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Among my family and friends, those that send their kids to a religious school rarely do it for the religion. The reasons I've seen:
sports
new atmosphere
unnecessary fear of public schools
status
racism
When my husband and I were first married, we lived in a condoplex where our neighbors thought we were loaded because we graduated college and now had a dual income. Those same people sent their kids to private schools thinking the public schools were the reason they didn't go to college and their kids would be better for it. They were flabbergasted when we told them we were public school grads - even the same school some of them went to.
The most common reason I've seen is better academics. I went to an exclusive Episcopal private school as a child. The academic program was terrific. But we happened to be Episcopalians already. The school required students to be confirmed Episcopalians because we had religious services every morning. I don't know if that requirement has changed, but knowing how conservative the school is, it probably hasn't.
The most common reason I've seen is better academics. I went to an exclusive Episcopal private school as a child. The academic program was terrific. But we happened to be Episcopalians already. The school required students to be confirmed Episcopalians because we had religious services every morning. I don't know if that requirement has changed, but knowing how conservative the school is, it probably hasn't.
"Better academics" has always been the attempt at justifying private school for people. Around here, the parochial schools are no better (and often worse) than the public schools. The only schools better than the public schools are the super pricey ones going for $35,000 plus per year. That may not be the case in other areas, but I'm usually skeptical when people tell me the public schools in their area are bad...especially when they've never set foot in them.
"Better academics" has always been the attempt at justifying private school for people. Around here, the parochial schools are no better (and often worse) than the public schools. The only schools better than the public schools are the super pricey ones going for $35,000 plus per year. That may not be the case in other areas, but I'm usually skeptical when people tell me the public schools in their area are bad...especially when they've never set foot in them.
Each school is different. Here in Texas, our public school system is horrible overall, so the private schools' claim of offering better academic programs is usually accurate. Besides, considering all the worthless items parents throw away on their kids (video games, junk food) sending them to a good private school is a great investment, IMO.
My parents and I are atheists and I nearly went to a Catholic hs. Actually I had two as options. My reason was I hated my hometown hs / school system with such a passion that my parents considered it as an option to send me to instead of staying in my hometown. I wasn't thrilled with the option of going to a Catholic hs or an all girls Catholic school. I think that's what it was...or that one was private. I ended up going to a Technical school and had a good experience there. Now I'm in university and am a Religious Studies major and Political Studies minor. I've also always had an interest in studying religion, anthropology, politics, history, and philosophy so it probably wouldn't have been a bad option for me to go to a Catholic hs. I'm respectful of other's beliefs and am interested in learning about them, and nearly all the atheists I've met feel similarly. Actually, a lot of atheists are Religious Studies majors. Kind of funny.
Other reasons could be parents trying to get a better education for their child if they are in an area with a bad school system, for sports, or for university.
I went to a sacred heart Catholic school. my classmates were mainly Catholic, but also Protestant, Hindu, muslim and Jewish. It was a very welcoming school for other cultures and religions, and I'm glad I was exposed to all that. Still, I grew up to be atheist.
I went to a sacred heart Catholic school. my classmates were mainly Catholic, but also Protestant, Hindu, muslim and Jewish. It was a very welcoming school for other cultures and religions, and I'm glad I was exposed to all that. Still, I grew up to be atheist.
I attended a Lutheran college where the majority of students who identified with a particular religious background at all were actually Catholic. My husband was a Catholic who went to a Baptist university founded by missionaries to a Plains Indian nation.
Religious people are afraid of their children being "converted". I have never met a atheist who harbors the same fear of pursuit of knowledge and religion.
They exist. My brother is a committed and vocal atheist. One day my sister spent some time talking to his children about her beliefs in Jesus, and brother was absolutely livid. He spent a long time chewing her out, telling her she had no business saying anything about God or Jesus to his kids, and then "de-briefed" the kids.
Both kids, now grown, had problems with public school. Brother ended up pulling his son out and homeschooling him, and sending his daughter to a private, secular all-girls school. I am 100% sure that he would only have sent them to a religious school over his dead body.
That said, there are certainly atheists in religious schools. I went to a Christian high school and knew atheist kids there.
Seeing how your Australian, you're forgiven for not understanding how deplorable conditions are in some school districts here in the US. There is simply no learning taking place in such schools, so if you want to educate your child, it's either private religious schools or home-schooling.
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