of secular materialism, then the taboo on discussion of the spiritual dimension of life is its most chronic symptom, and it is one that is readily apparent in our systems of education.... (Plunkett, 1990, p. 120)

Ironically, the incipient purpose of education in America was sharply antithetical to what it has ostensibly become--or what Plunkett (1990) alludes to as an educational system chronically void of a spiritual dimension. Conversely, during its inception, the American educational system embraced the idea of spiritual thought intertwined with the rational and scientific. In 1768 in the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, for example, an advertisement for the position of schoolmaster included the qualifying factors being "a fit person, when called upon, to preach the word of God and to keep a tidy school" (Sloane, 1972, p. 22). School lessons would involve the Bible in that composition, reading and writing assignments incorporated subjects of faith, hope, decency, honesty, patience, humility and other areas centered on morality. Lesson books used for penmanship practice and alphabet development would include sayings such as "'A' for Affectation is odious" and "'B' for Banish evil thoughts" and "'C' for Cease to do evil" (Sloan, 1972).

By the 1800s, "common schools" were being founded across the states by charity and philanthropic organizations and most always included a curriculum of Bible readings and prayer. Mostly Protestant-based, Catholics and Jews attending common schools might find themselves expelled for refusing to partake in any part of the curriculum. By the late 1800s, some 128 colleges had been founded by religious groups. Harvard, Yale and Princeton as examples were one-room schoolhouses run by local ministers who prepared schoolteachers, ministers, and missionaries for the growing nation using a spiritual perspective (Lahaye & Lahaye, 1994).

During this same time, within the halls of American government, the purposes and ways and means of a national, secular educational curriculum were being seriously debated. Thomas Jefferson wrote decisively of education’s purpose to improve both one’s "morals" and "faculties" along with the art of calculation, writing, reading, history and geography. Thus, issues of morality, virtue, religion and God were all perceptually intertwined and revered and considered intrinsic to not only an educational system but a successful political system. In other words, in order for a democracy to exist people had to be to some degree "good" or disintegration would occur. In like manner George Washington had avowed, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports . . . And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion" (Bennett, 1988, 169).

These elements—morality, virtue, religion and God—became fundamental to our Republic's foundation—politically, socially, and educationally. In the beginning, the Pilgrims, Puritans, and other Christians believed the Revolutionary War victory was God's will, "so they depended upon divine help in drafting what was to be the greatest constitution in the history of the world" (Lahaye & Lahaye, 1994, p. 59.) Almost a century later the import of morality and God endured as individual state constitution preambles proclaimed an accordance with God's law: for example, New York's (1846) preamble begins, "We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . . .". and similarly, North Carolina's (1868) preamble states, "We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the sovereign ruler of nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings . . .".

Again, morality, virtue, religion and God were intrinsic to life for the populace and politico alike. And, in order to assure that these elements were in fact part of our American life system, public schools—whether a little red schoolhouse, common school, or college—embraced the role of being a character educator. "Through discipline, the teacher's good example, and the curriculum (McGuffey Readers, for example, featured tales of heroism and virtue), schools sought to instruct children in the virtues of patriotism, hardwork, honesty, thriftiness, altruism, and courage" (Lickona, 1991, p. 7). A budding national educational curriculum was envisioned to inculcate knowledge "deemed essential to humane living and to effective self-government" (Educational Policies Commission, 1937, p. 73). Inherent to secular education was to be a thorough understanding, consideration, and practice of ethics and a proper way of behaving. It was agreed that "knowledge alone does not present imperatives of conduct . . . knowledge of chemistry may be employed to poison a neighbor as well as to heal the sick . . . there is nothing in a chemical fact, or in a financial fact, which necessarily instructs the learner in the right use of it" (Educational Policies Commission, 1937, p. 81).

Debates over what the American educational curriculum should be ensued. Decisions about a religious component would be, however, soon decided by the courts. The country had grown exponentially over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, bringing forth a vast accumulation of diverse religious sects. By virtue of their reason for immigrating to the U.S., for religious freedom among other things, the citizenry was essentially justified to reject any notion of national religiosity within a secular curriculum. In 1872, a landmark decision handed down by the Ohio Supreme Court acknowledged the inalienable right of its people to religious freedom, meaning that, in Ohio, a school board was thereupon legally allowed to exclude Bible reading from any of its curriculum. Accordingly, "an increasingly pluralistic population not only exerted pressure on the schools to move closer and closer to religious neutrality, but also insured that the courts would eventually have to settle continuing disputes" (Menendez & Doerr, 1991, p. vii).

Thus, the separation of church and state in the realm of secular education had therein been firmly established. And necessarily so. The cornerstone of survival and harmony for an immensely pluralistic nation rested on the court’s decisive decisions of separation of church and state.

Teaching Beyond the Academic: Morals, Virtues and Character Education

But with all its glory to advance the survival of a democratic system, the separation of church and state has had adverse effects. Specifically, the acquirement of "morals" and "faculties" through the secular educational system, as supported by Thomas Jefferson and others, could now be attained only from a non-spiritual, secular point of view. The ability to discuss, direct, examine, explore, or investigate anything of a religious nature in secular school was considered unconstitutional. The student could be taught to rationalize and search after scientific fact, to delve into a comprehension of feelings and comprehension’s about perceptions, but could not entertain a search for the primacy of the spiritual over the scientific.

