What are the benefits of sending my child to a Catholic school?

[MrsFusco]

I currently homeschool my kindergartner because we lead a very simple life and have a lot of beliefs that do not follow the mainstream path (vegan, no TV, no superheroes, no violent toys). However, my health has been very poor and I am afraid my son is not getting the education or interaction he needs. We live on a military base so if I put him in public school he will go with other military children. Another option is a private Catholic school. It is very expensive ($502 a month) and my family would struggle to pay the tuition.

I’m worried about the types of things introduced to my son at such an early age. What do you think are the benefits of Catholic school? Would it be wrong to send him if it caused a financial burden on our family?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I can only advise you to check out the schools (both the public and Catholic school) carefully and determine whether either is right for your son. A bad Catholic school can be even worse for children than a superior public or secular private school because children may be badly catechized in their faith by a Catholic school that is not orthodox. You may also wish to find out if there are any local Catholic homeschooling groups in your area that could provide you support and your child interaction with peers his own age.

I think your main concern should be whether your family should pay for your son’s education with money or with your health. If one of the local schools can provide a quality education for your son, it may be worth a monetary sacrifice to send him there (and supplement his religious education on your own). If none of the schools can provide a good education for your son, then you may prefer to strategize how you can continue to homeschool him within the limitations of your health concerns.