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PREACHERS ENTREATED NOT TO FOLLOW JARGON TRENDS.

          The metropolitan edition of the Detroit News recently carried a featured article entitled “Jargon Invades Nation’s Classrooms.” This article dealt with the current “eduspeak” jargon currently being peddled in US public school systems. The following phrases are just a few samples of new phrases being used in public classrooms today. Misbehaving students no longer face “detention”, but instead are sent to “alternative instruction rooms” or “reflection rooms.” Children who once “read” now practice “SSR: Sustained Silent Reading.” High school students no longer pen “essays,” but write “extended constructed responses.”
          In place of simple math problems, a class now studies the “modeling of efficient subtraction strategies.” “Selected response” has taken the place of “multiple choice” on the “brief constructed responses” or “formative assessments” that have replaced the old examination “tests.” Robert Fiske, publisher of The Vocabulary Review, appropriately stated “these are terms that will drive anyone to completely hysteria.”

A SECOND ILLUSTRATION

          As the writer prepared this article, he came across a second newspaper article that cites the latest jargon coming down the educational pike. Believe it or not, the GA State School Superintendent proposed striking out the word evolution from the state’s science curriculum. If the proposed alteration involved the elimination of teaching evolution as an assumed fact from the classroom and from biology texts, that would be a healthy and wholesome change. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
          Kathy Cox, the Georgia Superintendent of Schools, stated that under the proposed new science curriculum, “the concept of evolution would still be taught.” The term, however, would be replaced by the phrase “biological change over time!” Predictably so, the proposal drew strong criticism from both liberals and conservatives! [under pressure from former US Pres. Jimmy Carter – a former GA Gov. – this proposal was quickly dropped]

AN INCREDIBLE HANDBOOK CHAPTER

          Educational jargon, is not a 21st century phenomenon! When the FD editor served as a full-time public school teacher over four decades ago, he was given a handbook entitled Conference Time for Teachers and Parents. The booklet was designed to assist him in his parent-teacher conferences and contained a section listing expressions to use when meeting with parents.
          If the student cheats, the teacher was encouraged to say to the parents that “he depends on others to do his work.” If the class member was below average, we were supposed to declare that “he is working at his own level.” If the student stole, we were supposed to state that “he takes things without permission.” If he was a liar, we were advised to say that “he has a tendency to stretch the truth.” Perhaps the most ridiculous suggested alternative was one the writer read elsewhere: “If Johnny can’t sing, say: ‘He contributes nicely to group singing, by helpful listening.’”

AN ADMONTION FOR FUNDAMENTAL PREACHERS

          God’s men must make doubly sure they do not follow this perverted educational pattern and dilute Biblical truth by giving it less offensive phraseology than the Scripture actually designates. Unfortunately, there is a sad tendency, even among professing Fundamental preachers today, to tone down the forthright tenor of Biblical terminology in order to make the Scriptures more palatable and pleasing to the hearers.
          The above entreaty should not be misinterpreted as a call for crude language from the pulpit. The Fundamentalist preacher’s pulpit speech must be flavored with the Grace of God and seasoned with the salt of a tempered tongue (Col. 4:6). The writer knows of a preacher who appears to specialize in the use of coarse pulpit language. This individual leaves the distinct impression that the more abrasive the terminology becomes, the more his spirituality increases! The mature man of God avoids such undesirable pulpit decorum, proclaiming the Word with a divine wisdom that balances grace with grit
          God called preachers, however, must remember that Bible terminology never goes out of date! While speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:16), with a heart filled with divine compassion for the hearers, they must never back off from using unpopular Bible terminology. They must “preach the Word” faithfully and fervently, “in season” and “out of season”, reproving and rebuking with all “longsuffering and doctrine” (II Tim. 4:2), regardless of the spiritual cost involved. One final thought: “The language of Scripture is the language of heaven!”

April – May 2004 The Fundamentalist Digest; Permission granted for reprint, so long as proper credit is given. The above item is a sample of the numberous timely articles that are contained in the bi-monthly issues of The Fundamentalist Digest.