I believe a Catholic education is better and less expensive than a public school education. Here are 2 salient reasons why:

1) Public schools must open their doors to all children by law. They must provide for the very brightest of students with excellent study habits, for the most disadvantaged of students with profound learning disabilities, for the most disadvantaged of students from low-income, government-dependent families, and for the most unlucky of students whose parents have horrific and destructive habits, including alcohol, drug and sex addictions as well as being sometimes unemployed, lazy and stupid.

If you think having to admit any and all levels of students raises a school’s average student SAT scores and associated test scores you are dead wrong.

Catholic schools are generally not set up to deal with students with extraordinary problems; they probably do not have, for example, a special education program and the staffing to support it.

Catholic schools do not have to admit any or all students who apply; they can test students and only admit those students without significant problems. This is why average test scores at Catholic schools will always be significantly higher than in public education schools.

2) Parents who send their children to Catholic schools pay all of the taxes that other parents pay to send their children to public schools, and they also pay the tuition required at Catholic schools, which is a significant investment that could amount to thousands of dollars more every year.

With this kind of monetary commitment from Catholic school parents, you can bet that when there is a problem with their child and the principal calls their parents, a parent is on the school doorstep quick time. Students get straightened out in a hurry by their parents.

Parents and teachers are generally both on the same page in Catholic schools, not allowing the student involved to play one against the other.

Catholic school parents know that if their child becomes a troublemaker because of attitude or behavioral problems, he or she can be kicked out of school or expelled in a heartbeat, and never be allowed to return.

Snotty, bratty, nasty, naughty, abusive, uncooperative children are shown the door so learning can continue to take place in a positive, upbeat, friendly, healthy environment. There are no guns, no alcohol, no drugs, no fighting and no filthy language allowed on campus. Period. Comply or be gone. Be good or be gone.

It is no revelation why the learning environment is more productive and the students are more protected from a liberal, secular progressive society that has all but eliminated God, discipline, accountability and manners from public school education. You reap what you sow.

Public school teachers and administrators cannot discipline children, cannot hold children accountable, cannot touch children and are required to practically parent and baby-sit some students, and we wonder why children do not perform as well in public schools.

(Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a 4-Part Article.)

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

By: Ed Bagley