Education in the Family

Education in the Family

Alison Fullmer

Brigham Young University Idaho 

 

“Our religion prompts us to search diligently after knowledge,” taught President Brigham Young. “There is no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn and understand truth. The education of his children has always been a priority of our Father in Heaven.” (Gardner, 1992). In Doctrine and Covenants 131:6 we are taught,“ It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”  Joseph Smith was instrumental in outlining what the lord would have his children do when he presented through divine revelation, the articles of faith.  The thirteenth article of faith clearly explains to those that do not know our view of education, "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."  In 1833, Joseph Smith founded the Church's first educational effort, the School of the Prophets, in Kirtland, Ohio. That school was devoted to the study of history, political science, languages (including Hebrew), literature, and theology. Its main purpose was to prepare Church leaders to magnify their callings as missionaries to warn all people and testify of the gospel as stated in Doctrine and Covenants section 88:80. It also set an example of adult learning that was followed "in Missouri, Illinois, and Utah, where parents joined their children in the pursuit of knowledge" (Gardner, 1992, p. 10).

The Church has been built on the conviction that eternal progress depends upon righteous living and growth in knowledge, religious and secular. It should be obvious that we revere education.  Our faith meets regularly to educate saints on how to live a more Christ-like life.  We also have publications devoted to helping us achieve our full potential on earth.

Elder Russell M. Nelson stressed the importance of education many times in his ministry. For example, on January 26, 2010, at a BYU–Idaho devotional, he explained to students that, “obtaining an education is not just an opportunity, it’s also a religious responsibility.”  He went on to say, “Your mind is precious! It is sacred, Therefore, the education of one’s mind is also sacred. Indeed, education is a religious responsibility. Of course, our opportunities and abilities will vary a great deal. But, in the pursuit of one’s education, individual desire is more important than is the institution you choose; personal drive is more significant than is the faculty. Our Creator expects His children everywhere to gain an education as a personal endeavor. He issued this commandment: “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. When you leave this frail existence, your material possessions will remain here, but the Lord has declared that the knowledge you acquire here will rise with you in the resurrection as stated in Doctrine and Covenants 130: 18-19, Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” In light of this celestial perspective, if you impulsively drop out or otherwise cut short your education, you would not only disregard a divine decree but also abbreviate your own eternal potential.” (Nelson, 2010).

We are encouraged to gain knowledge because we are created in God image.  If we think about it, a wise Father-in-Heaven would always be learning and progressing.  He would expect no less from his children. In order to be of service to others we need to be educated.  We need to be educated to be of service to those in the community in which we live and also those closest to us, in or families. In a message published in the New Era magazine in April 2009, President Eyring said, “The Lord and His Church have always encouraged education to increase our ability to serve Him and our Heavenly Father’s children. For each of us, whatever our talents, He has service for us to give. And to do it well always involves learning, not once or for a limited time, but continually.” (Eyring, 2009). Thomas S. Monson is quoted as saying, “Today’s world is competitive, more than it’s ever been. I believe men and women need to get a type of education which will enable them to meet the exigencies [urgent needs] of life. Men and women need to be prepared for a vastly broader scope than we’ve ever had before. ... [The Perpetual Education Fund] is a fund that will go far into the future.” (Monson, 2008).

In a report given by Buckner they found that Education is foundational in determining a child's quality of life. But it isn't just the child's education that matters. Uneducated adults have a hard time finding jobs, and without jobs they can't feed their children. And when adults can't feed their children, they become vulnerable to abuse and neglect, child labor, trafficking and homelessness. Many children end up living in an institution where they receive two meals and a bed, but have little hope for their future. Some end up alone or on the streets.  Nelson Mandela is quoted saying, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  (The Connecticut Commission on Children, 2004).

President Gordon B. Hinckley has repeatedly stressed the importance of getting an education.  He see’s education as an escape from poverty as well as a tool to serve others and be happy, truly happy.  Hinckley stated, “Be smart. You are all in school. Do not waste your time. This is a time of great opportunity that you will never have again as long as you live. Make the most of it right now. It is wonderfully challenging. It is hard, it is tough, isn’t it? But what a wonderful thing to go and learn of all the accumulated knowledge of all the centuries of time. Go on to college or whatever school, vocational school, whatever your choice is, but take advantage of every opportunity that you have because the Lord has laid upon you a mandate through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning not only spiritual learning but secular learning. Yours is the responsibility, and you can’t afford to waste your time. There is so much to learn. Be smart. Give it the very best that you have. It is up to us to facilitate the change for good through education.” (Hinckley, 2005, p. 395-396)

References

Bednar, D, A. (1999). Understanding is a Wellness of Life.  http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/EducationWeek/1999_06_03_Bednar.htm

Eyring, H, B. (2009). Real Life Education. New Era, Education Learning and Earning. pp 2-8

Gardner, D, P. (1992). Education: Attitudes toward Education.       http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Education

Hinckley, G, B. (2005). Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Vol 1: 1995-1999. Pp.        395-396

Monson, T, S. (2008). The General Authorities.

http://www.lds.org/church/leader/thomas-s-monson?lang=eng

Nelson, R, M. (2010). Education: A Religious Responsibility.         http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2010_01_26_Nelson.htm

The Connecticut Commission on Children. (2004). Children and the Long Term Effect of   Poverty. http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/pdfs/poverty/2004_poverty_report.pdf

Effects on Parental Education on Children

Effects on Parental Education on Children

Alison Fullmer

Brigham Young University Idaho

Educated parents have a positive affect on their children in a myriad of ways.  Educated parents are more likely to understand the importance of creating a learning environment. Parent education and family interaction patterns during childhood may be linked to the child’s developing academic success and achievement-oriented attitudes. The negative or positive cycle continues as children grow up and have children of their own.

