In 1944 Driestar Christian University started as a small institute, teaching courses for young Christian teachers. Today we inspire and support teachers and schools in Christian teaching, in the Netherlands and in many countries around the world: a world that has changed in every aspect, under the influence of globalization in the last decades.
Together with a network of partners and organisations we take on the challenges and seize the opportunities that globalization has to offer to education worldwide. Because we believe that the role of Christian education in a globalising world is essential to the future of our children and the society they live in.
Providing good education for children and young adults alike has always been our ambition. Education permeated with a biblical identity. Education that really touches them and gives them something of lasting value. For children and students in the Netherlands, but also for those around the world.
Driestar Christian University is a centre of knowledge for Christian education. In 1944, we started a small Reformed teacher training college. Since then we have grown into a University of Professional education that specialises in the training of both primary and secondary teachers. In 2005 this institution merged with an educational advice centre.
Driestar Christian University is an institution with two departments and it has around 300 staff members. Our ambition is to offer programmes that are up-to-date and in touch with teaching practice. All our programmes have been ranked between first and fifth on the national rating lists for teacher training programmes. Special educational needs are one of our areas of expertise. We are closely involved with several primary schools and nurture a close relationship with practitioners in the field, and because of this involvement we know what matters to teachers in their classrooms.
Christian identity
Driestar educatief is a Reformed institution. Our foundation is the eternal and infallible Word of God and the confessions of faith based on the Bible (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Netherlands Confession of Faith and the Canons of Dordt). Our Christian identity is the foundation of our organisation: all pedagogical and organisational aspects are based on our Christian belief. Devotion, reliability, wisdom, affiliation, and courage are core values from which we try to do our work.
Attitude
- Coram Deo: the notion that we live for God.
- Stewardship: the notion that we receive talents and commit these talents diligently where God sets us to work.
- Dependence: the notion that we live in a broken world and are entirely dependent on God’s mercy and strength, which we receive from Him.
Mission
At Driestar Christian University, all work is inspired by our conviction that the Bible is the everlasting and vital Source. Therefore, we inspire, educate and support students, teachers and schools providing education based on Reformed Christian principles.
Driestar Christian University for Teacher Education is an educational institution with a mission. We inspire, educate and support (student) teachers and schools providing education based on Reformed Christian principles.
Our ideal school:
At Driestar Christian University all work is inspired by our conviction that the Bible is the everlasting and vital Source. It gives us basic principles for teaching and education. We feel called to evaluate all trends in education according to biblical guidelines and we hope to voice a (Protestant) Christian and (biblical) Reformed view on education in society. In a society where mankind itself (instead of the bible) has become the norm, we take this responsibility very seriously. We do educational research by evaluating theories (theoretical concepts) and then make them applicable to teachers in the field. We believe that knowledge can only be developed by working together with teachers and other practitioners and by cooperating with our partners (across national and cultural borders).
At Driestar Christian University, all work is inspired by our conviction that the Bible is the everlasting and vital Source. Therefore, we inspire, educate and support students, teachers and schools providing education based on Reformed Christian principles.
Driestar Christian University for Teacher Education is an educational institution with a mission. We inspire, educate and support (student) teachers and schools providing education based on Reformed Christian principles.
Our ideal school:
- provides Christian education;
- is the ideal workplace for the Christian teacher;
- is a school where pupils can learn in an inspiring environment;
- is a school where children with special needs receive special care and attention;
- has excellent leadership and is managed well;
- views parents as (one of) the most important partner(s) in education and supports parents in raising their families.
At Driestar Christian University all work is inspired by our conviction that the Bible is the everlasting and vital Source. It gives us basic principles for teaching and education. We feel called to evaluate all trends in education according to biblical guidelines and we hope to voice a (Protestant) Christian and (biblical) Reformed view on education in society. In a society where mankind itself (instead of the bible) has become the norm, we take this responsibility very seriously. We do educational research by evaluating theories (theoretical concepts) and then make them applicable to teachers in the field. We believe that knowledge can only be developed by working together with teachers and other practitioners and by cooperating with our partners (across national and cultural borders).
If we look at the world God made, we see that we are created equally yet uniquely. Diversity enriches society. Globalisation makes our world increasingly interconnected. Diversity and globalisation offer their own opportunities and challenges. They are part of the future that lies before our children. Christ holds that future.
For our children, education is the passport to the future. We believe that Christian value driven education offers a strong foundation to develop the talents they have been given. It equips them to become responsible citizens of God’s world.
So it is the responsibility of our generation to inspire, shape, and support teachers and schools around the world in their Christian teaching. As part of the current generation of teacher trainers, we feel it is our calling to take that responsibility seriously.
At Driestar Christian University for Teacher Education, we stand for education that serves the family, the Church, and our globalised world. This is why we offer and provide masters courses, international classes and exchange programs to increase the quality of education worldwide.
In addition, we offer advice, practical help, standardised programmes and customised solutions to assist students, teachers, principals, and leaders. This makes students and leaders alike feel fully equipped to guide children towards a fruitful future.
For our generation, Christian education in a globalising world is an exciting challenge; to our children, it means the world.