Catholic School vs State School

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

catholic03

Well-known member
Pax Christi:

I have an important issue to consider:

I currently attend secondary school (Americans say ‘high school’) and have 2 more years left after this one at secondary school (so 2 and a half years). I attend a state school. This school is said to be one of the best in the country and has extremely high academic results. I do very well academically at the school and have no issues in this area. However, as a Catholic, it is very hard. The school is very liberal; rainbow flags on every classroom door, posters promoting homosexuality in every corridor, a day each year to promote homosexuality, a large number of practising homosexual students. I am called a bigot for trying to express my beliefs. I have other people’s beliefs shoved down my throat every day. I have to cope with people I know calling me, priests and other clergy unbelievably offensive things. It makes me very upset. I risk getting into trouble everyday for talking about the Catholic Church.

There is a Catholic secondary school close by. I would feel much more welcomed and at home there. I am currently consulting with my parents about starting there next year. However, I only have two more years of school left, and changing schools could make it harder for me academically as I may have to take different subjects and some of my achievements at my current school will not count at the new school. Will it be worth changing schools, or should I stay at my current school and accept persecution? I do not know the answer. Perhaps some faithful Catholics could weigh in?

God Bless.
 
Personally, if I was in your situation, I would change schools.

Unlike what most people think, the primary purpose of education is to help you get to Heaven, not to get a job.

That’s why the Catholic Church has historically always been a big proponent of education.

God Bless
 
Last edited:
Wow. And I thought public schools in the US were bad. Rainbow flags on classroom doors?? If you were my kid, I would switch you immediately. You shouldn’t be exposed to this environment, you have the right to study in a place where you feel you belong.
 
Sorry you feel persecuted. But bullying type actions go on all around the country. There are bullies in Catholic schools.
 
None of us can really answer this for you. There are many factors to consider. Some Catholic high schools are better than others in terms of how well they live out their Catholic identity, and how many of their students and staff are fully on board with Catholic teaching. Catholic schools are also generally more expensive (here in the U.S.—I’m not sure about how that goes where you are at).

Much depends on your personality, too. Some students thrive in hostile waters while others flounder.

And, yes, there are also the inconveniences and such associated with transferring schools and making sure all those requirements line up.

You say you are consulting with your parents. That is a good place to start. The next thing I would do is to consult the Catholic school and just get a sense of how easy that transition would be with regards to your coursework and also how strong of a Catholic identity the school has. How often is Mass available? Confession? That can tell you a lot about how serious the school is about the faith.

Speaking with the school will make it easier to make a decision. I always find that more information helps to make a more informed decision. Going through the process of fact-finding also helps to gauge where God wants you and how at peace you are with your options. Either things will fall into place and you will see God steering you to switch schools. Or else it will become clearer that it is best to stay put.
 
Last edited:
Wow that’s a tough one I can see both sides of that argument.
I agree with Lisa B if but I also agree that you will face those types of attitudes in the workplace or the general society.
However I also agree that the main purpose of education is to get to Heaven.
For that reason I sent my children to the nearby Christian(confessional Lutheran) school until it closed when my oldest son was in the 6th grade. Then due to a lack of a nearby Christian high school(we are in a rural farming area) I sent them to the public middle school and high school. There was a Catholic K-8 about 45 minutes away. However, none of those ideas were pushed at all in the public school here,(there were several Christians on the school board) and even sex ed wasn’t that bad here. (Their high school health teacher and coach was a devout Catholic!)
In my case I probably would have home schooled or sent them to the Lutheran boarding school which is 2 hours away from us if the situation had been as bad as you say where you are.
I want my children to go to heaven.
the public school here in the '90’s and early 2000’s when my kids went was still fairly good and I checked all the coursework.
 
Last edited:
phil19034 said:
Personally, if I was in your situation, I would change schools.

Unlike what most people think, the primary purpose of education is to help you get to Heaven, not to get a job.

That’s why the Catholic Church has historically always been a big proponent of education.

God Bless
Click to expand...
Well, it’s kinda hard to get a job when you’re only prepared for Heaven. Eventually your parents are going to want to you to move out.

