Is there an ethical problem for Christian parents who choose to enroll their children in charter schools?
It is not possible to provide a fully Christian education within the government school system. Attempting to do so raises an ethical problem. Christian education is more than teaching Bible as one of many subjects. It is more than having a Christian teacher, a Christian textbook, or a Christian student. Certainly Christian education includes these, but it also includes the method, purpose, and goals of teaching. In order to satisfy the requirements of the California Constitution, no “sectarian or denominational doctrine [shall] be taught, or instruction thereon be permitted” in public schools, even indirectly. It has nothing to do with who is doing the teaching, whether paid staff or volunteers; the school may not permit it. So the charter school parent, administrator, or staff member must sidestep at some point to allow for Christian education within the program. Whether it is choosing not to list certain of the books used, educational goals established, or time spent discussing the b