By the 1920s, a new educational philosophy of logical positivism was taking hold in American and European universities—the same schools that would be teaching our nation's future teachers, administrators, and politicians. Logical positivism held that truth was truth only when scientifically demonstrated and validated. Thus, moral, value or spiritual truths were innately subjective and were not considered as objective truths. An outcome was schools (and society) beginning to think of morality as situational, conditional, and private. By the 1950s, "schools got the idea that they shouldn't 'impose' any one set of values, values education, if not actively discouraged, became at best unplanned and unreflective, part of the unexamined curriculum" (Lickona, 1991, p. 9). Later, the personalism of the 1960s and 1970s suggested that any perceived constraint an individual experienced inhibited personal freedom and thus was intolerable. The issue of morality became secondary to individual freedom perceptions—a situation antithetical to the stature of morality, virtue, and religion at the inception of the Republic.

In 1966, Columbia University Professor Louis Raths published Values and Teaching which introduced value clarification into the schools. Value clarification asked the teacher not to teach morals or values but to help the student explore and clarify their own values or value positions, and to accept whatever those chosen values may be whether historically or even spiritually regarded as right or wrong.

Ramifications of the movement from religion in education to a humanistic, educational philosophy based on economically-induced educational objectives encompasses this: 1) The control and responsibility of education and its curriculum moved from parents and churches to the state. The pluses remain to be the ability of the country to educate all children utilizing qualified teachers, curriculums, and economically-based objectives. The minuses continue to be the inability of the system to spiritually and morally educate. And the debate over values, character, or morality education—whatever diminutive desired—in the secular school remains volatile. Does the secular school have the right to act intrusively as a morality guide? A steadily growing conviction is this: "Schools cannot be ethical bystanders at a time when our society is in deep moral trouble. Schools must do what they can to contribute to the character of the young and the moral health of the nation" (Lickona, 1991, p. 5).

"According to many experts, the need for character education is a result of the value neutral stance of schools during the 1960s and 1970s" (Lasley, 1997, p. 655), the "innumerable nihilistic messages that include an average of 25 acts of violence every hour (and this during the children’s programs) and six pro-drug advertisements for every anti-drug message" (Condry, 1993, pp. 259-78), parentless parenting, and poor teacher and parent role models.

How would the secular school teach values and morals and build character? Besides the teaching of academics, the teaching of morals and values in secular schools has focused on 1) defining value or character concepts, 2) describing appropriately-related behaviors, and 3) using drill and practice. For example, each week a different value, such as "honesty" might be targeted, and students would be asked to describe what types of behavior make up "honesty." Other schools may offer students rewards when they are caught "being good." Still others may stress strict conformity to school rules and label this conformity as responsibility and character development.

These techniques of character education may succeed in temporarily buying a particular behavior. But they are unlikely to leave children with a commitment to that behavior, a reason to continue acting that way in the future. You can turn out automatons who utter the desired words or maybe even ‘emit’ . . . the desired actions. But the words and actions are unlikely to continue--much less transfer to new situations--because the child has not been invited to integrate them into his or her value structure. (Kohn, A., 1997, p. 429)

No doubt, a spiritually-based, morality-positive, character-building curriculum could add a unique valuing perspective for the student, just as Thomas Jefferson and others proposed in the 1700s. More resolutely, Plunkett (1991) submits that:

If it is true that rising levels of aggression are undermining human relationships in western society, these are not problems that can be solved by force or by legislation. Relationships are areas of life that depend upon personal choice. Personal choices can change only when people change internally, and this requires moral and spiritual development. What will change a racist? (Plunkett, 1991, p. 114)

Thus, Plunkett (1991) contends that "the purpose of humanity, or of education, is ultimately spiritual, and it is only after this insight has been accepted that cultural and ideological conflicts [such as value and character education] can be resolved" (Plunkett, p. 113).

Adding Spirituality to the Curriculum

Truly, in fact, spiritual search and understanding (versus drill and practice of value concepts) in the curriculum would serve to move a child into deeper, critical reflections about certain ways of being. Such intense scrutiny would serve to deepen their ability to respect and accept the convictions of others, and to commit to personally chosen values based on spirituality instead of scientific or social rationalization. It would help in developing personal insight, empathy, strength of concern and love, and sensitivity to individuality and uniqueness. It would help in developing a sense of purpose, expanded tolerance, sensitivity, and legal vigilance. It would help us all to maintain a civilized humanity, world justice, peace and equality, and to search for the ultimate purposes of life and reflect upon our lives and feelings. Why do we exist? What purposes do we serve on this earth? How are we to live? How are we to handle life situations? What life strategies do we use? What is the basis of our moral and spiritual belief system? This road of inquiry is not available within the morality-neutral, secular curriculums of today, yet the importance of same cannot be underestimated:

Nothing more powerfully determines a child’s behavior than his internal compass, his beliefs, his sense of right and wrong. If a child firmly believes, if he has been taught and guided to believe, that drugs, promiscuity, and assaulting other people are wrong things to do, this will contribute to his own well-being and to the well-being of others. And if this lesson is multiplied a million times--that is, taught a million times--we will have greater and broader well-being, fewer personal catastrophes, less social violence, and fewer wasted and lost lives. (Bennett, 1992, p. 255)

Looking even deeper into this issue, at what level can we or should we expect the child’s "internal compass" and "sense of right and wrong" to be developed? For example, is it only an issue of drugs and promiscuity being wrong and harmful to the body, or is the sense of right and wrong a spiritual belief, i.e., that our bodies are meant for the Lord, they are members of Christ and should for this reason only never be so deviled? "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."(1 Corinthians 6:19-20) This would be the spiritual component of education. This would be the belief in faith versus rationalism. This would be the quest to understand the mysteries of life and being.

