March 7, 2009 5:52 AM
Catholic schools - definitely an option
In response to my post yesterday about the mom whose second grade daughter had begun falling behind in public school and who was considering homeschool - which I encouraged - Tracy wrote:I thought this post was very interesting especially since my sister faced this exact same situation (same grade and everything) with her daughter just recently.I just want to say amen to this! Catholic schools are indeed a wonderful option, though since the closest one to us is 40 minutes away, not quite as viable.
My question to you is why Catholic schools are not mentioned as a viable option. Most of them have much smaller class sizes and because they are not beholden to the government they don't have to make the kids jump through all of the ridiculous hoops that the public schools do. Not to mention that the Catholic schools are actually helping to shape children and build virtue while educating them in the faith.
I feel strongly that so many Catholic Schools are in trouble these days because people don't even consider it. If they think about it all they just assume that it is too expensive without even looking into what the tuition is or what financial aid options there are.
As I know you know, young kids are little sponges and to surround them in the faith each day is such a gift. And for them to have to opportunity to go to mass with their teachers and friends and really see their faith in action is such a great reinforcement to what they learn in class. It will never replace the family's influence but can go a long way to strengthening it.
My sister ended up pulling her daughter out of public school and put her in our parish school and after just a few weeks she is thriving. Her grades have improved, her self confidence has improved, she has made many new friends, she is excited about school again, she has grown significantly in her understanding of the Faith which is really the richest gift especially as she prepares to receive her First Holy Communion later this spring.
I attended first grade in Catholic school and when sent to public school the following year skipped second grade altogether. Later, as a teenager growing up in terrible circumstances, I knew instinctively what I needed to rise above my family circumstances, and I was able to get a scholarship into a Catholic high school where I received a superior education.
In California, as evangelicals Tripp and I put our sons in Catholic high school - where actually sadly they had teachers who were not pro-life. We had to be as proactive there as we are today in public schools.
I wish it were the old days and that nuns and brothers still taught in Catholic schools. My I.H.M. sisters were the best! But still, as Tracy said - without the constraints of government money, Catholic schools can provide a more well-rounded education, nurturing the child's spiritual needs as well. And without the bureaucratic waste, they can deliver a better education for half the money.
They also seem to understand that children are capable of self-control and have higher expectations. I've written of attending concerts where you can tell as they file in which kids are from Catholic schools because their behavior is better. They are calmer and more at peace with themselves.
So yes, by all means, if Catholic school is an option, you should consider it.
Posted in Public schools, Teens and Tweens | Permalink
Comments
Now a days, there are no quarantees that nuns/brothers are even pro-life. Which is sad but true.
I went to a Catholic school all 13 years (K-12th) and the students do seem to show more respect--is it the uniforms (the way a person dresses helps their behavior/attitude) or how most of them were taught by there parents?
I home schooled 4 of my children until they were in the 3rd grade now they all go to the local public school here in town, which, I might add, still has mass one time a week and religion class during school time 2x's a week. I have to admit, my husband and I decided to pull our children out of religion class because of the junk that they were being taught.
I believe that 75% of things taught start at home--whether it's homeschooling/parochial school/public school.
Posted by: Amy | March 7, 2009 7:56 AM
As is a good Christian school. My son attended one for K & 1st and thrived there. We are homeschooling this year due to no longer being able to afford the school. Thanks, Barbara, for all your good input on homeschooling. It really is a blessing to see your child learn something new and to know he learned it from you!
Posted by: Chanse | March 7, 2009 7:59 AM
I did go through Catholic schools and sadly would not recommend them. The teachers were not pro-life and did not have the best interest of the students in mind. I did have a few good teachers who were nuns....wish they all were!
Also, the Catholic schools in my area do accept government funds, and have government teachers for the extra subjects such as gym and art. Also, they were required to take out anything religious in the classrooms where the public school teachers taught! I cannot believe what the Catholic schools would do for money. Very sad.
Not to be all negative here....I know there are areas of the country where there are nuns for teachers, and they have great thriving Catholic schools. I would highly recommend them. They also have a solidly Catholic curriculum.
We do homeschool =)
Posted by: carolyn | March 7, 2009 9:16 AM
Please do check out the Catholic school before you choose this. Even though we attend a parish that has a school, our kids went to the public school, which was a much better fit for them AND is much better educationally. Good Catholic schools are wonderful. Bad Catholic schools exist.
Posted by: Salome Ellen | March 7, 2009 9:51 AM
Private schools provide a healthy competition for the public schools. :)
Posted by: Lisa | March 7, 2009 10:19 AM
Yes, absolutely! But parents need to remember to shop wisely. Where I live, there are several Catholic elementary schools and unfortunately, the one within sight of my house was entirely the wrong school. We discovered that from visits before enrollment, so he didn't have to change schools. We found one that has been terrific, but be sure to visit and be prepared to defend your decision if the right school turns out to be one that's not attached to your parish.
Posted by: Anon | March 7, 2009 11:01 AM
I would just add to the above post that ALL Christian schools could be considered here, not just Catholic ones. And depending on your region of the country, you may find a Protestant school more easily than a Catholic one. These schools are almost always smaller than public schools, with more one-on-one attention, and there is a growing trend toward stronger integration of faith and learning - worldview training.
Posted by: mary kathryn | March 7, 2009 11:13 AM
I am all in favor of keeping the private schools around to give the public ones some healthy competition... Although reading through the other posts reminded me that my own experience in private christian schools was not entirely a bed of roses. In the 4th grade, a young teacher decided to make fun of me. I could list at least a few kids in all of the schools I attended that were NOT at all good influences. There was always a few " bad seeds" in each classroom.... It is definately a prayer/research issue for parents before they make the schooling decision. One statistic I find interesting, is that we are losing 70% or more of our christian kids ( to the world) by their sophomore year in college... So even college is important to the spiritual development of a young adult. I have heard ( from several sources) that college professors purposefully try to break down the belief system of their students.
Education is huge... We must all stay in prayer...
I hesitate to say this here, because I don't want to turn Barbara's blog into a debate zone ( please feel free to edit this Barbara) but I have a great book called : " The socialization trap" by Rick Boyer over at www.thelearningparent.com Rick has lots of research on what is going on right now in the education system. Every parent should read this book before making their educational choices. Read it and pray pray pray!
Posted by: Lisa | March 7, 2009 4:23 PM
I will have to second everyone's thoughts. I think Catholic schools can be a good option, but look carefully at it before you put your kids there.
My brother has been going to private Catholic schools since 5th grade. My parents chose these schools for him for the academics. Not because of religious beliefs (although they are Christians). But if you are wanting to put your child in the school for religious reasons be very careful. The teachers at his school don't even have to be Catholic. There are monks living on Campus, but they don't teach all the classes.
Posted by: Momma | March 8, 2009 3:10 PM
It so depends on the child and the family whether a particular school is a good fit. Do check out the schools carefully. Some Catholic schools in our area have much bigger classes than the public schools. Though my son loves his Catholic high school, they are terribly overcrowded this year, and if this is an issue to you, you should be aware.
[Note from Barbara: As a Montessori teacher, I know from experience that class size really does not have as much to do with successful learning as parents think - at all. Perhaps a case can be made in grades k-2 when kids in institutional schools are learning to read. But it certainly should not make any difference in high school - look at college class sizes!]
Posted by: Cath Young | March 8, 2009 7:00 PM
