Most of a person’s young life is spent in a school setting—so there’s no question that it makes a difference what they’re taught, how they’re taught, and what kind of environment and influences surround them. That’s why the Adventist Education System focuses on educating the whole person, considering all the components of life and learning that can help a child flourish.
At the core of this is the spiritual goal to love God and love others, uplifting Jesus Christ as our ultimate example of character. And with biblical principles as the foundation of our rigorous curriculums, children are shown that God, the Creator of our universe, is everywhere. No matter the subject being taught, God is the original author and designer.
While it’s essential to know mathematics, language arts, science, and history, children also should learn about the love of God, what Jesus Christ has done for us, and that each of them has immeasurable value and a divine purpose.
It is with this mission in mind that the first Adventist school began as early as 1853.
Today, the Adventist education system includes more than 111,000 teachers, 2 million students, and 9,500 schools.1 There is an Adventist school in almost 150 countries around the globe, and it’s one of the largest education systems in the world.
Here’s a closer look at how this educational network began, how it grew, and the philosophy behind its operation and success:
- What is “true education”?
- Adventist education’s history
- Reasons parents choose Adventist education
- What the Bible can tell us about education
- Nature and the world around us as a “second textbook”
- Whole-person education that builds character
- Educating now, but preparing for eternity
The Meaning and Importance of “True Education”
Let’s start by examining the foundational concepts and emphases of the mission of Seventh-day Adventist schools.
As the Adventist denomination was forming and growing fast, early Adventists recognized a need in their communities for “true education“—a system of learning and development that included and emphasized family values and Christian principles. This was a welcome idea compared with the public education system at the time, which didn’t place much importance on morality or values and ignored many health and physical fitness principles as well.
So true education became a whole-person focus: striving to enrich the students’ minds and bodies, which also included spirituality and socio-emotional growth.
These values included educational standards that existed in all Adventist schools at a time before public education in the United States was standardized across all schools. This meant that, depending on location, a child’s educational experience could vary significantly. So it was noteworthy that Adventist students learned the same principles and educational building blocks no matter where they might attend an Adventist school.
This type of education included not only the children, but the whole family as learners. And it added a very important textbook—the Bible.
Renowned author and co-founder of the Adventist Church, Ellen White, taught and wrote on many topics of Christian living, and that included education. She and several other early Adventists noticed gaps in the typical ways children were educated—gaps that could be filled by biblical principles and guidance.
“Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim.
White, Ellen. Education, “Source and Aim of True Education.”
True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is.
It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.
It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.”
True education is about preparing children and families to be good citizens of their communities, ultimately living their lives for the glory of God and the sharing of the Gospel.
Students in Adventist schools are encouraged and taught to grow closer to Jesus and to model their character after His. Instilling these values while children are young will provide them a solid foundation throughout the rest of their lives.
The History of Adventist Education
Mainstream schools taught the educational basics, but the quality of that education was certainly not a guarantee. In the early days of Adventist education, the United States was in the middle of the Industrial Age (late 1800s – early 1900s), and many schools were simply trying to get children through a bare-bones curriculum so they could join their parents at work in factories as soon as possible.
But Adventist families wanted their children to learn those fundamentals while also connecting them to biblical principles and figuring out how to apply them to everyday life.
Meanwhile, due to education reform designed to remove strict Calvinist ideals and religious influence from schools, “common schools” were established for the public education of children. It was at this time that parochial (church) schools began to appear, mostly at Catholic parishes.2
So Adventists saw this as an opportunity to start their own private schools. And from the start, the collective vision balanced academics with physical and moral education. The schools’ programs recognized the need for exercise, manual labor (learning trades), and practical applications for the concepts learned in the classroom.
And above all, the curriculum upheld the Bible and its principles as central to all subjects.
This framework, while it has grown in both breadth and depth, has become what is now the Adventist education system. And its success and global reach is a testament to the faithful following of Christ and the unchanging principles of true education from its beginning.
Noteworthy Milestones in the Early History of Adventist Education3
The Benefits of Adventist Education
Putting the principles of true education into practice has yielded invaluable benefits over the years. Teachers, students, and families have noticed positive developments in the areas of spiritual maturation, classroom participation, academic achievement, and even church and community involvement.
(These benefits are also outlined in this short article in the Journal of Adventist Education.)
Spiritual Focus – Students are introduced to Jesus Christ and taught to see the hand of God across all subjects.
Favorable student-teacher ratio – Smaller classroom sizes mean students can receive more individualized attention and instruction.
Academic Achievement – Cognitive Genesis, a four-year study of 30,000 students in Adventist Schools, showed an average achievement of half a grade above the predicted ability.4
Tailored Curriculum – High-quality, standards-based curriculum designed for both single and multi-grade classrooms, and includes biblical perspectives.
Family Atmosphere – Campus environments are designed to offer close relationships, mentorship, and approachability.
Family Involvement – Parents and guardians are always welcome to become acquainted with their children’s teachers. There are also many ways parents can be involved on campus.
Fully Accredited – Adventist schools are accredited by The Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities.
Community Involvement – Students in Adventist schools are encouraged to be active members of their community through volunteer opportunities.
Higher Education Attendance – Students who attend Adventist schools are more likely to attend college—Over 85% of graduates from Adventist academies.
Remediation and Enrichment – In single and multi-grade classrooms, remediation and enrichment activities can be more discreetly arranged than in most traditional classrooms.