Scientific inquiry, rationalism and personal development through subjective interpretations are a necessary function of any educational system. But the element of spiritualness cannot be disregarded. How do we reduce the mysteries of life to scientific exam? What methodology do we use to understand faith, life, death, goodness, evil, love, or miracles? From what perspective do we teach love, sexuality, marriage, family, faith, hope, wisdom, honesty, obedience, patience, courage, self-control, kindness, sickness, suffering and death?

And what about the issues of aids, abortion, promiscuity, pornography, euthanasia, suicide, poverty, hunger, drugs, alcohol, racial tensions, and war? How do we help our youth to develop the wisdom, the insight, the understanding and the "grasping of what is true and right in its living expression and form" (Hopko, 1976, p. 68) to deal with all these issues? What greater teacher in these instances than "the Psalms, Proverbs, and other wisdom writings such as Ecclesiastics, and the Wisdom of Solomon and Jesus, Son of Sirach" (Hopko, 1976, p. 68)? What better stories than Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers, Jonathan’s friendship with Dave, the Good Samaritan’s kindness toward a stranger, and David’s cleverness and courage in facing Goliath? Or should we just focus on defining value concepts--such as courage--institute drill and practice sessions, and reward when "courage-like" behavior is expressed?

Effects of a Morality-Neutral, Secular Curriculum

In many spheres, our nation’s morality-neutral secular curriculum is not working, in terms of academics or in character development. Past Secretary of Education William Bennett has written a multitude of books, given a myriad of lectures, and campaigned unceasingly on the subject. During the 1980s, he traveled across the country to examine the state of our American school systems. He found en mass an educational system in chaos--in crisis--even though for two decades prior moneys spent per child had doubled (in 1987 Chicagoans spent $4000 per student per year), class sizes dramatically decreased, and teachers with master’s degrees increased some 25%.

Yet during this same time our country’s mean SAT score fell 85 points, unwed teenage births rose 200%, abortion rates nearly doubled with nearly one-half of teenage pregnancies ending in abortion, and juvenile arrests more than doubled. A 1986 Weekly Reader poll asking elementary school children about their perception of the most serious problem in their school found drugs to be their most grievous concern. This from Weekly Reader readers! In that same year, a NAPE survey found fewer than forty percent of 21-25 year olds able to interpret a newspaper article. In 1989, an international comparison of math and science scores placed American students at the bottom and South Korean students at the top. In 1991, a National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) survey found 72% U.S. 4th graders only attaining 3rd grade math levels, only 5% high school seniors demonstrating an understanding of geometry and algebra, and 43% of same not being able to place World War I anywhere between the years 1900 and 1950. Bennett stated, "It is clear that spending a lot of money certainly did not get our children to where we want them to be" (1988, p. 63).

The decline in morality, virtue, and character was evident in other ways and with other populations. Lickona (1991) reported of an 11 year-old Bronx student who was found with 411 vials of crack, 2 of 5 high school seniors getting drunk once or more every weekend, and 1 in 7 teens attempting suicide with annually some 6,000 succeeding. A 1998 media reported on an affluent California suburb where 17 heroin-related highschooler deaths occurred during one year.

Lickona (1991) also pointed to disturbing statistics beginning in the 1980s describing an increase in the youth murder rate, youth crimes, shoplifting, cheating, disrespect for school authority figures, peer cruelty, bigotry, bad language, sexual precocity and abuse, increased self-centeredness, declining civic duty, and self-destructive behavior.

Purpose of Education and Attainment of Knowledge

What can be done? First, however, let us consider: what is the ultimate purpose of educating our children and supporting their search for knowledge? Hopko (1976) points out that "knowledge of God is the aim and goal of man’s life, the purpose of his creation by God . . . the Lord desires that man would ‘know the truth,’ and so become free from all blindness, ignorance and sin. (John 8:32) This is the central teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the law and the prophets of the Old Testament and of the apostles and teachers of the Church" (p. 64). Thus, spiritual education transcends the purely academic. This, then, is the first and foremost purpose of educating our children.

We must, then, as congregations truly dedicated to the spiritual growth of ourselves and our children--for what other reason do we as a church or as souls exist--as circumscribed by the Scriptures, provide a spiritual education first for our children. We do so through our church Sunday schools. But what about Monday through Friday?

Olivera Petrovich (1997), professor of psychology of religion at the University of Oxford and University of Buckingham writes in "Current problems in religious education: implications for Orthodox Christians": "It is an anomaly of our age that we have come to consider religious information as an option, a cultural package of no universal relevance . . . In the course of their development children will inevitably be confronted with a number of conflicting explanatory models competing for their assent. The need to conform and other secular pressures are problems which face especially adolescents. This is yet another reason why an early religious education is important and why such education is more likely to succeed . . . " (P. 19).

