Catholic School: why do you send your child (or not)

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buffalo said:
Our Catholic Schools would reach new heights if everyone acted like you.
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Not necessarily. We might lose tons of children to BAD catechesis! Many Catholic schools just are not very Catholic.
 
duskyjewel said:
Not necessarily. We might lose tons of children to BAD catechesis! Many Catholic schools just are not very Catholic.
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If everyone acted like her maybe the not so Catholic schools would then be Catholic.
 
Okay our school is actually Catholic, lets start with that…

I went to the Catholic school that I send my kids to. It is a K-8 school, and our nearest Catholic high school was too far away so our parents sent us to the local public high school. I remember specifically sitting in a 12th grade English class discussing The American Way of Death. Some of the discussion turned to the Life of Christ, and I was the only one who knew anything. I couldn’t believe it. Lots of Catholics in the class, but I was the only one (in that particular class period) that went to Catholic grade school. I kept looking at the teacher (who is also Catholic) shrugging my shoulders like - why doesn’t anyone know this basic stuff? She kind of gave me a knowing glance. I previously thought the other kids knew all that too. It was a real eye opener that what I thought was common knowledge about our faith was anything but. so naturally when it came time to choose Catholic school or public school, it was a no brainer.

I wanted my kids’ whole day to include their religion, not just after school at home. They tell me stories about what happened in school that day and it is obvious their religion is weaved into every part of their day. They really are living it. If they even took out the hour “religion” class every day they’d still be learning a whole lot.

What I did not see coming was what the school would do for MY faith. I noticed when my oldest daughter was in about 2nd grade (she’s in 6th now) that I was relaxing a lot more and letting God be in charge and after much searching for the reason why, I truly believe it’s the Catholic school. I am STILL getting a whole lot out of that school! That’s why I try so hard to keep it there!
 
1.Do you rank “safety” as a priority? In what way? Violence in schools here in Cumbria, North England is actually very rare so our daughter’s school is as safe as the Church of England one or the community/non-denominational primary school.

2.Do you rank “quality of education” as a priority? Well, it happens to rate 93% on their last Ofsted-report (government watchdog that goes to every school in Britain and rates them ), but the fact that it was a friendly school, and on the property of our parish church was far more important to us. We want our children to have a good Catholic education, and it helps that they see their teachers and friends on Sunday in church, it’s a ‘continuum’ where home-school-church are all pulling from the same rope, so to speak.

3.Do you rank “future ability to get into college” as a priority? Here in Britain virtually every 16-year-old can get into college, so no that was no factor. As it is, we’d much rather they learn a job, as neither of us feel college is that much of a ‘must-have’), unless they want to ofcourse, it’s upto them!

4.Do you rank “cost of tuition” as a major factor? Uhm…here in Britain you pay taxes, and out of those taxes schools are funded, ofcourse the Bishop gives a bit too…but as a parent all you pay for is the school-uniform, school-lunches and a pound here or there for books or what have you, but otherwise there are no major costs involved.

What other things do you consider? Basicall, when we looked at moving here, we looked at a church and school within walking-distance (as I don’t drive), so we wouldn’t have moved here if there was no Catholic school for the girls and a parish for the family.

Anna x
 
Not a parent yet but I will either send my children to a public school or homeschool them at least until high school. Catholic schools in Ontario are government funded and thus in name only. I am absolutely shocked at was does and does not transpire in terms of education (religious and other courses) at these institutions. They have a good reputation but that is simply because they get more tax money and have nicer buildings than the public schools. Most of the teachers aren’t practicing let alone the students, I feel it would do more damage than good to have my child in that environment.
 
