Segregated Education

Historically, grammar schools (4th-12th grade) were segregated. It has only been in the last hundred years or so that schools have become coeducational. With the growing influence of ideologies such as egalitarianism and feminism, the boys and girls schools have slowly but surely disappeared. These ideologies are not really concerned with equality, even though they claim as much. The real driving goal is the eradication of difference. The Scriptures teach that before God men and women stand on the same level. There is neither male nor female in Christ. However God has made them different and given them different tasks. Their orientations, interests, and physiologies have many obvious differences. Thus with our forefathers, we acknowledge these differences and believe that there are many benefits to teaching in an all boys environment.

Men are by nature made to be leaders, fighters, and servants. Boys must be brought up and taught in a setting that encourages these characteristics. Since the erosion of segregated schools, coed institutions have been forced to teach to a “middle ground” where boys and girls can supposedly be benefited together. It is our belief that this setting generally tends to favor girls at best and is unfavorable to both boys and girls at worst. Atlas School seeks to capitalize on the inherent competitive nature of boys, teaching them to be both courageous fighters in their studies, character, and sports and humble, servants of one another.

As it turns out, boys are sinners. This means that when a bunch of boys are put together in the same classroom, you have a classroom full of male sinners. We do not believe that there are less problems in a segregated school. Boys are just as sinful with or without girls. All the same, we believe that an exclusive male environment is generally to be preferred for the academic atmosphere that can be engendered. We also believe that a boys school will function at its best when it can have a close association with a girls school. Ultimately, the behavior of boys and girls will be most influenced by wise and loving parents and faithful churches. But we seek to be a support to families and churches in this area not a hindrance.

Finally, boys need to be challenged to be men. They need male teachers who will push them where they need to be pushed, rebuked where then need correction, and continual encouragement and cheer. Boys have shown themselves to respond well to this sort of motivation in the realms of sports and branches of the military. But boys have generally and consistently lagged in schools. It is our aim to challenge boys to be men, to follow Christ and to take up His Cross, to take responsibility for their actions, to be fierce fighters and leaders, and grow in humility and love toward their neighbors.