As the new school year opens some questions about Catholic education are plaguing me.
I have always believed that the Catholic Church’s first obligation in education was the promulgating of the faith. The Archdiocese of Baltimore seems to take a different view. It is certainly laudable of the church to educate needy Catholic children. However, it is the government’s obligation to provide a free education for all children and they do.
The high cost of a Catholic education is quite daunting for many middle and lower income Catholic parents. In most cases it is the only reason their children are attending public rather than Catholic schools. Those interested in having their children instructed in their faith take a once-a-week class. These classes of course are not free but definitely more affordable than Catholic schools.
Since the church should be looking into the future, this seems very shortsighted. Where are we going to get the priests, nuns and educators for the next generation? This current policy of educating non-Catholics seems rather self-defeating.
I do have a personal agenda as a 12-year student of Catholic schools (Insititute of Notre Dame, Class of 1962) and the grandmother of four who are being raised Catholic while attending public schools.
My view is shared by many other Catholics. Let’s start spending our money to educate Catholic children and put Catholic education back in our Catholic schools.