Unless you want to go into the seminary, but I’d bet my mortgage that the seminary wants people who are well prepared to run parishes, dioceses, hospitals, media organizations, charities, teach, research, practice law . . . .
 
Last edited:
catholic03 said:
Pax Christi:

I have an important issue to consider:
Click to expand...
What do your parents think?
Have you looked for other Catholics at your school? Have you talked to a teacher or counselor about the bullying?

(ironically, and admittedly off-topic, when my daughter ran into trouble with a classroom bully in high school the only person who helped her and worked it out is openly gay. The school principal and others were useless. I guess being a lifelong target of bigotry and bullying makes one more sensitive and proactive in helping others.)
 
on_the_hill said:
but I’d bet my mortgage that the seminary wants people who are well prepared to run parishes, dioceses, hospitals, media organizations, charities, teach, research, practice law . . . .
Click to expand...
On a more basic level, they are going to want to see evidence that the applicant has been able to fend for themself in the real world. And understand how to responsibly manage their own resources.
 
on_the_hill said:
40.png
phil19034:
Personally, if I was in your situation, I would change schools.

Unlike what most people think, the primary purpose of education is to help you get to Heaven, not to get a job.

That’s why the Catholic Church has historically always been a big proponent of education.

God Bless
Click to expand...
Well, it’s kinda hard to get a job when you’re only prepared for Heaven. Eventually your parents are going to want to you to move out.

Unless you want to go into the seminary, but I’d bet my mortgage that the seminary wants people who are well prepared to run parishes, dioceses, hospitals, media organizations, charities, teach, research, practice law . . . .
Click to expand...
Yeah, you are totally taking my post out of context.

People who don’t go to the top public school in the nation are not doomed to never get a job. Attending Catholic school prepares you for far more than just the seminary…
 
GordonP said:
40.png
on_the_hill:
but I’d bet my mortgage that the seminary wants people who are well prepared to run parishes, dioceses, hospitals, media organizations, charities, teach, research, practice law . . . .
Click to expand...
On a more basic level, they are going to want to see evidence that the applicant has been able to fend for themself in the real world. And understand how to responsibly manage their own resources.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry, but if anyone views a transfer to a Catholic school as a sign that someone can’t cut it in the real world, then they are pretty narrow minded and perhaps even bigoted.

Catholic schools are not bubbles. Even the most conservative classical schools teach students how to engage the “real world.”
 
Last edited:
phil19034 said:
Catholic schools are not bubbles. Even the most conservative classical schools teach students how to engage the “real world.”
Click to expand...
In my experience, Catholic schools are bubbles. In fact I’ve head that exact word used.

If the OP transfers to a Catholic secondary school that person will be “welcomed” and “at home” with a bunch of people like themselves. No rainbow flags, no Pride Month, and no LGBT students. That’s fine; maybe somebody wants that.

But, sooner or later, unless that person goes into the religious life or works for the Catholic Church or a Catholic organization, they’re going to come face to face with the real world. There’s going to be the LGBT employee with the rainbow flag; there are going to be others of varying beliefs. And you’re going to have to get along with them.

So I’d say going to a state school or secular private school is better training for the “real world” in that respect than being in the Catholic “bubble.”
 
phil19034 said:
I’m sorry, but if anyone view a transfer to a Catholic school as a sign that someone can’t cut it in the real world, then they are pretty narrow minded and perhaps even bigoted.
Click to expand...
I was responding to your contention that the purpose of education is to get into Heaven. My statement had nothing to do with bubbles and being protected from the outside world.
 
signit said:
In my experience, Catholic schools are bubbles. In fact I’ve head that exact word used.
Click to expand...
Some are, most aren’t. There is a huge difference between Jesuit preparatory schools, which are general not anti-LGBT, and conservative non-diocesan Traditionalist school, which are. Diocesan schools are somewhere in the middle, and students there are not a sheltered as you might think.
 
Some Catholics schools are starting to uphold some secular values in Canada, due to the law, unfortunately.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top