The Shutting of Tradition: Is Education better off without Catholic Schools?
James DuganYou learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.
St. Frances De Sales
This quote is from the patron saint of one of the schools the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is closing Plans to shut 2 Catholic schools prompt sadness. This closing hits close to home since Northeast Catholic High School was my brother and friends’ high school. The recent articles have done little to dissuade the alumni that these closings are not about greed and abandonment. I have been fascinated by the comments below each article that have pitted the public school supporters vs. Catholic school supporters, those who loved the school vs. those who hated the school, the good Catholics vs. the lapsed Catholics, city vs. the church, and pretty much everyone vs. the priests. It is hard to be confronted with so much misunderstanding of institutions and entities that have existed side by side, especially when the subject is about education, the perceived highest value in the 21st century.
What is the real value of Catholic education? This is the question I propose. Education is a vehicle to understanding the values and information needed for the new generation to succeed in a particular society. “Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” Rabbinical saying Tradition has been the reason many of us were sent to Catholic schools. This is not a wrong idea. Every education needs a framework for perspective. The familiarity of the system and the knowledge of the concepts presented offer a comfort to the parents that they can play an active role in the development of the children. Tradition is an important connection between parents and children, and in the closing schools’ traditions, between grandparents and grandchildren. Parents choose an active role in giving the children their education, and thus make them more involved in the process of development. The framework provides a universal goal and from that goal all learning takes place in shared values. This is a valuable goal because it is reinforced in the parish, home and school, and by repetition it is ingrained in every subject matter of the student. This ingrained system, based in discipline and learning to improve the life of the people around us, is the pride that many people carry and the reason why so many feel so angry that their schools are closing.
In contrast, Public education does not have a central or core value that is offered to every student. You go to the school you happen to be born near. You go to be educated in any way the school board at the time feels is appropriate. You learn separate subjects and their values based on the area. It is like playing 18 holes of golf on 18 separate courses. Public education’s value is to value education itself as the sole purpose of good. It is laboratory of preparation for the work force and citizenship of America. The final product can not be assessed on leaving its doors, but much later if they succeed using the inquiry approach that the school installed. Catholic education is a means in itself. The product they create is easily determined by the end of the formation, because in every action and success, only one core element is important, have you become a new vehicle of the Catholic belief system.
The two systems of education are very different and display their glaring differences. One is a system of indoctrination that the parents and institution choose for the children because of their perceived essential foundation of core values. The other system provides an openness that allows the student to decide what is important based on their experiences, tendencies and future possibilities. The choice is valuable in society and has produced positive and negative results. With the closing of Catholic schools, the rising cost of education system in the private sector, and the advent of public supported charter schools, we may be forced to choose only the public sector. Society always loses when we lose our choices for ourselves and our children.
Finally, I want to address the issue of the closing of two inner city schools in areas of decline. If the neighborhood, local parishes and alumni can not support their traditional schools, they should close. Catholic education only works if it celebrates their core value system and is supported by a local community. I am surprised that no one has mentioned the teachers of the 1200 hundred children that will be out of work, or will force others in the system to be laid off. I would reason that it is another 100 professionals who will be looking for jobs in an economy that is hurting. The two schools being inner city, I would reason that most of the teachers live in the city and will become another negative impact of the closing. Also, the two buildings are large and will be vacant. They will be another large and concrete example of urban blight and flight. They will stand as another reminder of the city’s past, a vibrant and diverse community of neighborhoods, and what it has become, a poverty stricken victim of economic and racial apartheid.
So good bye North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty. Thank you for everything you have done for our communities. Your closing is our loss; two more Philadelphia traditions set in a history book.
Reader Comments (3)
Again, so much to think about. These closings come, coincidentally, at the same time the Inquirer released its Report Card on the schools, which is really only the public schools. I have always been offended by the Inquirer's neglect of the Catholic schools throughout the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey area. It is a shame they do not perform a comparative study of student achievement of these institutions and determine which ones are helping their students more. By ignoring Catholic schools as a true educational institution, they created a sense of alienation and conflict between the public and catholic, which didn't need to exist. For years, I wished the two would collaborate to see if their strategies and ideas could benefit the other. However, foolish ideals.
