Principles and Commitments
The guiding principles of the Moscow Boys' School
We believe that:
Moscow already has various wonderful and faithful academic institutions.
As the community has grown generationally, the potential and need for more schools and diverse models has arrived.
A classical education is a tradition and not a model. The question as to whether a school is classical cannot be answered by a modern standard design of Prussian model schools.
Theological Foundations
A school must be Christian in every realm: students and their families, the teachers and their curriculum, the methods they pursue and the strategic vision for the school.
A school in western Christendom should choose a curriculum that educates students of their identity as Christians first and then as Americans within the western tradition.
A purpose of a man is to give himself up in the service of others. A school should provide ways for students to serve in the school and in the community.
A teacher must be a faithful Christian and a member in good standing in their church.
A teacher should pursue his calling in a way that glorifies God through excellent and loving discipleship and academic stewardship.
A school should respect the difference in calling God has set between boys and girls, and should foster their abilities in a non-egalitarian fashion, allowing each gender to understand its calling unequivocally and in a focused manner. We think this is done best by separating the genders in academic settings.
A student should understand his calling in becoming a faithful worshiper of God and so should pursue to love God’s scripture, and demonstrate this love through memorizing, singing, and reflecting it in his life.
A student should be a regular attendee of a faithful church to nurture his soul as well as be accountable to a body of believers, and be encouraged by them.
As Comenius said, the purpose of education is to pursue knowledge, wisdom, and piety.
Pedagogical Philosophy
A school is not a daycare and does not need to create programs in order to keep students busy. A school can collaborate with parents in various ways to found a model that is rigorous but dependent on a strong work ethic both at home and school.
A school must have serious academic goals and pursue them unilaterally. Some may consider this elitist.
Sports may be a part of a school as long as they are only formative and non encroaching upon the academic pursuits. They may not be competitive in the sense broader American culture currently values.
The learning of any subject is pursued with the goal of mastery, not for the sake or reputation or acquaintance with it. If the school is to pursue, say, Latin, it must be with the goal of students being able to read primary sources in Latin within a reasonably short time. This requires the sacrifice of allotting appropriate time and resources. Multum non multa.
A school should create a rigorous environment, but not one that seeks to encroach upon the time a family should have together. Therefore, the work it assigns should be sufficient for the day.
Institutional / Financial Principles
A school should be fiscally responsible and should therefore charge enough to pay teachers a living wage, so they can without distraction pursue their calling and deliver to their students a high level of education. The school should also find ways to create a sustainable and strategic model where it can do well with only the necessary resources, but at the same time not be shackled by a need to fundraise.
A teacher is worthy of his wage.
Anthropological / Formation of Students
A student should understand his calling to grow to become a leader within a family as a father to pursue such calling to raise their children covenantally. This desire to teach and lead the next generation is fostered through love and discipleship.
A student should seek to become a contributing member of his community, both to support the needs of his family as well as fostering the betterment of the community for the sake of the gospel.
A boy needs to be educated to serve in every realm that he will be called as he grows into maturity: a follower of Christ, a leader of a household, a husband, a father, a citizen, a friend, an adviser. He must be fruitful and multiply; take dominion over the earth and subdue it.
A boy must learn to become a gentleman. He will learn to treat girls and women with respect whether or not in their presence. He is to be ready to serve and assist in any time of need.
Boys generally thrive in competitive settings where the result is uncertain. If they know defeat is inevitable, they are too smart to try. If victory is imminent they won’t try as hard.
Boys need energetic leaders who spur them on and inspire them to master their work.
Boys need a physically demanding environment.