Christian schooling and Christian higher education

Christian schooling and Christian higher education include a wide range of different kinds of schools and philosophies of education. Consequently, a higher education program in Christian schooling and education must be broadly inclusive.

1. Christian schools are private, non-profit schools.
   1. Some are independent, while others are owned by churches.
   2. Christian schooling and education takes various valid forms, including but not limited to denominational emphasis, level of education, kind of education, and field of study.
   3. The church is a biblical institution of teaching, although churches may establish educational institutions as specific extensions of their roles.
       
2. Their Christian ethos is apparent in:
   1. their public statements, e.g. adherence to a Christian ethos, a specifically religious mission statement
   2. their promotion of Christian beliefs and ethical standards
   3. their religious education programs.
       
3. Students and staff
   1. Christian schools often accept students from the general public, often with a condition that parents agree that the school operates by Christian principles.
   2. As a condition of employment, teachers agree to work within its ethos, with many schools requiring teachers to be professing Christians.
       
4. Curriculum
   1. Some schools, but not all, use a specifically Christian curriculum.
   2. A core purpose of Christian schooling and education is the formation of Christian character. Teaching should be a positive nurturing experience of bringing students to maturity.
   3. The fundamental assumptions of Christian schooling and education do not change substantially between forms, although particular principles vary in relevance.
   4. In some jurisdictions, Christian schools teach a mandatory secular curriculum and prepare students for government examinations.
   5. Some schools prepare students for external secular examinations and assessments (e.g. college admissions).
   6. Some subjects do not have a specifically Christian interpretation.
   7. Where subjects are subject to a specifically Christian interpretation, a school’s Christian ethos may be apparent in the application of a Christian worldview.
   8. Christians are free to explore the sciences and relate them to a Christian worldview.
   9. Christians should continue to explore the presuppositions, implications, and applications of a Christian worldview in education and schooling.
       
5. A secular school that is owned by a church is not a Christian school.