What the Bible Tells Us About Quality Education
Our first parents, Adam and Eve, began their instruction from God Himself. They learned about their world by spending time with their Creator as they explored the Garden of Eden.
Education, one of the guiding texts for the global philosophy and mission of Adventist education, describes this “first school” as one of loving instruction from God and angels.
Adam and Eve walked in the garden and listened to God’s voice. They communed with Him face to face, and His every purpose was directed at their highest good. They were both instructed in and entrusted with practical labor. They named the animals and cultivated the garden.5
Further into the Old Testament, times had changed of course. Sin had entered into the world through an endeavor to obtain knowledge apart from God, and there was greater need for helpers along the journey of family education. Prophets became recognized as teachers appointed by God. To train these teachers, God appointed Samuel to establish what many scholars believe to have been one of the first schools for the prophets at Ramah.
These schools became the salve to a broken world and provided mental and spiritual education for youth.
Instructors were well-educated in the Scriptures, and they also had a personal relationship with God.
The learners gained an education in spiritual and academic studies. Meanwhile, they supported themselves through practical labor.6
After Eden, the Old Testament schools were a necessary step in the right direction, but still not enough. The world needed another teacher.
God delivered a teacher and a Savior in one. Jesus, who created the earth as part of the Godhead, came down from heaven to walk among humanity.
Jesus knew each human being as He knew Himself, which made Him the ideal teacher for any person. His own education “was gained directly from Heaven-appointed sources: from useful work, from the study of the Scriptures and of nature, and from the experiences of life.”7
And so, in loving instruction, He taught the church, the children, kings, the powerful, the marginalized, and left no person out.
Textbooks—Nature and the Scriptures
Adventists believe nature testifies of God. Through it we can teach of God’s love and character, as well as science from plant growth and weather. We can teach art from the beauty of a sunset or the patterns we find in nature.
We can teach music from the waves of the ocean or the song of a bird. The natural world is the earliest educator for children and youth, and it continues to educate throughout their lives.
And when we look at the prophets of the Old Testament, as well as Jesus in the New Testament, they used the Holy Scriptures as a textbook. We too have God’s textbook to guide us in educational endeavors.
That’s why the Holy Bible is central to the Adventist education system. Through Scripture, students can gain knowledge and understanding in all subject areas. Bible history and prophecy can be taught with history books and the Bible. Science and health are supported by many principles in the Scripture. Poetry, music, and art are displayed in God’s Word and in the natural world that point to God’s Word.
Through Scripture we can learn to pray, learn of our Creator’s character, and learn to love as Jesus did, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Instruction from the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s guidance allows lessons in the practical and the personal, lessons of love between us and God, and between us and our peers.
Character-Building Through True Education
Adventist education takes a comprehensive approach that includes morality. Academics, physical exercise, emotional development, and spiritual health together create a balanced experience. Even the Core Curriculum Goals reflect a character-centered education:
- Learners will choose to accept God as the Creator and the Redeemer
- Learners will grow in their knowledge and understanding of God’s creation
- Learners will creatively apply their spiritual, physical, intellectual, and social-emotional knowledge
- Learners will demonstrate their commitment to the Creator through service to others
The methods of true education can restore human beings into the image of God, made possible through Jesus Christ. The lessons learned in these schools can span a lifetime.
It may start with learning how to have a quiet devotional time in your own room. But stepping up to lead out in devotion for your roommates takes confidence-building, introspection, study, and prayer—all of which are priorities within true education.
The relationship that students build with Jesus while in school will enrich them each step of the way. And among peers and mentors they will be learning together, working together, and studying and discussing God’s Word together. This is how eternal relationships are formed. Students will leave school with friendships with other believers—and with Jesus Christ.
“Educating for Eternity”8
The aim of the Adventist education system from its founding has been to show how God is active in all of our lives, and throughout the world we live in. He’s not just a character in a book we hear about in church. So Adventist schools seek to bridge the gap between our human lives and our heavenly calling.
The education children receive from birth is aimed at eternity. Instead of worrying only about producing good students, the aim is cultivating good people. At home, in church, in Adventist primary and high schools, and at the college and university level, Adventist education is aimed at educating the mind and heart for both today and eternity.
We have eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). Adventist education prepares students for this eternal life with Jesus Christ by encouraging a personal relationship with God right now.
Following this guidance and the example so purposefully laid out in Scripture, Adventist schools prepare youth not only to take their next step in life, but to consider the impact of their whole life—both here on earth, and for eternity after Jesus returns.
The church’s goal is to draw them nearer to the Creator. Every child should have the opportunity and privilege to attend a school that shows them who Jesus really is and how they can know Him better.
This commitment is a serious undertaking for the church as a community at the global, regional, and local levels.
Children mattered to God in Eden when He told His people to be fruitful.
Children mattered to the prophets when they took them into their homes and schools.
Children mattered to Jesus when He invited the children “come to Me” (Luke 18:16).
And they matter to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
It’s for our children that we introduce God and teach about His wonders of creation in Adventist schools. It’s for God that we make educating children our priority.
Learn more about Adventist education
- https://www.adventist.education/education-statistics/ [↩]
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/educational-reforms/ [↩]
- The Journal of Adventist Education, October/November 2015 [↩]
- https://crae.lasierra.edu/cognitivegenesis-2/research-result-summary/ [↩]
- White, Ellen G., Education, p. 21 [↩]
- Ibid. [↩]
- Education, p. 77 [↩]
- https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=HJKE [↩]