Friday 29 January, 2010

UK
Education

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS: Linda Gardner in her pilgrim costume during the schools summer project at Scrooby.

Education Sunday is being celebrated across the church this weekend to remind us that the noble art of teaching is very much a vocation (or calling) in the same way that the great Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was specifically called by God to speak boldly to his generation. Here we focus on a little-known work that is having a great impact on the town of Doncaster.

By Charles Gardner

A dark cloud hangs over Doncaster following further revelations of the grim torture of fellow youngsters by two boys. But there is a light shining among the town’s young folk too, as evidenced by the extraordinary work that has been going on in its schools over the past two decades.

Grapes and chocolates are among the many props taken into primary schools the length and breadth of what is, geographically, the largest borough outside London by cookery expert Linda Gardner. They aren’t for culinary classes, however, but are used to help illustrate the Bible teaching for which she is also well qualified.

As her husband, I am often the beneficiary of leftovers, as happened today, when my lunchbox included a half-eaten bunch of grapes.

The South African fruit (it’s a shame it wasn’t Israeli) was held up – and tasted – as a picture of the Promised Land ‘of milk and honey’ to which Joshua was leading the people of ancient Israel.

And it is all part of an innovative method of giving older primary kids a potted history of the Bible. Through a series of so-called ‘Bible Explorer’ lessons – a national programme covering both Old and New Testament separately – Year 5 and 6 pupils are introduced to the truths and great stories of the Good Book in a way that captures their imagination, through the use of special signs, acting, narrative and, of course, props.

One young boy was so touched after a recent class that he afterwards shouted out: “Miss… that was the most exciting assembly I’ve ever had!” It was actually a lesson, not an assembly, but he had clearly got carried away!

The chocolates, you may be surprised, were not to illustrate Easter, but a different kind of lesson frequently taught to help drive home the practical nature of Christianity.

In this way many pupils heard all about the ‘Chocolate Christians’ – great companies like Cadbury’s, Rowntree and Fry’s who all built their empires on Christian principles and who treated their workers well in accordance with their faith, which taught them to love their neighbour as themselves. (Even today the 25,000-strong Bournville estate created by the Cadbury company in Birmingham is regarded as the best place to live in Britain!)

It was purely by coincidence that these lessons were recently taught at the very time Cadbury’s were making headline news with the takeover bid of American food giant Kraft. And though the offer of £11 billion-plus was accepted by the Cadbury board, some commentators believe this is only a fraction of the company’s real worth. And yet they achieved such success through honest business practice and paying good wages!

All these truths have been soaked up by thousands of Doncaster children over the years – learning about great subjects of faith and courage, how God helped men and women of old and is ultimately in control – and what a difference it could make to their lives; it could well prevent future criminal behaviour of the kind that has recently hit the national headlines.

So when I eat those leftover grapes or chocolates, I am reminded of the great mission in which my wife is engaged to help ensure we don’t lose yet another generation to the hopelessness of atheism and secular humanism by helping kids to grasp the importance of honesty, truth and responsibility for others; and that, over it all, God is in control.

Linda is employed by the Doncaster Schools Worker Trust, supported by a dozen or so churches, to help schools fulfil their curriculum requirements by taking assemblies, RE lessons and Christian clubs at primary schools throughout the borough as well as coaching and leading other teams. A secondary school worker is also employed, but the job is currently waiting to be filled following the departure to new fields of Julie Harrop, who has carried out the task with much aplomb over the past six years.

A graduate of Moorlands Bible College in Christchurch, Dorset, 52-year-old Linda has been passing on her expertise for nearly 20 years – almost 15 in Doncaster and previously in South Wales.

And for her, as with Jeremiah, it was a calling. Many years ago, on a business trip to the North working in the marketing department of a top food company, Linda had “a strong sense from God” of the need to reach out to schoolchildren.

Now she says: “The work can get very tiring sometimes, with the travelling from school to school, loading and unloading of props and materials, and all the preparation that goes with that, but I only have to remind myself of that distinct calling from God to realise afresh that it is all worthwhile.”

Linda has been particularly encouraged by the take-up of ‘prayer days’ around themes like Easter and the Lord’s Prayer in which pupils at infant and junior schools visit various ‘stations’ to help their thoughts.

She has also been involved in organising school trips for groups of children from North Nottinghamshire to North Yorkshire on the work of the Pilgrim Fathers who came from this part of the world and effectively founded the United States of America as their faith enabled them to overcome great difficulties.

Anyone who feels moved to help this important work is welcome to contact this site with your contact details.

Photo: Used with Permission