Education/Paideia, Education(in a narrow sense), and Vocational training
Education/Paideia, Education(in a narrow sense), and Vocational trainingShu Suzuki
"Teaching your children at home? Not sending them to schools? How are they going to get jobs in the future? Can they be hired by excellent companies?"
These are common questions asked to Japanese homeschooling families.
First of all, we should define what education is.
In terms of education, our friend Kevin Swanson has made a succinct definition which could not be improved upon.
Education is the preparation of a child
intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and
Physically for life and for eternity.
Kevin Swanson, Upgrade, 10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child(Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers 2006)p. 10
Education(Paideia) is all-inclusive.
In terms of methodology, the medieval model of education is used quite often. This model consists of two stages, the Trivium and the Quadrivium.
Simply speaking, Trivium is education in a narrow sense, and the Quadrivium is vocational training. Of course, this medieval model cannot fully explain education/paideia, especially about the dynamism of education/paideia.
We might say that Education/Paideia consists of two categories, education in a narrow sense and vocational training as shown below;
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Education/Paideia
consists of
1)Education/Trivium
(in a narrow sense)
building the Christian worldview
THE ONE
. . .
2)Vocational training/Quadrivium
specialization
THE MANY
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Trivium is the basic training. In other words, it contributes to equipping children with the Christian worldview. In the Trivium stage, children acquire the tool of learning. After they accomplish the Trivium stage, they are ready to enter the Quadrivium stage; they specialize in a certain area. Quadrivium is vocational training.
The Quadrivium stage starts from age 15 to age 18. In the medieval ages, college education started from the age 15. So we can say COLLEGE IS MAINLY FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING.
In Japan, people seldom differentiate education from vocational training. This is one of the main causes of the confusion seen in the Japanese society. The medieval model helps us to differentiate education(Trivium) from vocational training(Quadrivium).
We equip our children with the Christian worldview during the Trivium stage. We set the foundation of our children in terms of ethics and epistemology. In short, they learn to walk in the way of the Lord in this stage. This lays the common ground for all Christians.
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
Deuteronomy 5:33
After our children successfully accomplish the Trivium stage, they are fully equipped with the Christian worldview. They can steadily walk in the way of the Lord and are ready to start the Quadrivium stage for their vocational training. This ends in fruitful achievement in the area to which they are called by God. The Quadrivium stage is about the vocational calling for each Christian which contributes to the division of labor in the kingdom of God.
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:9-11
The primary goal for home education is to accomplish the Trivium stage, which is the very foundation of our children's lives. Without this foundation, any attempt to achieve the success in vocational training ends in vain.
If the children walk in the way of the Lord, covenantal blessing is always with them as promised in the Scripture. In other words, they successfully accomplish the vocational training(Quadrivium stage) and fulfill the calling they receive from God.
Having our children walk in the way of the Lord is the foundation of our home education.
Copyright © 2006 Shu Suzuki