For Catholics! Do you think the education part of Catholic grade school is better than public?

Question

I'm torn between keeping my kids in the local catholic school vs. public. Our public school system is Fantastic from what I hear, and it would help us save for our 3 kids college Ed. so much more.
They are currently in catholic and my oldest is in 4th grade. Should we pull them out? What do you think?

Answer 1

In my opinion:

Catholic schools provide a good moral and religious base for children. As a rule they are also safer than public schools.

Educationally, most of them are about average. Some are exceptional and very few are dismal. Your school and/or diocese should have some test scores for comparison.

In general, Catholic schools do a good job with average and above average kids.

However the resources of most Catholic schools are limited. If students need extra attention due to being way over or way under average, then their needs may not be properly met.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Good luck with this question! We wrestle with it yearly. My husband, who is not Catholic, wonders why we are spending perfectly good $ to send our son to Catholic school when there is an excellent public school down the block. I don't think there is any simple comparison between the two, or that you can say clearly that one is better than the other. In some ways, the public school offers more advantages: definitely has more resources and a far greater extracurricular program. On the other hand, I like the close attention the kids receive in the Catholic school, and the very clear demarcation between right and wrong. None of this nonsense about rotten language or bullying being "a bad choice." If something is wrong, it is wrong, period. I think the days of Catholic school teachers terrorizing and humiliating children are long gone -- parents won't put up with this kind of thing. I wish you and your children the very best of luck in whatever you decide! God bless.

Answer 3

Do not only think about the education, but the people running the programs.
I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. I think the education was pretty much the same as it was in the public schools but many of the teachers were evil and the upper staff was incompetent. No exaggeration. My best friend was told by our 5th grade teacher that Jesus could never love a child like her. Many teachers took great delight in humiliating children. Nothing was done about it. I left Catholicism because of that school.
20 years later, I am told that the present staff is very different and many kids enjoy going there.
I guess what I am saying is listen to your kids. Listen to their problems and pooh-pooh nothing they bring to you. If they are thriving in the Catholic school, let them be. If only one of your kids is doing well there, then move the others to the public school and let the one stay.
If you are getting any red flag warnings from either the Catholic school or the public school, listen to them and think it over carefully.
You also want to consider the fact that public schools may teach your kids things that are contradictory to the Catholic teachings. I'm not for or against that. You know best what you want for your kids.

Answer 4

I feel that Catholic colleges are tremendous, due to the fact that so much will provide a well schooling of different religions and practices, as good as instructing the pupil the best way to reside a well Catholic existence. If the pupil then comes to a decision that he's an atheist, or that his ideals lie external of the Catholic faith, then a minimum of he's given the danger to make an knowledgeable determination, and I admire that he has viewed his choices and made his possess determination. Nothing annoys me greater than ignorant folks - atheist or or else - who haven't any substance to the determination they've made.

Answer 5

I went to Catholic school from the first grade through the eighth and I am glad I did. When I went to a public high school I knew much more than most students. If I have the money when my kids go to school I would definitely send them. It is also the effort you put in as a parent that helps as well. So my answer is yes.

Answer 6

It depends. I too went to a catholic school. But when I transferred to a public school things got a bit harder. So again it depends on the school. I think public and catholic school are both great.

Answer 7

I believe the Catholic school offers a better education (and less students per teacher, too). My kids are in Catholic school, and they are thriving academically. My wife's friend is a teacher in our town's public Middle School, and she brought the seventh grade math book home for us to look at. My daughter, who is in seventh, is at least a year ahead in math at the Catholic school compared to the public school curriculum.

Answer 8

I'm in a private school and i feel that religion class is valuable history and ethics lesson i don't think you should pull out your kids
when i went to public school i took CCD which comparing it to my current religion class i found my current class a much better experience

Answer 9

The thing about church and state is...

You gotta keep 'em separated!

But, seriously. It depends on the school and of course it depends on your kids! Education takes teachers + students.

From my experience, Catholic high school girls get in a lot of trouble.

As you know, Education is a lot more than school anyway. I'd say don't hide them away in some system that separates itself from the rest of society. Let them learn with people of all faiths from all walks of life.

Answer 10

The quality of education in private Catholic schools is FAR BETTER than any public school. Me and my kids are proof-positive !!!