Catholic School or Public School?

[havemercy]

Having gone through both, I would go with Catholic school. Make sure its CATHOLIC though. Not a used-to-be-Catholic school.

 

[WenckebachCath]

We chose public school. Our public schools here are quite good, and we really saw no advantage to the inconvenience of sending them to the Catholic school, which was out of the way and would have been logistically difficult. We live on some acreage, and I really loved the fact that the kids could walk to the bus stop, along with the other children in the neighborhood.

Catholic schools have their problems, they have troubled kids as well, and also cater to so many non-Catholics that they’ve watered down the Catholic aspect of them. Also, I don’t have to be involved in a daily carpool or be driving my children to and from school on a daily basis. I really love the convenience factor of public school, and my children have not suffered because of it. They get plenty of positive values at home.

 

[cheeto1]

Go to both schools you are considering, and speak to the teacher for your child’s grade. Ask about 20 questions, and
you will probably figure out for yourself which school to pick,
or whether to homeschool. It is not good to worry, you are allowed to change your mind. You can even try all 3 like I did.

 

[aboverubies]

Better for them to learn the faith at home and go to public school KNOWING that it is of another culture than to send them to a place that talks one set of values and lives a different one.

My DH and I share this opinion also. We enquired “how many of the teachers at our local Catholic school were actually Catholic”? Just three. “And did any of these attend Mass?” No, none.

About 10 kids from the school made their First Holy Communion during a Sunday morning Mass several months ago. I had never seen any of these children or their parents before. Ever. And of course we haven’t seen any of them since. Our priest must have known whom he was dealing with because he entitled his sermon “Why your First Holy Communion should not be your last!” I thought he was very brave!

We just cannot send our children to this so called Catholic school and have them be the only ones who attend Mass!!!

Our local public school would be preferable to this however we have some reservations about it also.

We have solved our dilemma by choosing to homeschool. Ours is not the most organised of households either but as Mary Poppins says…“There’s time, there’s time…”

 

[LittleRose]

My husband and I are torn about the decision of whether to send our kids to the public school or our church’s catholic school. Has anyone else gone through this dilemma?? We are driving ourselves crazy.

I’ve attended both catholic and public schools. Some of the least Catholic catholics I know attended that catholic school with me, and it was a fairly solid school as far as the religious education went. Many of them had been going to catholic school their entire lives. Very few of the people I went to high school with still practice the Faith, assuming they practiced it very much in the first place. (I’m in my mid-twenties now).

My advice is to make your decision based on the academic quality of both schools. Go on a tour of the school, observe the classrooms, get information on their curriculum.

If you kid will get a better academic education at the public school, send her there. (Unless it’s one of those nutty schools that starts sex ed in kindergarten or something)

If the Catholic school has a better academic program, send her there, unless their religious Ed. program or hiring practices place them out of step with Church teaching.

If both school systems in your area are lousy, consider home schooling, and sign your child up for a scouting program or a municipal children’s sports team to give her social time.

The bottom line: The most important part of your child’s religious education is what she gets at home.

 

[lotusblossom]

I would agree with the previous poster. I, too, went to both - Catholic til my sophomore year of high school and then public due to wrong Catholic teaching in the high school. I don’t know more than one or two people who I went to Catholic schools with who are fully practicing Catholics and embrace their faith today (I’m in my 20’s). I’m planning to homeschool my children because my parents did it after seeing what I went through in Catholic schools and the fruits have been amazing. However, if that’s not an option for you, I’d say look into the schools and use the criteria of the previous poster.

We moved halfway through my sophomore year and I will say that I was given the option of going to Catholic schools again, but said no because it would have been too much of a financial strain on my parents when I was getting enough education about my faith from them .

 

[buffalo]

If you decide on Catholic School you must make sure you are part of the process. Make sure you check out the Catechetical books they use, ask questions of the teachers and how they answer current events questions. (Eg: What will they actually teach a child of divorced parents, or what do they teach children wose parents don;t attend Mass? etc…) Make known your expectations - you want true Catholic teaching, not watered down Catholicism. Do academics trump Jesus? Is Catholicism somewhat optional in the school, or is it its heart and soul?