Michelle (Lil M) that is such a pity! Here in Britain most schools are government funded, but the Catholic ones ultimately answer to the Bishop! My daughter’s school is so Catholic, you wouldn’t believe it! They have pictures of Jesus and the Holy Family and a cross in every classroom, plus a little ‘altar’ with devotional picture books for the children to help themselves to (she’s in Reception class), they go to the church next door at least every Friday for a special Mass, and both the priests visit the school for Religion classes and Assemblies (which are every morning). My daughter comes hoime with new prayers she’s learnt and lots of ‘And Jesus tells us …’. They pray before and after meals, and at the end of the school-day! Plus, on Sundays at least 6 of the primary school teachers and a few of the teaching-assistants are at Mass, my daughter’s classroom teacher is a Reader, and the teacher she’ll have in year 1 next year is in charge of the ‘Children’s Liturgy’ . She loves going to church, because she knows she’ll see her teachers and class-mates! So, in that way a government funded school can really work (especially because they can ‘opt out’ of stuff, through the Bishop, that is not deemed in conjunction with Catholic teaching!) I suppose in Canada it’s different, and yes I would find that really hard too! I suppose I’m very lucky that my daughters will be in a Catholic school that really lives the faith!

Anna x
 
MCL said:
Catholic school because…

Heaven is more important than Harvard or a Hummer.
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I agree totally. Our son went to public school for a few years, and even though it was one of the ‘best’ in the state, and educationally he learned a lot and was very smart, it was the lessons he learned on the playground that made us pull him out. The children there are entirely immoral, he learned about gays, sleeping with people before you’re married, all kinds of terrible things–by the 4th grade!!!
I realize not all kids in Catholic schools are saints, but the percentage of children who come from religious homes is much higher, and the discipline is much better. The education is just as good, so why not go for the better morals? Yeah, it costs a lot. But it’s worth it. Nothing better to invest in than your child’s eternal soul!
 
I would send my children to Catholic School over public school anytime unless I was financially unable to do so. I was one of those kids who actually wanted to go but my family was hard up and it just wasn’t an option. I think if I had gone I would have been far more knowledgeable about my faith and more of a Christ Center person earlier on. Also I would never have to patience and focus to home school. I have enough trouble just keeping up with personal stuff trying to home school would take more organizational skills then I have. :rolleyes:
 
melensdad said:
Just curious, and I hope you can help me out, but what things are important to you about choosing a school for your child? Why did you choose a Catholic School (or why did you choose a public school) for your child?

Do you rank “safety” as a priority?
Do you rank “quality of education” as a priority?
Do you rank “future ability to get into college” as a priority?
Do you rank “cost of tuition” as a major factor?

What other things do you consider?
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I moved my kids from public to Catholic school at the end of last year.

I considered safety but it was not a high priority. Both schools were relatively safe although there was a big problem with bullying in the public school that was not considered a problem (by the teachers) since it was not physical violence.

Quality of education was a priority. My oldest wants to go to a Catholic HS and the public school was not really able to give him the course work to do well on the HS entrance exam or to be “up to speed” when he started HS without significant tutoring. This is a school in a district that usually ranks in the top 10 for the state.

Future ability to get into college - not a factor since my kids are still in elementary school.

Tuition - a big factor. We definately had to rework our budget.

The main factor was that I wanted the kids in a Catholic environment. They are in a solid school with a faithful and orthodox principal. They have “Christmas” parties and sing carols that mention Jesus. :eek: When a classmate’s father died, the first thing they did was file over to the Church to say the Rosary together. They give up their free-dress days for Lent. They say the Angelus as part of their morning prayers, at noon and just before dismissal. They actually celebrate Veteran’s day - with live veterans and active duty service men in attendance! The public school “celebrated” it with a brief mention at morning announcements. In short, they don’t have to worry about being PC constantly.

There are many kids who are from non-practicing or non-Catholic families so they do not lack for opportunities to defend the faith. In public school, most faith based topics were “off limits” such as abortion, Jesus, Mary, going to Church etc. They did spend several weeks studying Mohammed, however. :confused:

Another important factor was that, in the public school, they are forced to teach to the lowest common denominator in the class. This includes the special ed students and those with learning disabilities. They can’t move on until everybody “gets it”. As a result, just about everyone had to go to tutoring before the state standardized tests since they hadn’t covered a lot of material yet. In the Catholic school, they have high expectations and it is the student who need extra help who go to tutoring - the class is not held back because of them.