I am uncertain as to the value of Catholic education, even though I am a graduate of an Archdiocesian school and so are all of my close friends. Most feel no allegiance to their alma maters and would not care if they shut down today, which I feel is a shame. However, you raise the point that if the community no longer wants these institutions or no longer depends on them, then why should they exist? The logical, economic answer is they shouldn't. They will become specialized, preparatory schools where parents can spend tens of thousands of dollars to acquire the Catholic ideals of modesty, frugality, and piety. This will only extend the social class, religious divide that exists in this city, as you said. Back to your question though, I don't think the Catholic schools can assess their impact by the time the students graduate. The ultimate test is if these graduates some day do what their parents did and make the sacrifice to send them to their respective schools, placing their religion above any cost. The closings, due primarily to smaller and smaller enrollments indicate that the Catholic teachings have failed. People are not willing to pay for their values. The tuition of these schools was $5000 a year. $20,000 before you've even started college is a huge expense to consider for what is still a primarily working, middle-class group of patrons.
I think with all things, history will let us know if we were wrong to abandon the Church that has been more influential in the growth and spread of education. Twenty years from now we'll have to raise this question again to see if these artifacts actually wielded some meaningful power.
Your final point, about the teachers losing their jobs is just another reflection of the Inquirer's inept reporting. These people have dedicated their lives to the greatest of callings, for the most pathetic of payments. The fact that the Inquirer did not address this fact thoroughly is an absolute disgrace.
As far as I know the Archdiocese does not provide SAT scores to the Inquirer for that report. The private Catholic schools do provide this. Otherwise that report does recognize Catholic Schools - look at the 2008 report - it lists enrollment, AP classes, % of kid staking the SATs, % of kids who go to 4 year universities and 2 year schools. It lists everything else (minus PSSA's because Catholic schools in Philly do not take them) that it lists for the other schools - just not the SATs. My biggest question has always been WHY? Why does the Arch Diocese not release those scores?
While I don't want to go bad mouthing the catholic school system, my personal experience has been that the education my children received in Catholic school was mediocre. It wasn't bad, but it was not at all progressive or competitive with the suburban public school they now attend.
Before people come and bash, just know that it was a tough tough decision for our family to move and take that leap to put our kids in public school. We had one with special needs that made it a little easier but it was still hard. Everyone of my children who received 90s on their report card went to public school and were behind once they got there. It's been 2 years and I am still amazed at the difference.
This all being said, I know there are some very caring teachers in Catholic school. I know that there are children who will come out of those schools and do great. But, Catholic schools do not hold the key to turning out fine young men and women. We as families have a huge responsibility here, it's not all about the school. From what I can see there is not a whole lot of difference from public school kids and catholic school kids, much as many of us would like to think (I used to be one who snubbed my nose at publics).
Thanks for the comments. MaryM, I hope I did not suggest one education system is better than another. I do believe that in the city, the draw of Catholic schools was at times a form of segregation that people chose, but also existed as a neighborhood tradition of pride. The public schools have a tremendous amount of money and resources to prepare the students and they continue to provide a fine education because of the dedication of teachers and administrators who are determined to make a viable and universal education possible.
I always have been disturbed that there were two systems in the city that seemed to exist side by side, but never in competition. We only met on Thanksgiving football games and even then we were divided by a huge line of misunderstanding. As all choices in the city seem to shrinking in the neighborhoods, I feel this is another example of how the city today resembles less of the city I grew up in.
When I went to college, the public school students and Catholic school students were indistinguishable. Parents are the essential role in making a good education for their children. It is their motivation that installs the values of education and morals. For many of us, Catholic schools provided that formation and like a death of a loved one, their passing should be acknowledge as a loss by the city, instead of a inevitable end.
Thanks for both comments.