Presently, however, many of us do not have the option of offering an Orthodox Christian spiritual and academic education to our children on the other days of the week. We rely, instead, on either other church schools or on secular schools to daily inculcate our children. And disheartening as it may be, "There is no such thing as a ‘value-free’ school . . . The issue is not whether or not a school will have values, but what those values will be. Like it or not, schools shape character" (Doyle, 1977, p. 441).

Consider what an Orthodox Christian spiritual curriculum would add to the education of our children:

The Orthodox Faith presents the highest possible goal for us to pursue, the ideal of perfection: to become by grace what God is by nature. Ideal standards and saintly lives are set forward in Scripture and in the Church to inspire us in our struggle. These ideals include the concepts of poverty, chastity, obedience--fleshed out in practice by those who: give all to the poor (Matthew 19:21), love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), are submitted to spiritual authority (Matthew 8:5-13; John 5:19), pray constantly (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and live holy and blameless lives. (Bernstein, 1990, p. 19)

Petrovich (1997), however, finds that parents, educators, and congregations tend to underestimate a child's cognitive capacity to grasp the concept of God and thus underestimate the need for religious education to any expanded degree. "Instead of building upon, and linking directly and in good time to the child's apparently pertinent questions, religious education fails to meet these natural and spontaneous interests, leaving them to become satisfied later partly by science education, fiction reading, or by some other intellectually absorbing activity, until all memory of the initial religious enquiries is lost" (p. 17) and ultimately a lack of interest in pursuing God.

Petrovich (1977 also points out that children growing up in an Orthodox environment may be in a better position than others to develop a spiritual relationship with God, an understanding and a faith as the "all-embracing sense of mystery encountered in Orthodox worship, the emphasis on the Trinity, the supra-real visual means of representing the deity, all serve to reinforce the early intuition of the transcendent and the holy" (p. 19).

When considering the issue of spiritual education on Sunday only, not only is the issue of a daily curriculum void of spirituality prevalent, but there is also the issue of transfer of education, or using what was learned. For example, we teach our children on Sundays, and some may assume that one hour, once a week is sufficient to affect change or application of Orthodox Christian beliefs. But truly, what is the probability that children will use what they learned on Sunday during the other days of the week?

Research studies in the area of education transfer have found transfer occurring only 10-20% of the time (Georgenson, 1982; Broad & Newstrom, 1988; Hawthorne, 1987). When we are talking about children, and spiritual learning and application, the probability of transfer is probably lower. For example, what is the likelihood that a child would listen one time to a Bible story (written centuries ago) and then apply the messages therein to current situations throughout the following days?

In the best case scenario, if parents read the same Sunday Bible story and supported the child throughout the following days in transferring the precepts, presented, chances would increase for transfer. But is this realistic? "Parents are busy. When they are not working, they are getting ready for work. And when they are not ‘readying’ themselves, they are trying to cope with personal frustrations that can overwhelm them. The emphasis on doing what is right for me is the rule, even if the consequences for the children are pernicious" (Lasley, 1977, p. 655). Petrovich (1977) also writes on this subject:

Contrary to the common assumptions, parents need not be in the best position to answer all of the questions raised by their child. To expect them to do so would place an undue burden on the parents and create an impasse. It is important to bear in mind that parents too have their own learning history which may not be ideal either as a model to emulate or a source for their child's benefit. Rather, it may be more fruitful to think of parents as providing a necessary link between the child and the relevant source of religious education. (p. 20)

In other words, parents may not be the best transfer agent, if not for reason of being too busy for other reasons. For example, in order for transfer of education to occur in any setting, certain support systems must be in place, including understanding (did the child understand the story), repetition (consistent and constant repeating of the precepts), and appropriate application (can the child match appropriate situations for application). A daily support system of school would facilitate transfer in all these areas.

Lastly, we may consider parents the best feasible transfer agent because parents are considered a child’s best teacher. However, we now know that a child’s 6-8 hour day in an environment other than the parent’s "womb" (e.g., school) can have profound effects on prior parental influence, behaviors exhibited, and choices made by children:

Next to the family, elementary school is arguably the most influential institution in our children’s lives. In elementary school children gain--or do not gain--the skills that they will need throughout their school years and throughout their adult lives. Elementary school is where they gain (or do not gain) fundamental knowledge of themselves, and of our country and common heritage. It is also where they develop (or do not develop) the personal qualities--the habits, values, and demeanor--they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. (Bennett, 1988, p.23)

So, how do we best help our children deal with their spirituality, and develop a relationship with God, and attain high academic achievement? How do we help our children deal with the issues of aids, abortion, promiscuity, pornography, euthanasia, suicide, poverty, hunger, drugs, alcohol, racial tensions, and war? And what about their understanding of love, sexuality, marriage, family, faith, hope, knowledge, wisdom, honesty, obedience, patience, courage, self-control, kindness, sickness, suffering and death? Socrates once said, "Could I climb the highest place in Athens, I would lift my voice and proclaim: ‘Fellow citizens, why do you turn and scrape every stone to gather wealth, and take so little care of your children, to whom one day you must relinquish it all?"

How do we best help our children deal with their spirituality and develop a relationship with God? Theoretically, "all parents regardless of income, should be able to choose places where they know their children will learn. And they should be able to choose environments where their own values will be extended instead of lost" (Bennett, 1992, p. 64). For an Orthodox Christian, this would be nothing less than an Orthodox Christian school.

