The Holy Father on Beauty in Education

This seems so pertinent to ideas I've been considering about education for some time. It particularly confirms the highlights of the first books I read on education after Ria was born - especially For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, who encourages parents to surround their children with great art, literature and music. This is an idea I've tried to embrace from the earliest days of homeschooling and one that has encouraged us to avoid materials that have a condescending tone or attitude towards children. I love how the Pope explains the moral value of this concept...

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI FOR THE 41st WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

Theme: "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education"

Children exposed to what is aesthetically and morally excellent are helped to develop appreciation, prudence and the skills of discernment. Here it is important to recognize the fundamental value of parents’ example and the benefits of introducing young people to children's classics in literature, to the fine arts and to uplifting music. While popular literature will always have its place in culture, the temptation to sensationalize should not be passively accepted in places of learning. Beauty, a kind of mirror of the divine, inspires and vivifies young hearts and minds, while ugliness and coarseness have a depressing impact on attitudes and behaviour.

Read the entire text here

hat-tip Cause of our Joy