Further Education?

I just realized that I wrote about this topic last year, but this keeps coming back to me so I think I will go ahead and post a second one on it :)

I have often wondered if we should limit children to the amount of formal education they receive. As many a times as I have thought about this, I have concluded that I do not believe we should limit. I understand certain groups take a stance that an 8th grade education is all one needs and I respect their decision, although I do not understand it. To my knowledge, there is nothing in the Bible that states an education hurts the child, and there are some things that only a book can teach. I by no means am against hand-on training, as I am a hands-on learner, but I do think that if I did not have the book learning to go along with it, the hands-on training I have received would not be as effective. Of course this may differ person to person.

The church I attend now leaves it up to the parents on how long the child attends school or is homeschooled for. This church would also consider the possibility of further education past the 12th grade if a member was interested in it. Although I have been told the member would most likely have someone who would "chaperone" them and hold them accountable to the church standards at all times.

A church I attended earlier stopped education after the 8th grade. There was one mom who homeschooled her children and said "We go through the 8th grade but I continue an extra year so that we can get in more material, but it is only an 8th grade education".

In the past I have tried to ask a man who was very adament that any education above an 8th grade education would inhibit the child from staying near to the Lord why he believes so and unfortunately he could not answer me. As I told him, it was college for me that brought me closer to the Lord and where I eventually learned of covering. Not that I learned it from a class, but being on my own gave me my own time to study the word and read what I felt led to read and then study the material. From the little that he did eventually mention, it seemed that he believed an 8th grade education was all that should be pursued out of fear that some of the children might leave the church for a more liberal church. To me it seems that if a child really has a yearn for learning, he or she might leave the church anyway to pursue their passion, but if a church were to allow the learning while under close supervision of an elder would that almost not be better? The child could learn while being guided by the Lord and an elder from the church.

I have a Bachelor's degree and started working on my Master's degree. If I cared for either of the areas of study, I would probably be working in the field of my degree (Mechanical Engineering), but I learned that although I love the math and design components of the degree, I do not care for some of the other aspects. I have considered getting a degree in either teaching or nursing because I know I would love both of those fields, but I have yet to pursue either one.

Blessings in Christ,