# Education According to Ellen White Ellen White taught that **true education is fundamentally spiritual**, centered on understanding God's plan of salvation and developing Christ-like character. She wrote that "Higher education is an experimental knowledge of the plan of salvation, and this knowledge is secured by earnest and diligent study of the Scriptures" (
CT 11). This education "will renew the mind and transform the character, restoring the image of God in the soul" (
CT 11). ## The Foundation of True Education For Ellen White, education and redemption were inseparable. She emphasized that "the work of education and the work of redemption are one" (
Ed 7). The ultimate goal wasn't merely academic achievement, but understanding our Creator-Redeemer and reflecting that understanding in daily life. She stated clearly that "the precepts and principles of religion are the first steps in the acquisition of knowledge, and lie at the very foundation of true education" (
PH040 1.1). ## Character Over Intellect Ellen White prioritized character development above intellectual achievement. She wrote that true education "does not ignore the value of scientific knowledge or literary acquirements; but above information it values power; above power, goodness; above intellectual acquirements, character. The world does not so much need men of great intellect as of noble character. It needs men in whom ability is controlled by steadfast principle" (
Ed 223). ## The Bible as the Primary Textbook She advocated strongly for Bible-centered education, questioning why educators would "depend upon books for the education of children and youth that are filled with falsehood and cheapness, with fairy tales and stories" (
19MR 73).
Instead, she asked whether books couldn't be written "containing the simple lessons of the Old and New Testaments" (
19MR 73). She praised teachers who "have taught the students from the Bible, according to the light given from the Testimonies" (
2MR 204.4). ## Warnings About Worldly Education Ellen White expressed concern about what the world considered "higher education." She warned that "some are departing from the faith as a result of receiving from the world what they regard as a 'higher education'" (
11MR 174.5). She emphasized that the only true education lies in walking humbly with Godand that "the teachings of the Word of God are opposed to the ideas of those who think that our students must receive the mold of an education that is according to human ideas" (
11MR 174.5). ## Practical Application True education, according to Ellen White, produces practical results in daily living. She taught that "knowledge is power only when united with true piety" (
PH040 1.1).
Teachers themselves must have "an experimental knowledge of the way of holiness, in order to lead the youth to the fountains of truth" (
PH040 1.1). The goal was to prepare students not just for earthly success, but as "our passport from the preparatory school of earth to the higher school above" (
CT 11). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:**
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