Within our church and society there are ideas and ideals concerning education and schooling that are shared by people who may disagree on educational policy. The following affirmations attempt to state some of these points of agreement without pre-determining a specific position on educational choice. Their purpose is to provide a common framework for people to discuss and understand their differences. Your group will need to test these affirmations to see if they fulfill that purpose for you. Citizens should seek high quality educational opportunity that serves everyone living in the United States according to their needs and that contributes to the common good.
Education begins at birth and continues throughout all of life.
Formalized structured education occurs especially during an intense period in childhood through early adulthood. Family, church, state and formal educational structures share responsibility for providing quality education. Education should nurture responsible personhood in community, lead to a responsible way of life in a diverse and complex society, provide the necessary information and skills for life in a technological world, and foster appreciation of the arts and humanities. Educational opportunity should not be limited due to unjust discrimination on the basis of race, income, gender, geography, disability, health, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin or legal status. Both governmental and non-governmental institutions should play a role in providing educational opportunity.