As a young couple, Graham and Alison Shortridge were always very interested in education. As they eventually had six children (and to date have ten grandchildren), this concern was justified! One of the things that bothered them when their eldest children started school, was that the school curriculum paid lip service to God and Christian values, but was actually humanistic in orientation. Back in 1980 they tried to change things, both at the local school level and even at departmental level, unsuccessfully, of course.
At first the Shortridges thought that changing the children’s school would solve the problem, but having tried this, they found that the problem ran far deeper. In 1984 they attended an education seminar run by Youth With A Mission. At this seminar, Margaret MacIntyre, an Australian, presented the idea of a God-centred education. The key to developing a course of study was to begin by recognising that God Himself is the Creator and Originator of all we teach. HE IS THE CURRICULUM.
The Shortridges took this concept to heart. Shortly afterwards they joined YWAM and became part of the education vision, working on a school curriculum based on twenty-seven character qualities of God. When YWAM decided to withdraw from the educational field in 1988, Graham and Alison went on with the vision, founding Theocentric Christian Education in October, 1988. They then started “El Olam Christian School” in Boksburg in 1989. This tiny school, consisting at first of eight pupils (five of which were the Shortridges’ own children, and two others a niece and nephew) sought to implement God’s character qualities as the foundation for all the school subjects. Unhappily, the required number of pupils was not forthcoming, so after two years the school had to close.
Graham and Alison moved to Cape Town with their growing family (there were now six children) and soon became involved in helping to establish a Christian high school. Due to circumstances, they were able to be involved for only one year. It seemed that they had run out of options.
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