Catholic school enrollment continues to fall in US

[Julianna]

I just enrolled my kids in Catholic schools for the first time this year. I wanted to give them our faith all day long, and I am sadly disappointed! This is one of the “best” schools in the area and all of the families seem to be Catholic in name only. My son is in kindergarten and I just found out that his teacher is NOT CATHOLIC!! Someone else comes into the room twice a week to teach a short religion class. That’s it. I’m paying almost $5,000 for a secular education that I could have gotten in public school. I am so mad and I have lost trust and I am feeling my faith is under attack. How could the school not have told me that the teacher was not Catholic?? She never once mentions God, Jesus, Mary or the Saints ever throughout the day. She has been there since 2002 and I am the first one to notice??? She has a giant stuffed witch in the classroom for Halloween and the Blessed Mother Statue is up on a shelf where you can’t see Her. How is this a Catholic education? I wanted a Catholic teacher who would incorporate Catholicism throughout the day. How do you compartmentalize your religion into 20 minutes a day for 2 days a week. They have 5 full days of kindergarten and this is all they can manage. This is our future. These students are the future of the Catholic Church.

It’s the “pay” dear. And be thankful your child doesn’t have ADHD, HFA/ASD, or a learning disability, because you have to find education elsewhere. The Catholic Schools do not have the “budget” to fund teachers for special areas. When my kids were in Catholic School, art, music, PE, computer and library were once a week for 45 min to an hour. Yes, religion is about 20 -30 (my kids had it twice a week and one school Mass a month). It is common that all teachers in Catholic Schools are not Catholic. Just about 1/3 the families enrolled where my kids went were not Catholic. I “worked” at the Catholic School and paid “full parish rate”…no discounts for those who worked at the school.

Now the large Baptist schools, do have ADHD, HFA/ASD teachers on the payroll. Hmmmm…how can they do that and the Catholic Schools can’t? Well, the money that is collected during fellowship “stays” right there in “that” church and school. There are ministries and charities they sponsor, but the running of the church and school come first. They also have a full pre-school and a child-care center “on site”. I live in the south. Just ride by any city Baptist Church and note the greyhound busses, vans galore, and the expanse of the campus. It doesn’t seem to me that the Catholic Schools are “marketing” the way the Baptists are…otherwise the Catholic Schools would be filled to the brim. Oh by the way…the Baptist school would not hire me, because I am not Baptist, even for their day care program. Interesting…isn’t it?

 

[Julianna]

Well that is sad. I wish that enrollment in Catholic schools would soar. I think it’s a proven fact that Catholic schools give a greater quality of education than do public schools. Another plus is that Catholic schools teach God’s Truth unlike public schools. Many public schools will teach that there is nothing wrong with fornication and that you should “protect” yourself from pregnancy and STDs by using contraception and condoms.

Not at the elementary level, Holly…sex ed is not taught. Yes, religious schools do provide quality education because they don’t have to educate with “all” children…they educate those who can “pay” for it and those who have children without disabilities.

At the middle and high school level, parents can request their child opt out of sex ed. I know many folks from all religions who have done this with their children, and the request has been granted without a problem.

 

[Razanir]

Does anyone know what the stats are for Catholic Homeschooling? Just based on our experience, it sure seems to be rising very fast. It is a cost-effective means of providing a superior Catholic education with more flexibility than most private or public schools.

It would be interesting to see how many people who leave Catholic schools behind end up home schooling, instead.

Where we live, there aren’t even any Catholic schools available - most Catholic families choose public school, Evangelical Christian and SDL schools (which DO proselytize against Catholicism, though they promise not to when recruiting new students).

Yes, Catholic school enrollment may be declining, but that’s only half the story. What about homeschooling?

 

[pnewton]

I just enrolled my kids in Catholic schools for the first time this year. I wanted to give them our faith all day long, and I am sadly disappointed! This is one of the “best” schools in the area and all of the families seem to be Catholic in name only. My son is in kindergarten and I just found out that his teacher is NOT CATHOLIC!!

You really should address your concerns to the school, to allay your fears if nothing else. Yes, Catholic education often attracts many families for the “education” part. My own school is a little more than half Catholic families. I would never presume to judge the spiritual state of anyone, so I do not know how many would be “in name only.” Some of the teachers are not Catholic, but the religious education is done by a separate teacher. so this is not an issue. At kindergarten, the level of catechisis would be rather basic anyway.

Now it may be that you have a legitimate concern. I am only saying that the specifics of what you say do not mean that there is a lack in the Catholic education. What really matters is the commitment of the administrative staff and the orthodoxy of the religious teacher. If you meet with them, you can get a feel for their approach to teaching the faith.

FYI - My son’s first teacher was an AOG girl in pre-K. She did a wonderful job and is one of the best Christian examples among the teachers. I only say this because a non-Catholic teacher is not automatically a bad idea.

 

[pnewton]

Yes, Catholic school enrollment may be declining, but that’s only half the story. What about homeschooling?

I have to think this is part of the reason for the decline. Especially in larger families, the cost of tuition can outstrip the income from a second parent, if the family has two incomes. It is a good option for many families.