Orthodox Christian Elementary Schools in North America

There are some nineteen Orthodox Christian schools in North America under the Greek Education and Culture program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese with a total enrollment of some 4, 332 students. Each school administers a program distinctly different from the other, although all schools teach Greek language and civilization. Each school is based on inculcation of spirituality, character development, and academic excellence.

I visited the Koraes Elementary School in Palos Hills, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), and spoke on the telephone with Dr. Antonopoulos, Principal of Plato Academy in Chicago; Ms. Maria Newton, Director of Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, Texas; and Ms. Elaine Lailas of Hellenic American Academy in Potomac, Maryland. I have also received materials from the Plato Academy and Annunciation Orthodox School.

Koraes Elementary School, Palos Hills, IL (1910)

Mrs. Betty Kourasis, Principal of Koraes, is native of Greece and has seen her three children through the school. She served on the Board of Koraes for many years prior, and was a past administrator for various private high schools.

Koraes has a history of academic excellence. Using the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) (which measures the extent to which a child has achieved something, acquired certain information, or mastered certain skills), they have monitored accordingly their planned instruction and competitiveness to other suburban Chicago schools. To illustrate Koraes’ academic placement nationally, compare Koraes’ SAT scores with national SAT scores.

The national average score on the SAT in the areas Reading, Math, Language and the Basic Battery is "50" across the board. In comparison, for 1996 the Koraes third grade average reading SAT score was 91. Koraes’ fourth grade average Language SAT score was 100, the sixth grade average Language score was 100, and the eighth grade average Language score was 100. Koraes’ eighth grade average SAT Reading score 95, average SAT math score 90, average SAT Science 86, average SAT Social Science score 100, and the average eighth grade score for the entire SAT battery 95 (this, remember compared to a national average SAT of "50"). Most Koraes students place in high school honors programs and go on to college.

The success of the Koraes school in preparing its students academically is unequivocal, and highly desirable by standards of any elementary school. The school also provides for a bilingual education. In kindergarten, the children begin learning Greek, and all grades are educated in the local Greek Orthodox community. The Koraes handbook states, "This is very important, because the latter functions as a living ‘metaphor’ of Greek paideia and Orthodox spirituality and at the same time provides the primary social group that our children need to develop their cultural and spiritual identity. 100% of students of Koraes are of the Orthodox faith. The students come from a fourteen mile radius.

The Koraes Parents’ Association sponsors numerous social, academic, and religious programs for the school including a "Junior Great Books" program. This program is offered during lunch once a week and provides an informal setting of reading experiences that increase comprehension by interpretive reading and discussion. The Parents’ Association also provides volunteers and funding for a dramatic art program (play), Math/Science Clubs, Cultural Arts Program, Hot Lunch Program (once a week), D.A.R.E. program, field trips, Lenten Dinner, a Dinner Dance, a Yearbook, and volunteer tutors. Koraes places great expectations on parents: parent participation, parental support of children in school activities, parent support with homework, attendance at school, and support of positive values and morals at home.

Koraes also provides a once a week fine arts program emphasizing art appreciation, mastery of basic art concepts and skills, and enhancing creativity and self-expression. A survey of Greek History and Architecture is presented in seminar form once each month for grades 4-8. A weekly Music Education program emphasizes music history and composition. Two math extracurricular programs, Mathcounts and Family Math, focus on increasing math skills. The school has a computer lab which was funded through fundraising events. The lab also serves as an electronic library. Other extracurricular activities are run through the church for all Sts. Constantine and Helen children including basketball, choir, cheerleading, Sunday School, Scouts, and Greek dancing.

The Religious Study program is taught by parish priests and pastoral assistants, once a week, and seeks "to educate our students in the basic tenets of the Orthodox tradition as well as to offer a bridge by which these tenets may be practically applied to everyday living." Students "participate in a rich liturgical life by attending weekly chapel services, Divine Liturgies on the occasion of saint and feast days, and assisting in the broader worship of the community by actively taking part in Lenten and Holy Week services."

Mrs. Kourasis states approximately 67% of the school’s budget is applied to salaries, school maintenance, and utilities. The school provides all books, with the school’s curriculum being textbook-driven. Textbooks are replaced continuously to keep the school’s curriculum current and challenging.

Mrs. Kourasis states the operating of a school is an undaunting experience. She indicated a need for all members of the Church to help run the school--the lawyers, accountants, educators, business people--who can volunteer their services to the school. Problems include teacher turnover, as salaries are limited ($14,000-20,000 a year), and time. The school usually runs a $100,000 deficit each year for its 247 students, which is covered by the Church. Full tuition begins at $2,250 per year for one child. Uniforms are worn by all the children. Koraes does not offer special education classes, but does offer "pull out" programs with special tutoring as resources permit. Classes are also divided into achievement levels. The public schools, under law, still must assist in some special education areas even in a non-public school, such as with speech therapy and other tutoring.
I asked Mrs. Kourasis why she remains principal of Koreas, and why she felt a need to send her children to the school when the Chicago area has a host of wonderful pubic and other private schools. She stated, "I feel very strongly about a parochial school and a parochial school that is Orthodox . . . to establish our value structure. What our students are receiving today they will give back tomorrow through their work, study, professions, and to the community. An Orthodox education focuses on spiritual development and motivates us to direct our lives through an Orthodox perspective. How can we do so if we don’t know how? Our Orthodox school provides for our children an appropriate knowledge base for decision making. Children today are bombarded by so much. Where do we orient our children? They are bombarded by every value structure possible. They encounter peers, colleagues, will one day become professionals, and they will in turn become parents. They will be our community one day. Throughout this growth process, as an Orthodox Christian, they are going to have to constantly make decisions. They need to question, "It is appropriate according to my Orthodox value structure?" This does not imply wearing blinders, and not blindly accepting, but questioning intelligently and by our Church and heritage. Armed, they can meet their peers and debate and rebut and conclude. Many suggest that a parochial education is too isolationist or too narrow. Sometimes, today, however, children have too many options at too early an age. Children are not prepared in the early years to make some choices and decisions. They need the Church."