Both of my parents were college graduates. I had a mother who did not have to work because my father had his education, which helped prepare him for a career where he made enough money to support the family on one income. Research suggests that parental education is indeed an important and significant unique predictor of child achievement. For example, in an analysis of data from several large-scale developmental studies, Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (1997) concluded that maternal education was linked significantly to children’s intellectual outcomes even after controlling for a variety of other SES indicators such as household income. Davis-Kean (2005) found direct effects of parental education, but not income, on European American children’s standardized achievement scores; both parental education and income exerted indirect effects on parents’ achievement-fostering behaviors, and subsequently children’s achievement, through their effects on parents’ educational expectations. (Boxer, Dubow, Huesmann)

Education was incorporated in everything we did as a family. I never remember not being a student.  As a family would go on many walks and discussed the rocks, flora and fauna that we would stumble across. A child exposed to parents who model achievement-oriented behavior and provide achievement-oriented opportunities instill the belief that achievement is to be valued and fervently pursued. This belief should then in turn promote successful outcomes across development. There are positive relations between parents’ levels of education and parents’ expectations for their children’s success (Davis-Kean, 2005), suggesting that more highly educated parents actively encourage their children to develop high expectations of their own. Importantly, on the other hand, McLoyd’s (1989) review found that parents who experience difficult economic times have children who are more pessimistic about their educational and vocational futures. (Boxer, Dubow, Huesmann)

Since my parents had high expectations, it was never a question if I would or would not continue with my education after graduating from high school. The only question was what to study.  There were so many possibilities and I had the foundation to continue to build on what my parents had established. Grades were also nonnegotiable. School was my job and I knew I needed to do my best. Children from underprivileged homes do not perform as well in school on average than those from more educated households. This is measured by a few things such as the family income, education level of the parents, mostly the education level of the mother, and the parents’ employment status.  By the parents not having an education they cannot afford to live in an area for their children to get a proper education. The cycle continues with these children not getting the education needed and not being able to provide their children. (H.F. Ladd)

“Family structural variables such as parental education and income affect the level of actual interactions within the family, and concomitantly, the child’s behavior. Stipek (1998) has argued that behavioral problems affect young children’s opportunities to learn because these youth often are punished for their behavior and might develop conflictual relationships with teachers, thus leading to negative attitudes about school and lowered academic success.” (Boxer, Dubow, Huesmann)

In junior high I had friends that seemed to always have a grudge on their shoulder.  They would seldom complete homework and it appeared that their self-esteem came from  anti-establishment behavior. Very few of these friends went on to pursue higher education and are currently floundering from one minimum wage job to another. Looking back I can see that their home life did not center around education, often because the family was trying to survive economically.  “It is possible that low socioeconomic status (including low parental educational levels) could affect negative family interaction patterns, which can influence child behavior problems (measured in our study by aggression), and in turn affect lowered academic and achievement-oriented attitudes over time.” (Boxer, Dubow, Huesmann)

Parent education and family interaction patterns during childhood also might be linked more directly to the child’s developing academic success and achievement-oriented attitudes. In the general social learning and social-cognitive framework (Bandura, 1986), behavior is shaped in part through observational and direct learning experiences. Those experiences lead to the formation of internalized cognitive scripts, values, and beliefs that guide and maintain behavior over time (Anderson & Huesmann, 2003; Huesmann, 1998). According to Eccles this cognitive process accounts for the emergence and persistence of achievement-related behaviors and ultimately to successful achievement. Eccles’ framework emphasizes in particular the importance of children’s expectations for success, with parents assuming the role of “expectancy socializers” (Frome & Eccles, 1998, p. 437)

Children who come from lower income families are less likely to attend Head Start schools or state pre-kindergarten school. They are more likely to be taken care of by a family member during the day. The Head Start Program and Pre-K schools are there to help the children better prepare from school in the coming years. By not attending these programs they will most likely a little behind in school. By these parents not have a proper education themselves; they are passing that down to their children. Lower income families are affecting the children and the family. These children are not getting the appropriate amount of time spending with school. They tend to fall behind in school and not get the education they need to better themselves. (Shager, & Magnuson)

The number of families living in poverty in 1964 was 15 percent. Since the late 1970’s the poverty rate has risen. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture approximately 11% of the population suffers from food insecurity. 13 million, or 18 percent of all children live in families with incomes below that federal poverty level. (The Connecticut Commission on Children)

            Educated parents are more likely to understand the importance of creating a learning environment. Parents that do not have to worry about when and how they are going to pay the bills can focus on the needs of their family.  Financial freedom affords parents the opportunity to seek services that will enhance their children’s ability to get that head start.  Children that feel successful at an early age are more likely to continue and thrive in the scholastic setting. 

References

Boxer, P. Dubow, E.F. & Huesmann, R. (2009). Long- term Effects of Parents’ Education on Children’s Education and Occupational Success. P.1-29 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853053/

H, Shager, & K, Magnuson. (2010). Children and Youth Services Review. Vol 32,   Issue 9. Pp. 1186-1198 

HF, Ladd. (2012). Journal Of Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 31, pp. 203-227

The Connecticut Commission on Children. (2004). Children and the Long Term Effect of   Poverty. http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/pdfs/poverty/2004_poverty_report.pdf