How often do the Children attend Mass? Adoration? Confession?

Remember, you are first teachers. You have the biggest load to carry, so you have to know Catholicism inside and out (if you do not already).

If you leave it to chance or the public school you have abdicated your duty.

Finally, Catholic Schools are needed to reinforce your teachings at home. We need to rebuild them and support them. It starts with each one of us.

 

[cheeto1]

If you leave it to chance or the public school you have abdicated your duty.

I disagree with this. A building doesn’t teach your children,
people do. The only way to find out what kind of people they
are is to talk to them. You have to ask them about all the
things that concern you. In public school, their policy was to
only show “G” movies while the Catholic school even showed
PG-13 sometimes, without even notifying the parents first.
Whenever I complained I was always told, “well, they get it
at home anyway”. There are many opportunities in public
school that aren’t available in Catholic school or homeschool.
That said, I vote for homeschool, it is truly the best, but there
are no substitute teachers in sickness or emergencies. It’s
unfair to tell a parent they are abdicating their responsibilities
for choosing the public school system. They need to pray and
ask God for themselves. Supposing God wants them there,
to change things for the better? Any of the 3 choices could be the right one, and for some people public schools are the best
choice for them right now.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

Some of the least Catholic catholics I know attended that catholic school with me, and it was a fairly solid school as far as the religious education went. Many of them had been going to catholic school their entire lives. Very few of the people I went to high school with still practice the Faith, assuming they practiced it very much in the first place. (I’m in my mid-twenties now).

I don’t know more than one or two people who I went to Catholic schools with who are fully practicing Catholics and embrace their faith today (I’m in my 20’s).

I just wanted to point out that if parents are lax in the faith and don’t practice, then regardless of how much Catholic schooling a child receives, they may end up not practicing either. This does not prove that Catholic and non-Catholic schooling have the same effect on spiritual growth, though, especially for cases where the parents do practice. It may just serve to support the fact that parents have the responsibility to teach through example. Anyways, I might add that my friends who are practicing Catholics went to Catholic school for all of their schooling up to high school (at least all of the ones I can think of right now, with the exception of one of my friends who is a convert). Other people close to me that are not practicing attended either public or Christian schools. I’m not saying you can’t be a good Catholic if you go to Public/non-Catholic schools, but just trying to show that my experience is different than others that have been presented here.

 

[unworthy]

I agree with the previous poster that the practice of faith first comes from the home; I am not discounting the role of the school, but the catechesis and Christian way of life that you teach your children at HOME will be INSTRUMENTAL.
I went to a public highschool and was required to by my parents though I wanted to go to a Catholic school. My father was the one who gave me no choice but to go to a public school because he thought that the technology program in my particular school there was good. My parents were not practicing Catholics, but my mother had a deep desire to be. I received a wonderful, spiritual example from the life and faith of my mother who has suffered immensely in life.
It is through her lived Christianity that I grew in love with the Catholic Church and started converting while I was attending my public school. Along with my conversion God brought my mother and sister to a conversion as well.
My lived experience leads me to conclude that it has nothing to do with the school but a lot to do with the example and faith the parents show at home, than the particular school to which one goes.
-unworthy

 

[buffalo]

I disagree with this. A building doesn’t teach your children,
people do.

I see many people opt for public school because the building with its big cafeteria, swimming pool and technology.

Many parents don’t want their little ones to eat in a classroom or not be in a new building.

Another case of the material trumoing the spiritual.

 

[E.E.N.S]

**Homeschool and use Catholic curriculum. **

Amen to that!

 

[BlestOne]

I had my kids in public schools…then for many reasons switched them to Catholic schools. All went up to 8th grade in Catholic school. My oldest and youngest went to Catholic HS while my middle child went to public because of his ADHD and dyslexia. He is a junior now and is getting the services he needs. Youngest is in freshman year at Catholic School where she is a blooming overacheiver. I hate having them at different schools in different towns but it is the best for them both. Oldest is in college now… but he loved Catholic School too, both boys insisted that I send their sister to the Catholic school.

If the public school is best for your sons special needs…then send him there.