Testing was another big consideration. The testing in Texas (TAKS) covers very basic information and the spend more than half the year prepping for the test. In the Catholic school, they use a nationally normed standardized test for which they do no prep work.

Yet another issue is communication. In the public school, it might be weeks before you get a return email from a teacher. Even then, the teachers are not able to say much due to all the legislation. My younger son was in a playground fight and I wanted to have a conference with the teacher. She wouldn’t even meet with me on the issue because there were two students involved and she couldn’t talk about the incident without violating the other student’s privacy. A teacher can never tell me how one of my children were doing relative to the rest of the class either for the same reason. They CAN however give your child a label such as “Gifted and Talented” - especially if the label gets them more money from the state. That never happens in the Catholic school. I can call or email and always get an immediate call, even if I stress “no hurry”.

My kids attended two different Catholic schools as we moved a few years ago. The other school was not nearly as “Catholic”.

You really have to do your research and be involved where ever your kids go - public (to the extent they allow involvement) or Catholic.
 
melensdad said:
Just curious, and I hope you can help me out, but what things are important to you about choosing a school for your child? Why did you choose a Catholic School (or why did you choose a public school) for your child?

Do you rank “safety” as a priority?
Do you rank “quality of education” as a priority?
Do you rank “future ability to get into college” as a priority?
Do you rank “cost of tuition” as a major factor?

What other things do you consider?
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We wanted our children raised in a religious atmosphere and indoctrinated with Church theology. The quality of education was also important, but even more important was the fact that the children were in a godly atmosphere. We had four children and an adopted niece, and it was not easy; however we got scholarships for the children based on financial need. Our children are now grown and I wouldn’t change a thing about the sacrifice it took to send them through Catholic schools. They’ve all been accepted to the universities they wanted to go to and are doing fine.
 
Cost and tuition. Our diocese charges over 6K per student per year. Times that by 4… just can’t afford it.

Luckily, we have a great public school system here, and we’re very happy with it.
 
I recently spoke to a young man who was raised Protestant, attended public elementary schools and a Catholic high school but now no longer practices the Christian faith at all. However, he had a very good experience at and received a very good education from his Catholic high school. When he starts a family, he hopes to send his children to Catholic schools starting with kindergarten because he thinks that the environment and education at Catholic schools are superior to those in public schools.
 
I am not a parent, but I did grow up in a Catholic family of six children. We went to Catholic schools part and public schools part. I can honestly say that we woud have been better off if left in public schools. The tuition payments and other stress-producing factors squeezed our family dry and stressed out my parents. We didn’t have a high quality family life. I’m the only practicing orthodox Catholic of all my siblings, so what were the Catholic schools worth? Some of the teachers at my Catholic high school were publicly non-believing, some others used a lot of four-letter words in the classroom (yes I’m serious!) One first-grade teacher thought it was good discipline to toss a boy into the wastebasket. (again I’m serious.) All Catholic schools did was make my siblings rebellious against the Church. It’s a personal decision, but I think that what goes on in the home is much more important than the school. How on earth are average parents supposed to both pay tuition AND have a large, open to life family? (Unless you are a doctor or a lawyer.) A lot of kids just HATE school. If they are going to hate school, I’d rather they hated public school and ran home and to church for comfort rather than hated Catholic school and thought of the Church as the source of their discomfort. Well, that’s my two cents worth. I recommend Steve Kellmeyer’s book Designed to Fail.
 
Blueberry said:
I am not a parent, but I did grow up in a Catholic family of six children. We went to Catholic schools part and public schools part. I can honestly say that we woud have been better off if left in public schools. The tuition payments and other stress-producing factors squeezed our family dry and stressed out my parents. We didn’t have a high quality family life. I’m the only practicing orthodox Catholic of all my siblings, so what were the Catholic schools worth? Some of the teachers at my Catholic high school were publicly non-believing, some others used a lot of four-letter words in the classroom (yes I’m serious!) One first-grade teacher thought it was good discipline to toss a boy into the wastebasket. (again I’m serious.) All Catholic schools did was make my siblings rebellious against the Church. It’s a personal decision, but I think that what goes on in the home is much more important than the school. How on earth are average parents supposed to both pay tuition AND have a large,