Plato Academy, Chicago, IL (1952)

The Plato Academy offers PreK through eighth grade to some fifty students. The philosophy of the school "dwells on that great democratic ideal, and through the use of a ‘developmentally appropriate and integrated curriculum’, strives to educate each child at his/her own developmentally appropriate level, and to help all our students learn skills that will assist them in becoming life-long learners." The focus of the school is teaching the children to make critical decisions and to become autonomous problem solvers. Plato utilizes cooperative education practices (groups work together to solve problems) and "hands-on" programs. Much of their curriculum is from the University of Chicago Laboratory school which was founded some 100 years ago for the children of University personnel.

Somewhat different from Koraes, Plato offers a multi-age classroom with groups of a three year age span. "Groups of children with a three-year age span live together very nicely. Children respect one another for their individual abilities. This shows up in the basic skill areas and on the playground." With a multi-aged classroom, independent study habits are learned and developed at an early age. More individualized instruction occurs in a multi-age classroom, and students are encouraged to rely on peers for assistance, in addition to the teacher. The class operates much as a community.

Plato also utilizes a thematic approach where subjects are taught around a certain theme. For example, if the theme is birds, birds are examined in all learning areas, e.g., science, social studies, geography, reading, math, art and so on. This is a more holistic approach to learning which increases an understanding of relationships between all things.

Plato offers a curriculum in art, music (one hour of music two days a week where children can choose to play the violin, flute or clarinet), computer, and physical education. Plato also sponsors an annual, all-Chicago Academic Olympiad in which eligible students from other Chicago area schools (private and public) compete in English, Modern Greek, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Plato also sponsors an all-school thematic Science Fair each spring.

The religious curriculum at Plato is divided into themes according to age. For example, Pre-K and Kindergarten concentrate on "God’s Love and Being Happy with God." First and second graders focus on "Creation and Loving God." Fourth and Fifth graders shift toward sharing based on the life of the Church, learning about God’s people in the Old and New Testament, and their relationship with God. Sixth graders focus on "Growing, Responding, and Choosing God," and Heroes in faith. Seventh and eighth graders study about the Sacraments of the Church, Church architecture, Scripture and traditions, and personal examinations.

Although national test scores were not provided, Plato Academy reports, "Over the years a great number of Lawyers, Judges, Engineers, Doctors, Architects, Ph.D.s, Public Servants, and CEOs began their career path at the Plato Academy. What made these leaders so successful? We believe Plato Academy gave them an excellent educational foundation to build upon, a love of learning, a belief that hard work and persistence pays off, and opportunities to practice habits of good citizenship."

Tuition at Plato for Grades 1-8 tuition starts at 2,600 for one child. School fees also include $150 for books and other supplies, and a $30.00 milk fee. In addition, each family is responsible for buying or selling three (3) $125.00 "Take-A-Chance" tickets to their annual fund raiser.

Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX (1970)

Annunciation was started in 1970 by a few parishioners who wanted an Orthodox Christian education for their children. When the school began in 1970, with 15 students, 99% of the students were Greek. Today, some twenty-seven years later, only 15% of the students are Greek Orthodox. Annunciation has become one of the leading elementary schools in Texas. There are some 623 students at Annunciation in grades Pre-K through eighth.

Ms. Maria Newton, Director of Admissions, states the school has been extremely successful for a variety of reasons. Not only does she cite spiritual guidance as a main reason for success, she states the school pays attention to detail, focuses on nurturing students, sets high academic standards, supports small class sizes (16 students per class with a teacher and assistant in each), and places great emphasis on teachers attending lots of seminars and workshops to keep up with current educational theory. Textbooks are reviewed yearly, and no textbook is kept beyond seven years. They also use all kinds of materials to supplement their textbooks.

Additionally, Ms. Newton states they have not wavered from traditional learning theory. They use flash cards, diagram sentences, and place emphasis on penmanship. The school is very oriented to its population, changing as the population changes. For example, Greek as a language is offered up to fifth grade and in sixth grade the students begin learning Spanish, as the Southwest has a large Spanish speaking community.

The curriculum changes for each grade, as it does at Koraes and at Plato Academy. A first grade curriculum, however, would include Language Arts (phonics, reading, spelling and writing), Math, Science, and Social Studies. Enrichment courses include Computer Technology (keyboarding, word processing, computer graphics and problem solving), Drama (expression in body movement and voice), Greek language, Library (weekly), Music, Physical Education, and Religion. Annunciation uses specialists in the areas of Art and Music from the community to enhance its Art and Music curriculums.

