Q&A: Education
Education
Question
Hello, honorable Rabbi,
I know this is probably not the right place to answer this question, since the answer is a long one, but I’d still be glad if you could address it in broad strokes.
How should we properly educate our children?
What is the main goal of education? To encourage independent thinking? To impart life skills? To instill good habits (since habits are hard to change)?
In addition, given the education system in Israel, what is the best framework (or the least bad one)? A state-religious school and a yeshiva high school (with supplements and “corrections” at home)?
And what about girls? Should the approach be the same?
Answer
That really is too general a question. After all, it’s obvious that one should educate them to be good people, to keep the commandments, and to be thoughtful and independent people. The same goes for life skills and good habits. Everything you mentioned is correct, so in effect I haven’t said anything. I don’t understand what the question is here. Could it even occur to you that they should not be educated toward skills or independent thinking?
I also don’t know how to answer which framework is best. That depends on the home and on your outlook, and it depends on which yeshiva or which yeshiva high school. I can’t answer a question like that.