Is there proof that Catholic eduction helps moral development in adolescennts?

[Jsmith17]

I attended the same Christian school all my life from pre-school to high school and grew up surrounded by basically the same people. Most of the students were Protestant, but there was also a fair share of Catholics. I graduated in 2007 and still keep in contact with the majority of my graduating class. Judging from the other students who graduated from the public schools in my city, students from my Christian school have excellent moral standards. Of course there are the few bad sheep here and there, but on average students from my school seem extremely more morally mature than most people in our generation. This is probobly due firstly to responsible parenting, and secondly to the great emphasis that my school placed upon living a good Christian life.

 

[peduzzi89]

The Catholic school in my area was true-blue - huge emphasis on praying, religion class, and church attendance, taught sex-ed in a strictly “don’t do it (if you do anyway…well good luck, we’re washing our hands of you)” sort of way - typical of good old catholicism…yet the school had higher rates of drug use, pregnancy, as well as lower SAT scores than almost all the public schools in the area. School only has so much emphasis…home life is the biggest influence on morality. So many people from there are just downright mean people too - they have called me poor to my face. Yet I have one friend who is wonderful, brilliant, raised in a traditional home, but oops he’s gay…guess he’s immoral after all…I don’t get the hang-up on gayness just as a side note.

 

[turtleoompa]

My children go to public school because we can’t afford the local catholic school tuition (almost 500 per month). Public schools are really bad morally where I live. My husband teaches confirmation CCD at our church. We have a wonderful program. Grades 9, 10 11 attend. They go thru 8 classes taught over this period. It preceeds the 6 pm Mass on Sundays. Class titles such as The Church, Jesus, MORALITY, saints, prayer, etc. My husband is offering to teach another class titled APPOLOGETICS. He even takes the kids thru the church and explains everything in it physically. Most people don’t know about the relics, etc. It is an eye opener for the parents too. We need to get involved in our local parishes and help our children flourish in our beautiful religion. WE need to be good examples to combat the secular world out there. Morality has gone in the toilet!

 

[JudieK]

My children go to public school because we can’t afford the local catholic school tuition (almost 500 per month). Public schools are really bad morally where I live. My husband teaches confirmation CCD at our church. We have a wonderful program. Grades 9, 10 11 attend. They go thru 8 classes taught over this period. It preceeds the 6 pm Mass on Sundays. Class titles such as The Church, Jesus, MORALITY, saints, prayer, etc. My husband is offering to teach another class titled APPOLOGETICS. He even takes the kids thru the church and explains everything in it physically. Most people don’t know about the relics, etc. It is an eye opener for the parents too. We need to get involved in our local parishes and help our children flourish in our beautiful religion. WE need to be good examples to combat the secular world out there. Morality has gone in the toilet!

I agree that the biggest factor in your child’s formation is the FAMILY. Public school kids can do just fine if they are in a devout Catholic family that learns the faith and practices it together. I would not limit their faith education to the Rel. Ed program, though. (And if your kids go to Catholic school, don’t limit it to what they do in school + mass on Sunday). There are wonderful resources available to go much deeper with your kids than the CCD class ever will. We use the Ignatius Press Faith and Life Series and read a chapter about every other day. There are also something called “Friendly Defenders” cards (or something like that) that teach kids the basic apologetic arguments for the faith. I leave nothing in anyone else’s hands. But I also teach Religion in my parish, because I hope that a rigorous class will at least whet the appetite of some of my students. We are in a spiritual war here… we all need to help one another! What will shake the lukewarm Catholics from their complaceny and make them realize that they MUST get involved in forming the faith of their children (and their own)??? It can get so frustrating sometimes, but when I get discouraged, I remember St. Paul’s exhortation to keep running the good race.

 

[DrivingReport]

I am a Catholic High School Student right now at the moment. I am going into my Junior Year!

So far in my Experience as a Student, I love my Catholic High School! In realation to the question, there is mass once in a while, about twice a year for one specific grade (For example: Grade Nine Mass) and there are two masses that are school wide if not at least three (Opening of the School Year, Advent, Closing of the School Year).

There is also Rosary in the Chapel (We have Chapel in our School) on Mondays during Lunch-hour. I go to that now (I have not got around to pray the Rosary every day)

Christian Ethic Classes (That is right, they are called Christian Ethics) are pretty good. In my Sophomore Year (This past school year) we learned about Jesus Christ and stuff. Last year (My Freshman Year) we learned about our relationship with God and such. I am not sure what I will be learning in September this year (Christian Ethics is actually a required class to graduate, and there is one for every grade.)

As for the teachers, well, where I am you have to be Catholic to teach in the Catholic School System. The teachers are pretty good. Obviously, the ones who talk Religion the most are the ones in Christian Ethics classes. Some of the teachers talk about their religion (Catholicsm) while others, are not as outspoken about their faith and keep it more private and personal. It really all depends on the subject that they are teaching.

Of course our School does have problems like the usual drugs, cigarette smokers and such, but these things are more shrouded in darkness, that is, the kids are not as public with it.

We also have a Pro-Life and Anti-Premarital Sex programs at our school that are done in the Christian Ethics classes.

As an answer to the original question it all depends. I think it does help, though I know plenty of people who are Catholic but choose to homeschool their kids anyway. Of course, it all depends on the teachers and their peers. It also depends on the religious life at home.

 

[JustAnotherThou]

Why are we always trying to put the blame on schools? Public, Catholic, Christian, Private… whatever.
When are we going to take respondsibility to raise our children ourselves?

Paul

[SIGN]Amen[/SIGN]

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

OP- Try NORC. They do all sorts of studies, and some of them are on Catholic schools in general, and Catholic high schools in particular.

 

[PaulinVA]

Mike, since you are in school, you know that to answer this question you have to decide what you mean by “moral development”. I’m sure you mean positively effect moral development. How do you measure that?

Your study also has to take into account the kind of people that send their kids to Catholic school. Are they predisposed to be more moral or less moral? How does the home environment effect moral choices? How much can be solely attributed to the school?

You have your hands full on this one. If you can find a study that withstands scrutiny it would be welcomed by a lot of people here who have questions in this regard.