Public education in America has run into hard times. Even many within the system admit that it is failing. While many factors contribute, Douglas Wilson lays much blame on the idea that education can take place in a moral vacuum. It is not possible for education to be nonreligious, deliberately excluding the basic questions about life. All education builds on the foundation of someone's worldview. Education deals with fundamental questions that require religious answers. Learning to read and write is simply the process of acquiring the tools to ask and answer such questions.

A second reason for the failure of public schools, Wilson feels, is modern teaching methods. He argues for a return to a classical education, firm discipline, and the requirement of hard work.

Often educational reforms create new problems that must be solved down the road. This book presents alternatives that have proved workable in experience.

"Good at diagnosing our educational afflictions, Douglas Wilson is still better at finding remedies. His Logos School provides a model, a practical design, for the restoration in the curriculum of Christian humanism--as contrasted with what Christopher Dawson called secular humanism." --Russell Kirk, D. Litt., editor, The University Bookman

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Mr. Wilson's comments about public school seem very accurate. They closely correspond with the few comments I have had from people who "survived" the public school. There seems to be a prevailing anti-intellectualism displayed amongst the graduates of the public schools. I especially enjoyed Mr. Wilson's critique of the "look-say" method. I have a friend who went through look-say, and to this day he cannot read out loud in anything like a natural manner.

Mr. Wilson's book represents the close of the public school system, yet in contrast to purely sarcastic negative articles and books, Mr. Wilson has given us a solution. This solution makes so much sense.

I have discussed the idea of classical education with other Christians. I tend to get two answers: either they are afraid of what the Greek philosophy will do to young Christians, or else they see what Mr. Wilson saw: that studying Greek philosophy is not to commend it, and that the primary purpose of doing so is to understand the world at the time of Christ. This will facilitate an understanding of the historical context of the Bible, which we are obviously commanded to study.

I did have one criticism, however. In his argument that foreign children are out-performing American children, Mr. Wilson fails to realize that the statistics are incorrect. The samples that the scores from foreign countries represent are taken from the elite: the best from foreign countries, whereas the scores from American children represent a much wider sample. Thus any argument about averages will fail at this point. However, it is still valid to compare highest scores. I happen to agree with where Mr. Wilson was headed, but this argument is weak because of the mathematics.

This criticism, however, is but a mild one, and it is the only one that I have. Other than this, the book is very tightly argued, and it is one of the clearest, best-written books I have ever read. Even if you do not agree with it, read it as a guide to writing!

62 of 72 found the following review helpful:

One big ad for Logos School!Jul 04, 2006
By Gowie "gowie"
I appreciate many of the Logos School curriculum materials, along with the overall philosophy of the school. I looked forward to reading founder Douglas Wilson's book.

At the beginning, the book was very interesting, mostly discussing what goals the Logos School has and how the school implements various curriculum to teach its students.

The author continually vaguely slams Christian schools that are basically secular but just add in Bible study/prayer time. I think it's fair to say that most people would not want this type of Christian school, but other than bashing these schools, Mr. Wilson did not give any advice to the reader as to how to identify these schools or help to bring about change.

When I reached the chapter on homeschooling, Mr. Wilson lost all credibility with me. Being an educator at a Christian school, I would assume he is also very familiar with homeschooling, and he in fact claims that he and his wife would choose this option, if "a good Christian school were not available." Reading his book, the reader begins to understand that Logos School is one of the few schools in the nation that might meet this criteria.

He then goes on to say that parents teaching at home in the early years who then place their children "in a Christian school to continue their education" have fundamentally identical education principles as the Christian school. BUT "if a home schooling family maintains that children can be given a complete education in the average home (say, K-12), then frankly there is an important difference in educational philosophy." Boloney. I began to see that the "difference" might have more to do with the funding of Christian schools, not the educational choices among each family.

The logic Mr. Wilson puts forth for this argument is bizarre. He claims that a homeschool mom could be dividing her time "teaching a 12-year-old, a 10-year-old, and an 8-year-old, and she has to teach each one of them history, math, English, science, etc." Hunh? The homeschooling families that I know blend as many of these subjects as possible. The only people that I know who teach each child separately in all of these subjects belong to virtual academies (publically funded schools where the children are taught at home by a parent).

Mr. Wilson claims that parents can more easily teach younger children at home but that it becomes more difficult as children get older. "[I]t is one thing to teach your 5-year-old how to read and quite another to teach Latin to an 11-year-old." Yes, Mr. Wilson, it is. Teaching reading is a far more scary thought, especially considering so many schools do a poor job. Latin's not so tough in comparison.

Additionally Mr. Wilson also claims that homeschooling parents are unable to adequately research claims of various textbooks they use to teach their own children. I beg to differ. Many homeschoolers can and do often refer to original material, just as one is led to assume must be done by Logos School (although there are no claims that Logos School "adequately researches" textbook claims).

Mr. Wilson interjects quotes by homeschooling experts Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and various "unschooling" theories to "prove his point." However, these experts and theories are fundamentally opposite of the whole rigorous classical approach that Mr. Wilson promotes. This would be similar to using quotes from (former California Governor) Jerry Brown to argue a platform of President Bush!

This book was a huge disappointment. I believe Mr. Wilson is capable of so much more, and unfortunately, he left a very bad taste in my mouth. Blech!

20 of 22 found the following review helpful:

Good Introduction to Classical Christian EducationApr 08, 2001
By Kyle G. Brown
This book is a fascinating elucidation of the reasons behind the academic and moral failure of the American public school system, and a call to arms for Christian parents to rise up and create a viable alternative to that system. Wilson's arguments are lucid and well-thought out, clearly showing how the public school system has failed to teach children how to think independently, while at the same time force-feeding them with an ever-increasing number of "facts" without context.

He proposes a model ("Classical" Christian Education) that draws from the rich cultural heritage of Western Civilization, while still maintaining a distinctively Christian worldview. Crucial to that model is its grounding in the Classical "Trivium" (Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetoric) which he demonstrates is the foundation for learning in all other areas of study (which he lumps together as the "Quadrivium", going far beyond the classical definition of that term).

15 of 17 found the following review helpful:

Strong ViewpointFeb 06, 2002
By Jeff Royce
The author makes a very strong argument for one particular type of private school--classical christian. He spends much of this book showing the weaknesses in the alternatives: public school, other types of private schools, and homeschooling. He comes out strongest against public schools.

He then builds an argument for the "ideal" school. The book is an interesting exercise. Even if you do not share his conclusions about schooling children, Wilson will challenge your thinking on the subject. Personally, my sense of responsibility towards my children's education grew through reading this book.

For Wilson, the exercise is not just an intellectual one. He took the ideas expounded in this book and built a school for his own children around them. His experiences with the Logos School are interesting and add a practical dimension to the book.

People thinking of homeschooling would benefit from his criticism of the practice. He sees it as the second best alternative. He shows weaknesses in homeschooling, many of which can be overcome with preparation. This is a good read for anyone preparing to educate children.

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