What Is Adventist Education? A Guide For Parents
Adventist schools across Australia offer education that align with the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
With an established history since the 1890s, Adventist schools have become one of Australia’s most recognised institutions for quality education - there are now 40 Adventist schools offering primary to tertiary level education.
For many parents considering private education for their child, this guide offers a closer look at the benefits of Adventist education.
What Is Adventist Education?
Adventist education is centred around the Christian faith and its values.
Student learning and development in Adventist schools follows a "whole-person" approach.
Classroom learning, extra curricular activities, and school culture is shaped to promote development across personal values and faith, academic excellence, and connection to the wider community.
Students learn in line with the Australian Curriculum and sit for national exams, but each subject's learnings are taught from a biblical perspective. This helps students to gain knowledge in the context of Christian values as well as practical ways to apply new knowledge to contribute to the world around them.
What Does Adventist Education Involve?
While Adventist schools hold similar academic standards as other private and public institutions, the main difference is in how learnings are delivered to students.
Faith-Based Learning
Faith-based learning is at the core of Adventist Education. Everyday lessons are combined with Christian perspectives - educators encourage students to reflect on what they have learned according to their personal values.
As students draw connections between academic learnings and their own perspectives, they become more aware of the importance of what they are learning.
The outcome of faith-based learning is to foster independent thinking in students that will guide decision making as they evolve into adults.
Religious Programs
Adventist education includes participation in religious activities like prayer, vespers, bible studies, and worship services.
These religious programs are led by chaplains and are highly encouraged for all students. Spiritual development is a big part of Adventist education as it is closely linked to character values like respect, empathy, and perseverance.
Students are not required to convert to the Christian faith when attending an Adventist school. Adventist education is open to students and families of all backgrounds and faiths.
Pastoral Care
Adventist schools focus on providing students with a balanced progression for development - and this includes support for mental and spiritual wellbeing. It’s widely acknowledged that students face stress and challenges throughout their learning journey,
In the classroom, Educators pay close attention to students and provide guidance where needed to ensure they can continue to learn without any barriers.
Outside of the classroom, school chaplains provide mentorship and spiritual guidance to students. Adventist schools also have trained counsellors who can provide social emotional support to assist with issues at school and at home.
Community Service & Mission Trips
Service learning is another key element of Adventist education.
The service learning programs that are included in Adventist schools allows students to give back to their local communities in impactful ways - whether it's interacting with the elderly at a home, or organising collections for groups in need.
In addition, Adventist schools may offer overseas mission trips to students at higher levels of schooling that have a profound effect on their worldview and values.
Personalised Support
One aspect of Adventist schools that many parents are not aware of is the lower teacher to student ratio compared to larger public schools. With smaller class sizes, Educators can dedicate more time and attention to each student, identifying where they are excelling and where they may need additional support.
Teachers and chaplains also work collaboratively in Adventist schools to support students across academic, social, emotional, and spiritual development.
Riverside Adventist School is a Townsville primary school providing Adventist education for Prep to Year 6 students. We believe that each child deserves quality education to excel academically, spiritually, and physically. Contact our office today to see if Adventist education is right for your child.