Religion at Annunciation "is based on Christian principles from an Orthodox perspective; however, the program is not catechetical. . . with the Holy Bible as the main text, the program blends stories, songs, prayers, and teachings of the Bible with meaningful examples of positive living found in current events, daily experiences and secular materials which present moral truths . . . Participation in chapel is an integral part of the AOS religion program, and emphasis on a Word of the Month’ teaches student character values." The first grade, for example, focuses on "Understanding God’s Love and Promises".

Prayer is an integral part of the school day at Annunciation. "Each day begins with the Lord’s Prayer, or the Lenten Prayer during the Lenten season, followed by a devotional. Community prayers are said at mealtime and at snack time . . . Students will learn the different types of prayer: thanksgiving, needs - personal needs of others, help and guidance, praise [and] intercessory." Feast days observed are Elevation of the Cross, Epiphany, Christmas, The Annunciation, and Easter.

Tuition at Annunciation for first grade is $6,100 for non-Church members and $5,920 for Church members. Fees include registration ($500), New Family Fee ($300), and a Middle School Book Fee of $150-300. Although test scores were not provided, Annunciation uses the Education Records Board (ERB)-Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBIII) for testing for 3-8 grades

Hellenic American Academy, Potomac, MD (1988)

Mrs. Elaine Lailas was a principal in a Maryland private school for six years and was asked last year to direct the Hellenic American Academy (HAC). HAC follows the Montgomery County Curriculum (the County of their school’s location) for purposes of remaining competitive to the public and area private schools. The Potomac, Maryland and Washington, D.C. area offers many challenging public and private programs. Enrollment is approximately 80, and the school offers Pre-K to fifth grade.

Mrs. Lailas stated that she is currently working on the curriculum at the school.

Indianapolis Area Private Schools

In comparison, Indianapolis offers various parochial and secular private schools. The main secular private schools include Park Tudor at 72nd and College, the Orchard School on West 64th , and Sycamore School on West 64th. The Sycamore School is for academically talented. St. Richard’s School is an Episcopalian school started in 1960 with sixteen students located on 32nd and Meridian. All of these schools report their students testing high on Education Records Board (ERB) tests.

The tuition at these four main private schools ranges from $6,190 to $10,000 per year. Most have small classroom sizes ranging from 12 to 20 students with at least one teaching assistant per class. Most also offer before and after school programs for working parents, at an extra fee.

Adding an Orthodox Christian Elementary School to Indianapolis

An Orthodox Christian Elementary School in Indianapolis would be a wonderful addition to the community-at-large as well as a wonderful support to Orthodox Christian parents in the area. Starting such a school would, no doubt, be an undaunting task, but a task well worth anyone’s time and effort. Such a school would support the spiritual and academic growth of tomorrow’s community, our children-- its future parents, teachers, doctors, leaders, and clergy.

Koraes Greek-American and Plato Academy in Chicago, Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston, and the Hellenic American Academy in Maryland have all volunteered to mentor a new school in Indianapolis. Their knowledge and experience would serve to direct the school in the right direction. Necessary curriculums, policies, procedures, Constitution and By-Laws, etc., have already been set forth.

Elements to consider in starting an Orthodox school in Indianapolis include:

1. The best situation would be for the school to be a joint effort among the five Orthodox Christian Churches in the Indianapolis area. This proposition is supported by the General Assembly of the forty-third Convention of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America which "desires to reaffirm its strong support for Orthodox administrative unity of all of the Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in the United States and Canada so that there may be a strong united Orthodox Church on this Continent making the Gospel of Jesus Christ known on this Continent through His unified one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" (Resolution on Orthodox Administrative Unity, 1977, p. 39). Metropolitan PHILIP Saliba states: If eight million Orthodox in this country will unite administratively, we can channel our efforts in one direction, preach Orthodoxy more effectively and exert more spiritual and moral influence on America! (Interview Metropolitan Philip Saliba, 1997, p. 38)".

Together, all the Orthodox Christian children in our community would have the opportunity to spiritually and academically grow-up together in and as one community. They would be able to support one another as Orthodox Christians in a way that they are not able to do today. Additionally, the school would have personnel (volunteer or non-volunteer) and financial resources from five Churches instead of one. This would tremendously increase the potential viability of an Orthodox Christian School in Indianapolis.

At the same time, however, such a situation would demand great amounts of patience, humility, courage, and lots of faith on everyone’s part as we bring together five different traditions to operate one school. In the Letter of James we read, however, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? . . . Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 3:14-17)

2. What grades would an Indianapolis Orthodox Christian school cover? The school might begin with a first grade only, or a multi-age setting such as the Plato Academy in Chicago, depending upon parishioner response. If the school started with a same-age first grade, and there were not enough students to fill a first grade class, the school might choose to open its doors to the community. This would then necessitate professional communications to the community, and consideration of a program equivalent to other private schools in the community (e.g., St. Richard’s, Sycamore, Orchard, Park Tudor). If the school started with a multi-age class, such as a combined kindergarten, first grade and second grade, the challenge would be to find a teacher with experience and knowledge in individualized curriculums

3. How should we begin? An all-Church survey would query the parishioners of all five Churches. Would they be interested in sending their child(ren) to an Orthodox Christian School? If so, what is most amount of time they would consider for driving their child to and from school? (Consider that the private schools in the Indianapolis area draw children from over twenty miles.)