open to life family? (Unless you are a doctor or a lawyer.) A lot of kids just HATE school. If they are going to hate school, I’d rather they hated public school and ran home and to church for comfort rather than hated Catholic school and thought of the Church as the source of their discomfort. Well, that’s my two cents worth. I recommend Steve Kellmeyer’s book Designed to Fail.
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Thanks for the book recommendation. Any book reviewed & recommended by Rev. CJ Mc Closkey is worth reading IMO.
 
We have seven children, and all have attended public school (presently 1 in HS, 1 MS, and 3 in elementary). I would have to say that our decision was initially based on my own lukewarm faith (20 years ago), and my wife’s lack of experience with Catholic schools as a protestant convert. Over the years, however, as our faith (and family) grew, we have revisted that decision and found that we never really regretted our initial decision.

As summary of observations of our own parish school, and experiences shared by numerous friends:
  1. A high percentage of non-Catholic (or non-Orthodox Catholic) teachers. The latter is perhaps more concerning to us, as there is a false sense of security.
  2. A large percentage of non-Catholic students, or students whose parents’ main Catholic activity is to send their children to Catholic school. (We see them every Christmas and Easter talking through Mass, reciting none of the prayers - and recording their children in the school choir.)
  3. The large number of people we meet who, when they learn we are Catholic, say “I went through 12 years of Catholic school” - and then tell of the wonderful evangelical church they now attend.
  4. The number of really nice cars we see dropping off 2 children at our parish school (with before and after hours), as the second parent heads off to the job that pays for their school tuition. (I had no idea that Catholics were stricken by the same widespread infertility that hits most American couples after two children.)
  5. Our many faithful Catholic friends who share their painful experiences of very non-Catholic teachings and non-virtuous behavior at their schools.
  6. The fact that there is no “family cap” on the cost for Catholic schools. Most require you to pay for each and every child with some meager discount for the second or third. (BTW, for years, we have given the equivalent of tuition for two children to our parish. If we thought that Catholic schools were worth the money, we would pay it.)
 
marci said:
For me the #1 reason was an environment that supports the moral teachings of our home and the church. I personally believe that a good education can be received publically or privately, it depends on the school.

I know that spiritually, my kids are much better off in a catholic school. Not to mention the fact that raising kids is hard enough without having to counter the immoral messages they receive all day.

I’ve done it all private, public, homeschool and back to private again. The kids in catholic school are just different. I know that every school is different, but in my experience the catholic school kids are just more innocent. 10 yr olds act like 10 yr olds. My kids are much more naive and unaware then their public school counterparts. They are allowed to be kids and have a childhood and I think that is so important in today’s world.
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I can understand the appeal of that, but there is also a real danger to it. It’s a balancing act to keep kids from being turned into adults too soon, but keeping the aware of the world and knowing not everyone who calls you names is a bad person and not everyone who smiles at you wants to be your friend.
 
Sadly, I cannot send my kids to our local Catholic schools. COST is the only reason.

Even with financial help from my parish, the yearly tuiton is higher then what our income is a year. Only the kids from wealthy families get to attend Catholic schools, at least in my area.
 
It really does depend. Each school has different criteria and different rules/beliefs. Even though they call claim to be ‘catholic’ schools, they are all different in their own way. So you can’t really compare them without being there first. Although I can say that even though public schools seem to have many temptations that kids fall for, I do know of many public schools that give out great education, even better than most private schools.
 
I think it’s a shame to see so many negative posts on both sides.

Most of this negativity is based on anecdotal evidence - “I know a lot of people who went to Catholic school who lost their faith.” “The teachers at most public schools try to indoctrinate children into secular humanism.” “Catholic schools aren’t faithful to the teachings of the Church.”

I must say, I am rather offended by this.

The question was "Why did you choose YOUR child’s school. We should not be making sweeping indictments about ALL schools.
 
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