大象传媒

Good morning,

It鈥檚 a big day in lots of households this morning; or possibly later this week; the聽 first day of school!

For many children, it鈥檚 a day where they move with the rest of their chums to a new class and a new teacher.

For some it鈥檚 the first day at a new school, maybe 鈥渂ig鈥� school where their education will be taken to a second level.

And for some, like one of my own grandsons, today is a landmark in their young lives: starting school for the very first time.

For all of them, it will be a time for making new friends. We hope they chose them well and we trust that in many ways these schooldays do become some of the happiest days of their lives. And, of course,they will be meeting new teachers -members of a profession that鈥檚聽 increasingly under pressure and scrutiny

Education is an enormous privilege for the student and an awesome responsibility for the teacher. Especially so when we consider the words of Solomon in the Book of Proverbs, 鈥淪tart children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.鈥�

A rounded education is about equipping us for life, not merely preparing us for a job. And it begins not on our first day of school, but long before that. Faithful parenting means teaching our children integrity and compassion, showing them love and applying discipline when necessary. That鈥檚 the best start they can have in life. Without that, academic achievement means little.

Heavenly Father, we pray for all those children and young people heading back to school this week after the summer holidays and especially for those who are going to a new school or starting school for the first time. We pray that teachers do not lose their passion for teaching, and that they have the support of parents as they play their part in training up our children in the way they should go.

Amen.