Partnering With Parents
In the modern world, many parents have come to believe that education is first and foremost the responsibility of a school. But did you know that the Church has always held that parents are in fact the primary educators, and schools exist to support them in this vocation?
So what does this mean, and how is this practical as a parent who sends their children to school?
Parents as Primary Educators
When we send our children to school, we of course defer a certain level of responsibility to the school particularly in the area of academic instruction. However, education is about more than just grammar, maths and job-readiness - it's about moral and cultural formation. These are things first and foremost cultivated in the family unit, supported by our schools and Churches. For this reason, the primary responsibility of education remains with the parent. That can be a daunting idea to consider! This is why it is so important for parents to find a school that aligns with their family's values and hopes for their kids, and for them to play an active role in the cultivation of these things in partnership with that school.
How can you partner with Newman College?
We see it as our job to support families in their mission to educate their children. For a classical education to be truly effective, it needs to be mirrored in the family's culture at home. However, we know that a classical education is something many of us did not ourselves receive, and that can leave parents feeling unsure about how they can partner with us in giving this education to their children.
There a couple of very practical ways to begin. At Newman College, we believe in reading good books and upholding a low tech approach to learning. These are two areas which are possible to mirror in the home without needing to be proficient in Latin or long division!
One of the greatest gifts you can instil in your children is a love of reading. And one of the simplest and formative ways of doing this is by reading good books and good poems to them from an early age. Reading out loud to our children throughout their formative years can have an abundance of benefits - from cultivating their imagination and attention to improving comprehension and instilling a lifelong love of reading.
At Newman College we want our parents to know, care about, and believe in what we teach their children. That’s why we encourage our families to engage in the life of the school and our students, to develop their own understanding of what the purpose of education truly is, and to grow with us in our pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty.
Enrol Today
Don't miss out! You can find out more about enrolling a child/children at Newman College here.
