As Board Chair, I was asked to write about Classical Christian Education, an important and relevant topic. With re-enrollment coming up and many parents evaluating the best educational options for their children, I want to address why a Classical Christian Education requires in-person learning. What is lost when we move education online?
Classical Education focuses on formation rather than merely information. Our aim is to shape the character of the student while providing a rigorous education. But here’s the key: Formation happens through relationship. A teacher cultivates a love of learning in students, not just through what the teacher says but through who the teacher is in the presence of their students.
Think about your own education. The teachers who made the greatest impact weren’t just knowledgeable; they were present. You saw their enthusiasm when explaining a concept. You heard the passion in their voice. You watched them model curiosity, patience, and the joy of discovery. When you struggled, they noticed, not because you raised a virtual hand, but because they could see it in your face. That kind of formation simply cannot happen through a screen.
Technology has greatly evolved, and online meetings and classes have become more commonplace, especially after COVID-19. In business, we participate in numerous online video calls and meetings, which has been convenient for connecting with people hundreds of miles away. Yet “when the rubber meets the road,” we can’t deny that nothing beats an in-person meeting. How many of us lose focus in online meetings when a notification pops up on our phone? We could all agree that in-person meetings are more productive than online ones. If this is true for adults in business, how much more is it true for children in formation?
As a regular church attendee, I hold to the conviction of Hebrews 10:25: “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (ESV). We believe that we can’t do life together in an “online” church, and that it is essential to physically meet regularly with like-minded believers. Why? Because spiritual formation requires presence, accountability, and incarnational community.
The same is true for education. There is immeasurable value in having our children at a Classical Christian Academy where they are in the physical presence of professional Christian educators who seek to instill a love of learning in all aspects of life. Our children need to see wisdom embodied, virtue modeled, and truth lived out before them day after day.
I will conclude with a famous quote from C.S. Lewis:
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
Education should cultivate Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, shaping students’ affections and teaching them to love what is true, good, and beautiful. This kind of formation cannot happen at a distance. It requires the daily presence of teachers who embody what they teach.
This is why we are committed to in-person, Christ-centered, classical education at PCA. This is why your investment in bringing your children here, day after day, matters.
Ruben Wall
Board Chair
Paris Classical Academy