Remarkable Report Cards

This chapter argues that abiders have an academic advantage in secondary school. This advantage stems from a synergy between schooling and religion: both institutions strive to maintain social order. Because religion and schooling promote the same ideals, the types of children who thrive in one institution are also likely to thrive in the other. To make this case, the chapter examines how Protestantism has shaped the current form of schooling and explains the importance of the “hidden curriculum”—the rules, routines, and regulations. Children raised with religious restraint are stellar at navigating the hidden curriculum. Abiders’ God-centered self-concept leads them to be deeply cooperative and conscientious. They do what is asked of them, they are kind to their peers, and they are self-disciplined. In return, they reap tangible academic rewards: they earn better grades. This is referred to as the “abider advantage.”