SUNDAY TEACHING FOR CREDIT—By Hulen L. Jackson

SUNDAY TEACHING FOR CREDIT---By Hulen L. Jackson SUNDAY TEACHING FOR CREDIT
Hulen L. Jackson The plan for accrediting Bible study in the Dallas high schools for work done out of school is an outgrowth of the movement begun in Dallas by the “volunteer Bible Study Association for High School Credit.” The first local syllabus, Bible Study Exercises, was printed and used by the different classes in 1926. A much fuller course—the Bible Study Course—was published in 1928 and was reprinted and revised several times up to 1940. Since that time separate courses on the Old Testament and the New Testament have been printed and taught for credit in the high schools. The courses are intended to give a general knowledge of the Bible and to present a study of topics that will be of vital interest and importance to students of high school age.

Classes may be organized by any religious group in the school district. They may teach either or both of the courses. Any high school student is eligible for either course. For some years a student was required to study the Old Testament course first. But, now he may enroll in either course as soon as he enters high school. The religious group selects the teacher, decides the hour of assembly and even the day for the class work; supervises the course, and teaches the material exactly as they want to teach it. The school system makes one requirement of the teacher: he or she must be a high school graduate.

Here is the only connection the school officials have with the class:
1. the school provides the textbooks (students or the church pay for them).
2. the school office qualifies attendance records. The application blank giving necessary
information about the class is filed at the beginning of the course with the Superintendent of schools.
3. the school officials supervise the final examinations given in one of the high school buildings at which
time all students from the entire city come together for the written examination. Just before this
examination each teacher must certify in writing the names of his pupils who have fulfilled the necessary
requirements.

There must be a minimum of 40 class periods of 90 minutes net teaching time; or 60 sixty minute periods, or 80 forty-five minute periods. In no case will fewer than 40 class periods be accepted. Most of the classes meet each Sunday morning during the regular Bible school time but assemble a few minutes earlier than the other regular classes in order to meet the time requirement. This does seem ordinarily to be the better plan. The majority of these young people will be attending a Bible class anyway every Sunday. They may come a few minutes earlier and receive high school credit for their study. The student who qualifies receives */2 credit for the Old Testament and */2 credit for the New Testament course. Naturally the teacher must keep accurate records of the attendance and the date of class meetings. Often classes will have extra class periods in the Spring before the close of the school year. Sometimes this is necessary in making up for lessons missed.

Such work is very advantageous to churches of Christ for several reasons:
1. We do not have to align ourselves with denominations in any way in order to teach the courses;
2. We select our own teachers;
3. The work is offered in our own buildings where the elders may closely oversee the classes;
4. The textbooks are based only on the Bible and
5. We teach the material exactly as we want to teach it.

What could be better than an outlined study of the basic facts of the Bible? As an added incentive for superior work in the classes the Linz Jewelists, Dallas, present Linz pens to all those whose grades have averaged 90 or above during the year and who make at least 95 on the final examination. The “Evert's Award" is given each year to the Old Testament class of the city with at least eight students having the highest class average. You. would be interested in knowing that in 1953 the Sunset church of Christ won second for the Evert's Award and in the New Testament work, first and second places were won by the Skillman Avenue and the Hampton Place churches of Christ respectively.

During the present school term, 1953-54, there are thirteen hundred pupils enrolled in the many classes taught in the 120 different churches of Dallas. This is the largest enrollment ever. Among these this year are one Jewish and two Negro churches.