Question for the non-Catholics

[Atlanta_Jen]

Well, there wasn’t an option for me in the poll (Neopagan UU), so I wasn’t represented in the poll, but answered that a Catholic school with solid academics would not automatically be out of the running and might be preferable to many of the other (less expensive) Christian schools in our area.

Karen, thank you for your reply. I only had 10 options available, otherwise I would have included more options. I do value your (name removed by moderator)ut!!

 

[Greg27]

Well, education in the States in general has been seriously underwhelming lately – illiteracy is on the rise, our students are getting soundly whipped by those of other countries in math and science, the English language is deteriorating with the rise of text messaging, grown people can’t find Iraq on a map, and so on and so forth. So I suppose it’s really no surprise that parochial schools are following suit; I’m just disappointed, knowing what the Church has done for education in the past. Dragging Europe through the Middle Ages was quite an accomplishment in that regard!

Catholic schools have been rightly famous for the quality of their education for a long, long time – it’s hard to beat a legacy of intellectualism and scholasticism that kept literacy alive after the fall of Rome, gave the world Augustine, Ambrose, Anselm, Aquinas, Albertus Magnus (and that’s just getting started on the As!). But more and more I see that spirit of intellect and questioning being shoved aside and repressed. It’s disheartening

I agree; the relativism and nihilism, along with the shallowness and superificiality of much ‘post-industrial’ society is quite disheartening. The West has a wonderful tradition of science, literature, art, religion and philosophy which is a crowning achievement of humankind, which certainly stands on par with those of Asia and the Middle East. Hopefully in an age of decline and decadence there will be a powerful renewal of Western culture, perhaps helped by the infusion of some of the riches of Asia’s philosophical heritage in particular.

 

[Atlanta_Jen]

Thank you everyone for your replies! This helps me greatly!!

 

[Kitty_Chan]

This may “bug” you all (cause its 'free") but in Canada at least in Alberta, its the public and Catholic schools that are public. You state on your city taxes which you support and the money goes there.

the christian private schools are run by various churches, there is a Lutheran and various non church schools that are all private.

Then there is French Immersion which my son attended, but on the english side with french classes.

Just to give everyone a peek

 

[Atlanta_Jen]

This may “bug” you all (cause its 'free") but in Canada at least in Alberta, its the public and Catholic schools that are public. You state on your city taxes which you support and the money goes there.

the christian private schools are run by various churches, there is a Lutheran and various non church schools that are all private.

Then there is French Immersion which my son attended, but on the english side with french classes.

Just to give everyone a peek

Darn, that DOES bug me, because funding is such a headache right now.

 

[Kitty_Chan]

well free being a bit of a term the taxes are divided, it still means endless sell a thons, and fund raisers etc. And I believe now I think of it one of the christian school has gone public too.

Mind you public and private are still subject to provincial standards of education.

 

[lak611]

Now is it any catholic or specifically the catholics who belong to the church that has the school?

I know my former baptist church gave me a cut for my son because we were members of that particular church. I actually left the church in Jan((4 years ago). but I was able to keep him there until June(4 years ago) and still got my discount.

A fellow that I used to work with sent his children to a Catholic school (he was Methodist). His other choice was a Baptist school, but they would not allow him to send his children there unless he joined the church. The Catholic school did not require that he join the church, so he sent his children there. He wanted to send his children to a Christian school, not a public school. He chose the Catholic school because they were more accomadating.

 

[lak611]

well free being a bit of a term the taxes are divided, it still means endless sell a thons, and fund raisers etc. And I believe now I think of it one of the christian school has gone public too.

Mind you public and private are still subject to provincial standards of education.

Have the Christian schools been forced to water down their teachings to conform to the public school standards?

 

[Gareth]

It would have been interesting to put Athiest / Not Theist in the list of options.

I chose Anglican, I guess thats what I am in a way a Anglican Agnostic / Athiest

(that’s bound to get up someone’s nose… but everyone knows what I mean… )

a catholic school would be prefereable to me over a state school

 

[Zooey]

This may “bug” you all (cause its 'free") but in Canada at least in Alberta, its the public and Catholic schools that are public. You state on your city taxes which you support and the money goes there.

the christian private schools are run by various churches, there is a Lutheran and various non church schools that are all private.

Then there is French Immersion which my son attended, but on the english side with french classes.

Just to give everyone a peek

If only, if only…I think this sounds great. Mind you, I think that it would be more fair, if there was a non-Catholic Christian school in the “public” mix, but a Catholic Christian education as a free option to public school? Fantastic!!

 

[KarenNC]

Mind you public and private are still subject to provincial standards of education.

For those who wish we had this in the US, note the last line in particular. Be careful, you might get what you wish for. There is no purse without strings attached. What I am hearing on this forum is that folks would value the Catholic school precisely because it was different in some way from the local public schools.

With government funding comes government rules and government oversight—rules on what you can or have to teach, which books you can use, rules on hiring practices, rules on who you have to teach. Most private schools, religion-based or otherwise in our area do not serve children with special needs, for instance, while the public schools are required to do so–a potentially very expensive situation. Religion is not (supposed to be) a factor in the hiring of staff. Do you truly want your Catholic school subject to the same rules as the public schools? All of them?

I see a lot of homeschoolers in the US bemoaning the fact that we all still pay property taxes to support the public schools and wishing we could get a tax credit since we don’t send our kids. Personally, I don’t want it. I will not begrudge my tax support of the public schools as they are needed as an option and serve a purpose in our community, whether I use them or not. There are lots of folks who pay for education through taxes who do not currently use it (senior citizens, those without children, etc). I have talked with homeschoolers from at least some areas of Canada where they do have an option for receiving some government funding…if they are then willing to use the same curriculum, etc that the local public schools use and submit to government oversight.

I am not keen on government funding for homeschooling as I don’t want the government dictating my curriculum choices or other ways in which I choose to educate my child. If I thought they could do a better job than I can, she would be in public school. I would choose to forgo that in order to maintain my independence.

 

[KarenNC]

If only, if only…I think this sounds great. Mind you, I think that it would be more fair, if there was a non-Catholic Christian school in the “public” mix, but a Catholic Christian education as a free option to public school? Fantastic!!

In the US, at least, it would also have to include Jewish schools, Islamic schools, Buddhist schools, etc. Be sure you would think that using your tax dollars to support those schools would be equally fantastic before endorsing the idea too strongly.