Amongst the home-based educators that I interviewed there was a general opinion that a good education was more than a purely academic education.  However, some home schooling families advocated the classical model (and its strong emphasis on academics), with the intention of producing intellectual giants, and highly employable career aspirants.  Those who advocated education in life, however, placed a greater focus on character development.

So, what is a good education?  I think the words of Jesus are helpful in answering this question.  He indicated that the greatest goal in life was to learn to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and to also learn to love your neighbour as yourself.  If we keep in mind that loving God is measured by the degree to which we are obedient to His commandments (I John 1:3-4; 5:2-3), and not simply some super-spiritual ecstatic feeling, then to that degree we have a very clear picture as to what a good education looks like; and the means whereby such an education is delivered is described for us in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (i.e. in the context of living daily life, and seizing learning moments in the rhythm of daily chores and duties and responsibilities around the home, the neighbourhood, and amongst the affairs of life).

So, what do others think on this matter?