The True Meaning of Education
August 17, 2025
“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” –Proverbs 22:6
This weekend, we are happy to welcome Fr. Stephen Blaxton, Pastor of St. Brigid Parish, as our guest Presider. He will speak with us about Catholic education and the wonderful ministry of St. Brigid School, which benefits the entire Midland Area Catholic Community. This week is the first week of school for both St. Brigid and the Midland Public Schools. Many of our college students are now moving back to campus or beginning classes for the fall semester. This is an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of education, whether in Catholic schools, public schools, charter and private schools, or homeschools.
The first tasks of education are to awaken students to wonder and to lead them in the discovery of the truth. Our society is awash in opinions. Television news channels, talk radio, and podcasts are very short on facts and feature endless hours of “hot takes” and bickering, generating much heat but little light. This state of affairs is both the result and the cause of a culture of relativism. People are no longer seeking “the truth” but are ensuring that “their truth” gets a hearing. A wise teacher does not indoctrinate his or her students in opinions, even their own opinions. She or he challenges their students to unmask and lay aside their opinions. They view themselves a fellow travelers and guides, orienting his or her students toward the truth of reality be it scientific, mathematical, historical, sociological, theological, etc. The best teachers do not provide rote answers to be parroted back on tests; they encourage their students to open themselves up to wonder, guiding them to ask better questions, exploring the depths of the goodness and woundedness of God’s creation.
Another task of education is to demonstrate the connectedness and beauty of all things. Again, our society is marked by isolation and polarization. True education takes a holistic approach that leads students to the ongoing discovery of the interconnectedness of all creation. True education is not merely the “uploading” of disparate facts into student’s brains. It helps students to more clearly see and recognize the whole of creation and how the parts of creation are related to each other and to the whole cosmos. In other words, it teaches better stewardship of God’s good gifts. We have all heard the maxim, “knowledge is power!” But this begs the questions, “power over who or what?” and “for what purpose or aim is this power wielded?” Is the purpose of education to dominate nature and other people, or to accumulate more and more resources for myself at the expense of others and our common home? The biblical understanding of knowledge is not merely about information, but about an intimate communion of mind, heart, and body— formation of the whole person. This communion is what is meant when the biblical authors wrote that “the man knew his wife Eve and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1) or “be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:11) The beauty of creation’s unity and interconnectedness inspires students to live in peace with others and our common home and to create beautiful things themselves.
Finally, education aims to instill good character in students. Often, the message that our society sends is that there is no absolute right and wrong, but whatever gains one an advantage or pleasure in business and interpersonal relationships is to be praised. Never admit responsibility and social justice is reduced to whatever you can get the other party to legally agree to or to financially settle for. Everything, even morality, is negotiable. Our young people notice. Truly human education teaches right from wrong, justice from injustice, integrity from duplicity. It not only teaches ethics and morality in theory; it gives students an opportunity to practice virtue. It shapes character through habitual choosing of the good and just actions, looking out for the good of everyone, especially the weakest and most vulnerable. When students make wrong choices, educators help them to take responsibility for their actions and the consequences of those choices, make amends, encourage a change of heart and behavior, and give them an opportunity to be restored once again the good graces of the school community. Educators are ultimately in the business of soulcraft. When a student’s character is formed honorably, they recognize their moral responsibility “to all for all for everything.”
As young people begin their new school year this week, our prayers are for their safety and well-being, their growth in wisdom and knowledge. We also pray for teachers and school administration personnel in their uniquely important roles. This new school year, may they all seek the truth with wonder, grow in their appreciation of the beauty and connectedness of all things, and be formed in goodness and integrity!