Catholic schools see first enrollment hike in two decades

[Kamaji]

Catholic schools see first enrollment hike in two decades

By Selim Algar
February 24, 2022

It’s a miracle!

National Catholic school enrollment increased by 3.8 percent this year, officials said, marking the first hike in parochial students in two decades.

Demand began to mount during the pandemic-impacted 2020-2021 school year, where most Catholic dioceses offered in-person classes while many public schools did not.

Catholic schools added 62,000 kids to their rolls this academic year, according to data from the National Catholic Schools Education Association.

The total parochial population is now 1.68 million kids across the country.

The draw of stable full-time schooling attracted a surge of new applications and students in recent years, local Catholic school administrators told The Post.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/02/24/catholic-schools-see-first-enrollment-hike-in-two-decades/

[GtHawk]

Unfortunately just because it's a Catholic school doesn't mean it will taught by people of the faith or with the traditional values, there have been plenty of stories about liberal and gay teachers pushing their agendas even there. Of course I may be a tad prejudiced having gone to a Catholic school through third grade overseen by a physically abusive Msgr. McGuiness who made semi annual trips to the old country, AKA the alcoholic ward at the local hospital.

[verga]

Unfortunately just because it's a Catholic school doesn't mean it will taught by people of the faith or with the traditional values, there have been plenty of stories about liberal and gay teachers pushing their agendas even there. Of course I may be a tad prejudiced having gone to a Catholic school through third grade overseen by a physically abusive Msgr. McGuiness who made semi annual trips to the old country, AKA the alcoholic ward at the local hospital.

Sadly you are correct. And the same can be said for some for the non-Catholic Christian schools. There is a school down here that is supposed to be "Following Christ's mission to the World". Only if you want to have your kid come out as a complete atheist.

[Kamaji]

Unfortunately just because it's a Catholic school doesn't mean it will taught by people of the faith or with the traditional values, there have been plenty of stories about liberal and gay teachers pushing their agendas even there. Of course I may be a tad prejudiced having gone to a Catholic school through third grade overseen by a physically abusive Msgr. McGuiness who made semi annual trips to the old country, AKA the alcoholic ward at the local hospital.

True enough.  However, in NYC at least, the catholic schools provide a very nice alternative to either the public schools - some of which are atrocious, depending on the neighborhood one lives in - and the nonreligious private schools, which are hideously expensive, and very left-wing.

Our child went to a NYC parochial school up through 3rd grade, at which point we left NYC for the suburbs on L.I.; her schooling was pretty good all things considered.

[GtHawk]

True enough.  However, in NYC at least, the catholic schools provide a very nice alternative to either the public schools - some of which are atrocious, depending on the neighborhood one lives in - and the nonreligious private schools, which are hideously expensive, and very left-wing.

Our child went to a NYC parochial school up through 3rd grade, at which point we left NYC for the suburbs on L.I.; her schooling was pretty good all things considered.

Don't get me wrong private/parochial schools as a rule deliver a better education, but just because a school is connected to a religion it is no guarantee of conservative or even Christian training to go along with it. We have for years seen the socializing of religious institutions for year from universities on down. Even back in the early two thousands I was seeing it while working at religious universities, Mount St. Mary's a private institution in Brentwood, CA was well on it's way to the left while Biola University in La Mirada, Ca refused to accept any government funding so they could tell the State and Feds to take a hike when they tried to push liberal social agendas.

[Kamaji]

Don't get me wrong private/parochial schools as a rule deliver a better education, but just because a school is connected to a religion it is no guarantee of conservative or even Christian training to go along with it. We have for years seen the socializing of religious institutions for year from universities on down. Even back in the early two thousands I was seeing it while working at religious universities, Mount St. Mary's a private institution in Brentwood, CA was well on it's way to the left while Biola University in La Mirada, Ca refused to accept any government funding so they could tell the State and Feds to take a hike when they tried to push liberal social agendas.

One always has to get to know the school itself, in detail, before committing to it.  Labels are indicative, but not determinative.

[jafo2010]

I spent eight years in a Roman Catholic elementary school.  Great for manners and proper behavior, but grossly deficient in advanced math, science, foreign languages, etc.  I felt so behind versus public school kids when I went to a public high school, and I lived in a very nice suburban community.  Just not adequate in the education they provide.

[Kamaji]

I spent eight years in a Roman Catholic elementary school.  Great for manners and proper behavior, but grossly deficient in advanced math, science, foreign languages, etc.  I felt so behind versus public school kids when I went to a public high school, and I lived in a very nice suburban community.  Just not adequate in the education they provide.

I guess it really varies from parish to parish.  My child went to a catholic school in NYC from pre-school to third grade, and when we moved out of NYC to LI, she was ahead of the other kids in 4th grade in math, science, and language.  The only real deficiency she had was in music - the catholic school in NYC didn't have music programs the way that the LI public schools do.