How critical is it to have a Catholic school?

[Stylteralmaldo]

I decided to take a census of the CAF members to see what the significance of a Catholic school education is. Click on the link below for that census:

Catholic Answers census: Your Catholic education background

What I found (not surprisingly) was that a overwhelming majority of the voters are practicing Catholics regardless of whether they attended Catholic school, public school, or home schooled.

However, when I look at two areas of voting: Practicing Catholics: Catholic Grade School and Practicing Catholics: Non-Catholic Grade School I see that there is a higher percentage of Catholic grade school participants compared to Non-Catholic grade school participants. As of 7/31/08, practicing Catholics who went to Catholic grade school totaled 82, compared to 50 for the practicing Catholics who attended a non-Catholic grade school.

When I compare this to my daughter’s communion class from a couple years ago where there were 24 kids in her class and another 66 kids who came from religious ed (therefore either non-Catholic school or home schooled), there seems to be a big gap.

The corelation I see is that it seems more likely that a child from a Catholic grade school will continue on in his/her faith than a child who does not have that Catholic grade school education.

I know that the study isn’t scientific, but 62% of practicing Catholics on this forum have a Catholic grade school education and my daughter’s communion class was made up of about 27% Catholic grade school participants.

The reason I am interested in knowing this information is whether I can continue to justify paying the cost of a Catholic grade school education. So far, it appears that is the case (I understand that I am the primary responsibility for raising my children in the faith - not the school).

But I know that there is some flaws in my conclusions, such as (1) more people went to Catholic schools in years past so the % of Catholic/non-Catholic religiously educated children has likely changed and (2) home schooling wasn’t very popular in years past as well.

Anyone else care to comment on my conclusions? Do you disagree with them or agree? why or why not?

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

The reason I am interested in knowing this information is whether I can continue to justify paying the cost of a Catholic grade school education. So far, it appears that is the case (I understand that I am the primary responsibility for raising my children in the faith - not the school).

But I know that there is some flaws in my conclusions, such as (1) more people went to Catholic schools in years past so the % of Catholic/non-Catholic religiously educated children has likely changed and (2) home schooling wasn’t very popular in years past as well.

Anyone else care to comment on my conclusions? Do you disagree with them or agree? why or why not?

That is your decision in the end about the quality of education. Catholic schools of today reach out to more than just Catholics. Many non-Catholics send their children to Catholic schools under the big tent umbrella of parachoical schools. This comes down to programs offered, class sizes, etc… Religion is looked at as a matter of general morals rather than a strict lesson plan based on the CCC, which actually turns many away. Of course you can learn morals at non-Catholic (and non-religious) schools too, it is a matter of how much the school administration has on its plate and what they are able to offer based on their available resources. You can still raise your child by having them go to public schools and then have growth at home and through CCD on the way to confirmation, sometimes public schools can be the best fit, it is a child by child matter. You just have to weigh your own situation, but also be sure to have some (name removed by moderator)ut from your children as they can help guide you.

 

[maryj]

I guess I have a couple of thoughts on your conclusions

1. there are significantly “less” children in families at the present time. I compare this to the family sizes when I was in catholic grade school. I don’t believe I ever knew an “only” child when I was growing up, this was in the 60’s and early 70’s. Just off the top of my head, on just the block we lived, there was 38 children. Next block up was about 40 more, that doesn’t include the family up one more block that had 13. I think we’d be hard pressed in any community to find that many children living in a two block area, single family homes only. So it seems to me that there were more children to be educated in catholic schools. Would that throw your numbers off?
2. How critical is it to have a catholic school? Well I pretty much live in a retirement community. there are more nursing homes than nursery schools! We are about 5 weeks away from completion of a three year building project,our capital campaign raised 5.7 million dollars from about 1800 families in our parish. You should see our new catholic school. Praise God. Wanna talk about a miracle, divine intervention, We have what I like to call the “five loaves and two fish” miracle going on here. Only God could provide this much enthusiasm for an elementary school in a town where most people are grandparents, or great grandparents. How Critical? I’d say as critical as it gets.

 

[rwoehmke]

However, when I look at two areas of voting: Practicing Catholics: Catholic Grade School and Practicing Catholics: Non-Catholic Grade School I see that there is a higher percentage of Catholic grade school participants compared to Non-Catholic grade school participants. As of 7/31/08, practicing Catholics who went to Catholic grade school totaled 82, compared to 50 for the practicing Catholics who attended a non-Catholic grade school.

The correlation I see is that it seems more likely that a child from a Catholic grade school will continue on in his/her faith than a child who does not have that Catholic grade school education.

Your correlation is quite a valid one. Several times over the past forty some years since Vatican II, studies were undertaken by professional sociologists, organizations that do such studies, and the general conclusions were, despite the collapse of the pre-Vatican II Catholic School system, the graduates of Catholic schools provided a strong anchor point in maintaining the Catholic Church. They provided a solid core that help to hold things together.

I chose not to send my six to a Catholic Grade School, thinking the money would be better spent sending them to Catholic Colleges or Universities. Turned out to be a mistake, as by the time of high school graduation, the twig is pretty well bent. If you can afford it and the Catholic School is not infected with relativism and new age monkey business, by all means send them there.