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I went to Catholic school from k-9th grade. The high school I attended in 9th grade was awful so my parents allowed me to transfer to public school. I actually do think that I received a better education (except in 9th grade) at Catholic schools. I barely lifted a finger in high school, with a few exceptions, and made straight As. The same amount of effort gave me Bs and even Cs in Catholic school. And I was able to bypass sophomore biology since I had taken it as a freshman and go right into Chemistry my sophomore year when I transferred, putting me a year ahead in science.
I went to a Catholic grade school and a public high school. Even though my grade school experience was fine, I much preferred high school. Spiritually, Catholic school teaches you just about enough to be apathetic towards organized religion. Educationally, it will always depend on the school. At the end of the day, college is totally different than lower education anyway. Unless you attend to an absolutely superb institution, the preparatory difference for it will be minimal.
While not I am not Catholic, I've always been impressed by the Jesuit school of thought in regard to education and social justice, and if I had the opportunity for a child of mine to attend a Jesuit school, I'd not have a problem with it.
I think the Jesuits are overrated. But that's my opinion.
I went to a catholic school from K to 7th grade. The nuns were pretty nutty for the most part. I have some good memories , funny ones, but overall it wasn't anything I 'd recommend! The education part was pretty good, but the neuroses of the nuns overrid the education part. There was a big theme going on, fear & more fear--how could that be healthy? Partly a sign of the then times. Currently I'm non religious, somewhat of an agnostic.
Oh, wow, it wouldn't be appropriate to go into it here. They tend to run the better universities (Georgetown, Santa Clara, Marquette, Fordham) but then Notre Dame is Holy Cross.
I attended Catholic school in 5th and 6th grade. My dad took my brother and I out of public school, partly because I was being bullied and partly because he did not want us to be indoctrinated with liberal values. The way it works in the Duluth area is that several parishes have Catholic elementaries, which run through pre-K ("K1") to 6th grade and two go through eighth grade, but there's no Catholic high school.
Only one, if I recall correctly, had some religious still on their staff. My school consisted completely of secular teachers, at least a few of whom weren't even Catholic.
We went to Holy Mass on Wednesday, prayed the rosary and/or did Stations of the Cross about weekly, and had religion classes daily, which excused us from having to attend CCD ("Sunday school").
It wasn't religion, but rather class size, that shocked me most. I came from a school with class sizes of about 150 per grade; not incredibly large, but not small either. At my Catholic school, the grades had anywhere from 4 to 15 per class. Fifth and sixth grades were combined for most classes (which were taught by one teacher). Parents, as part of their volunteering (to reduce their children's tuition), drove students in their private vehicles to field trips; the teacher also took students in his private car. I remember driving to a few field trips with other students in my then stay-at-home-mom's 15-seater van. Parents volunteered in other places, too; my mom often acted as the lunch lady, and another student's father, a Lutheran pastor, occasionally supervised recess. My dad did pro-bono (or at least decreased-rate) construction work for them. Of course, parents often volunteer for public schools, too, but it seemed like the parents did more at my Catholic school.
Teachers tended to be fresh out of school, or partly altruistic in their job choices; the school paid a pittance, as the school/parish's budget was small. One teacher, I hear, taught for free. If anything, I would say the teachers were more laid-back; for example, we threw a completely student-organized "early birthday party" for my teacher there one May day, despite his birthday being in August. It lasted the entire afternoon.
Most students took the surrounding public school district's bus system to school, although the school had one bus of its own to pick students who lived beyond range of that school district. They played on their sports teams, ate the same lunches, and were provided, if needed, with special education (IEP) by them.
I think my "culture shock" in the Catholic schools wasn't so much a matter of religion or strictness as it was the miniscule size of the school and classes.
We moved to a city where I was and am not comfortable with the schools so I researched our options. Private would have run 60K for the two. Yeah right...
The Catholic HS was well thought of.
I did the un-thinkable and enrolled them. I had always has a fear of Catholic schools having heard horror stories. This school is not like this at all!
It's been 2 years now and my eldest just graduated. They both like the school very much. Made some good friends, met some amazingly good teachers. And some unusual ones.
The weakest part of the school is the guidance department who routinely only recommends local or Catholic colleges.
To many Masses - a mass for every occasion. However, that's about it. It is a Catholic School so I guess that is their right.
Theology class varies. My son loved his 11th grade Theology Class - lot's of arguments and exchange of opinions. My daughter's theology class was more ...orthodox, but she survived..
No class imposes the Catholic Faith on students. They need to know it and take the test and pass. But not believe it.
AP classes are abundant and 99% of my son's graduation class is college bound.
Just thought I'd let those of you who attended and hated it, know what is going on now.
My son's FAVORITE teacher is a sister, which is pretty incredible.
Order's of nuns vary. The most progressive at the school seem to be ones with these letters after their names - SSIHM.
Their are only a few priests and they are Holy Cross. The school seems to be loosely connected to Holy Cross College.
Oh, wow, it wouldn't be appropriate to go into it here. They tend to run the better universities (Georgetown, Santa Clara, Marquette, Fordham) but then Notre Dame is Holy Cross.
Yeah, still not getting how quality focus on academics would make a group overrated, but am open to discussing it via PM. Although I confess that I am unclear on how a discussion regarding Catholic education would be somehow inappropriate on a thread about...wait for it...Catholic education.
No class imposes the Catholic Faith on students. They need to know it and take the test and pass. But not believe it.
Similar to my experience in a Lutheran parochial college...religion requirement (one semester in four years), but the class needn't be of a Lutheran focus...or Christian, for that matter. No imposition of a particular faith...nobody really cared what you believed. There was daily chapel, but it was not required, and the chapel itself was nondenominational.
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