Christian living education at LES
THE Christian living education is still active at Lepanto Elementary School in Mankayan, Benguet since Department of Education (DepEd) order 49. series of 2009 or “Reiterating the Revised rules and regulations on the Teaching of Religion in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools,” was disseminated.
One of the provisions of then Department of Education, Culture and Sports was the declaration of policy (Order no. 120, series of 1999), stating that it is the declared policy of the state in conformity with the mandate of the constitution, to encourage and promote the teaching of religion to children in public elementary and secondary schools within the regular class hours. For the state is cognizant of the vital role that the teaching of religion assumes in citizen formation, particularly the molding of our youth.
Hence, the state recognizes the necessity of religious instruction not only in the private schools but also in public schools. For these purposes, this department shall provide hereunder the mechanics to enable the teaching of religion in all public elementary and secondary schools over the country, fully aware in the process that the constitutions prohibits the government from favoring a particular establishment or religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Furthermore, the implementation of this order should not entail additional cost to the government.
Christian leaders then in this community was inspired by this by DepEd order for this is their concern, to share God’s Word to people most especially to this present young generation. They targeted the schools most especially in the elementary grades wherein they believed in the word of God in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it and in Deuteronomy 6:7-9. They fully believed that imparting Christian Education is a great solution to every problems being encountered in this community for it is not about a Christian way of understanding. It is also about a Christian way of living.
When Jesus said “follow me” he was expecting people to dedicate their whole lives to serving God. Christian Education informs, invites, and inspires people to live this way. This invites young people to see and understand the world through the perspective of God’s truth. The Bible becomes the lens in which student view what they are learning. It is the focus of Christian education to rebuild culture and rebuild the community by putting the tools, the character and the best substance into the minds, hearts and lives of the next generation by using the solid foundation of theistic education as it is supported by section 3, article 14 of the Philippine constitution.
The continuous service of Christian Leaders in this school play a vital role for it was observed by mentors that the more spiritual values inculcated in the lives of students, the greater the effect in their discipline. It was observed that after the coming of Christian Leaders who had impart Gods’ Word, there’s a great decrease of bullies inside the classrooms.
Biblical Christian education being inculcated in one’s life could serve as guide in the formation of character that is not only beneficial to the individual but also to the society as whole. It allows individual to participate in building Christian communities where ever they may be.