This initial survey would also need to address issues of curriculum and tuition. Cited could be the other successful Orthodox Christian schools in Chicago and Houston, with affirmation of a future mentor relationship with these schools and/or contiguous curriculums. We might want to cite tuition ranging from $2500 to $3000 a year with non-Orthodox students at a somewhat higher tuition. With 15 students, this would mean an income of $37,500 to $45,000+ a year. This would support a teacher, a teacher’s aide, and other expenses. If we consider the Koraes school’s yearly deficit, a $450-500 per child deficit may need to be considered and supported by fundraising or by our Churches. This could amount to a needed bequest of $1400-1500 per Church per year.

4. Where would the school be located? The location of the school would be dependent upon the student population. A central location could be established after the survey which may be within one of our existing Orthodox Churches, or may require renting or purchasing space. If one of our existing Orthodox Churches is chosen, as all the Churches are within City of Indianapolis limits, the issue of safety would be a major concern for many parents. This would require initiation of a safety policy, possible fencing, safety procedures, etc.

5. What about a foreign language requirement? As three of the four private schools in the Indianapolis area require a foreign language, an Indianapolis Orthodox Christian School may want to consider adopting a foreign language requirement. Additionally, research indicates that children who are exposed to two languages experience certain cognitive and social gains such as increased flexibility and creativity, a positive attitude toward other languages, a broader understanding of the nature and structure of language and a better command of their mother tongue; additionally bilingual students have been found to achieve 38% higher SAT scores in English 31% in mathematics (Koraes 1996-97 School Bulletin).

The Greek language may be a relevant foreign language consideration as the root of much "language" is derived from the Greek. Whatever language is chosen, the choice must be based on what is the most useful for our children today and tomorrow in this country. Other languages such as Latin, although not conversational, also provide a rich education in language derivatives.

6. What about the religious curriculum? Religious instruction could be offered every day. With five Churches and five Pastors, perhaps each Pastor could guide the students in their spiritual growth one-half hour, one day each a week. A developmentally appropriate spiritual curriculum could be later determined, although current Sunday School curriculums could be expanded to a day school setting.

In addition, the religious curriculum could be expanded and intertwined with all other subjects. For example, the students could start with the history of the Orthodox Church beginning with the first Church in Jerusalem. While studying this Church, they would learn about the land (Geography), the people at that time and now (Social Studies), the places (Architecture), the music, the art, the foods, the language, and so forth. From the first Church in Jerusalem, they would learn how the Church moved to Rome. In Rome, they would study the land, people, places, and so forth. They would learn about the history of our Orthodox Church while learning about different nations and histories at the same time.

7. What about a music curriculum? A music curriculum could entail so many different elements. Already noted is the study of music from country to country. Students could also learn to play an instrument, perhaps with music instruction twice a week. The school might wish to develop an Orthodox Children’s Choir. There may be professional musicians in one of our five Churches who would volunteer to work with the school in the area of a music curriculum and teaching.

8. What about an art curriculum? An art curriculum would work in much the same way as a music curriculum. Students would learn about art as they studied about the Orthodox Church. Hands-on art experiences could be integrated into a twice a week schedule. Additionally, art could be integrated into all aspects of the curriculum through projects.

9. What about a Physical Education program? It is hoped that the school building would have a gymnasium so a Physical Education (P.E.) program could be developed. As with the Koraes school in Chicago, the P.E. program could be expanded to include all the area Orthodox Churches in the form of an after school program of basketball, etc.

10. What about before and after school programs to support working parents? As the other area private schools have before and after school programs, we may want to consider same. The school could offer a one hour before school reading program. Perhaps volunteer mothers or others from the five Churches could volunteer to come in to read classic literature to the children for one morning each day. An after-school program could include one hour of free-play, or structured activities such as Scouts, dance lessons, music lessons, art activities, drama and so forth.

11. What about the traditional subjects of Language (reading, writing), Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Geography? We presently have Orthodox schools running exceptional programs. Each school has offered to share with us their curriculums and anything else we may need.

12. What happens after a survey is conducted? After a decision is made to survey the parishioners in the Indianapolis area, and after the survey is complete and decisions are made as to the feasibility of an Orthodox Christian Elementary School in the Indianapolis area, a Launch Committee should be formed to carry out the responsibility of placing the aforementioned into action. This Launch Committee would need the gratis services of parishioners in the areas of business, insurance, bookkeeping, curriculum, staffing, legal, by-laws, buildings and grounds, safety, health requirements, accreditation, school policies, and so forth. Thereafter, and according to the By-Laws, an election of a school board could take place.

13. What about a principal or director? The other Orthodox schools do have principals and some additionally have directors. The first year of a new school may require a part-time director or principle. This person could continue to use the Launch Committee as a working support system. Such committees could continue research into areas of curriculum, etc., and the principal would act as a day to day mediator, school support system, and liaison.

14. What about State of Indiana educational and health and safety requirements? State health and safety requirements would have to be followed and may necessitate building alterations to existing structures. Additionally, health and safety codes change yearly with continued alterations to be expected. State of Indiana accreditation would not take place for a year or two after the school was initiated, mainly because the State may not have the time to evaluate our school before that time. However, all legal standards as outlined by IC20-1-1.2 and a school improvement plan as specified in 511 IAC 6;.1-7-1(c)(2) and expected performance levels as outlined in IC 20-1-1.2 would be followed from inception. A private school does not need accreditation by the State of Indiana for operation.

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