I'm non-denominational, but cannot afford Christian school - how is Catholic?

Question

my 5yr old daughter was going to Salvation Army Daycare for almost 3 yrs. I'm now on maternity leave & have her in public school for Sr. Kindergarten. Our neighbour had her 5yr old daughter in same daycare & now same public school. She wants to put her daughter into Catholic school next year for grade 1. Since we both have babies, & are due back to work same time, she was going to return to work & have me watch her baby boy & take her daughter to school & pick up. My sister lives upstairs in the house we live in & her kids go to the public school. I'm not sure which to put my daughter in next year. Should I go to the trouble of getting my hubby's batism certificate (his parents are Catholic) & enroll her in Catholic school with her best friend? or leave her in the public with her cousins? She is VERY smart and seems to be way ahead of the other kids in her class now, & I heard the Catholic school was a better education. HELP! Both same distance to walk.

I should maybe mention this is in Ontario Canada - and THANK YOU in advance for ALL replies. :-)

Answer 1

You need to contact the local Catholic schools in year area and see what they say. I wouldn't go through all that trouble if you can't get her in anyway.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

My experience is with US Catholic and public schools; I am not sure if Canadian school systems are different.

Find out WHY the Catholic school is "better." Many people have different ideas of what makes a school better - some value a variety of non-core classes, or an adherence to core "traditional" classes, or fun, flexible kid-friendly teachers, or "old-school" teachers who command respect...you can see these aspects are VERY different from each other.

Depending on the specific school, the Catholic school you have in mind may or may not have many class "options." Usually public schools will give you more of a variety (and more of a choice in teachers - Catholic schools often only have 1 or 2 teachers per grade level). There ARE of course exceptions, but I have found them to be rare.

Keep in mind that parochial (religious) schools will have one less class-period that is flexible; most have religion class for 30-60 minutes a day (depending on their age level).

Catholic schools (at least in the States) no longer can always claim superior academics they way they used to a generation or two ago. I have taught at 3 VERY different Catholic schools; one was FAR rougher than any public school where I have taught.

Find out more about each school and decide what environment is best for your daughter. Pushing too hard at an early age CAN be detrimental and frustrating (it's no fun being the smartest kid in a primary-aged class - the teacher often resents that you cause extra work and you end up bored).

Answer 3

I went to an excellent public elementary school in the 60s and was lucky enough to get a good foundation for my later education. The middle schools I went to weren't so hot, and my first semester in a public high school was a nightmare. I transferred to a Catholic high school, and I got a much better, and more intellectually satisfying, education. I was definitely ready for college when I graduated, and I was never bored as I had been in public school.
The most significant thing for me, at that time, was to be in a place where the faculty really cared about me as a human being first, and as a student, second.
Non-Catholics weren't required to take religion, except for comparative religion and the religions of the ancient Near East. Those classes were a great supplement to the social studies curriculum, and I really enjoyed them.
I recommend Catholic school for a very bright child because she WILL get a superior education, will be challenged intellectually, and will be unlikely to get bored.
You won't need a baptismal certificate; you don't need to be Catholic to enroll (I'm not Catholic)

Answer 4

I was enrolled in both the public and separate school systems in Ontario growing up. My advice to you would be to leave her where she is rather than uprooting her. The quality of education provided by both boards are comparable and she will not likely receive better or worse education in either one. Of course, much of this depends on the individual schools and staff there. As a child who was forced to change schools several times during the primary grades, I would say that unless the school she is going to now is really terrible, leave her there and try to uproot her and disrupt her school life as little as possible. She can still see her best friend outside of school and she will make new friends in school.

Answer 5

i dont know about Catholicschools in Canada.We have applied for a Catholic high school And the fees are reasonable and cater for low income famiies. Most do. Good luck.