Religious Schools: Religious Private School or Public System?

With more and more people abandoning the public educational system for private alternatives the public schools are quickly loosing what may be their only hope for change. Those who are most opposed to the way things are done no longer remain to squeak the wheels or blow the horns.

We all can agree that the public school system is in dire need of repair. With high drop-out rates, children leaping into drugs, alcohol and sexual experimentation and slipping grades overall, something needs to change.

As parents it is our job to put pressure on the system to enact that change. By voicing our opinions and keeping abreast of efforts to move forward with educational improvements as parents we can make the system better for everyone involved.

But of course we need to be a part of the system to have a voice. Whether we are involved at the school level in the PTAs, or we work into the higher levels consulting with the School Board itself, it is our efforts to get the message to those in charge that will make the difference.

It is a lot of work. Things don't change overnight. Parents want change for their kids right now, not a generation or two to come. The public system is not designed for quick change and it takes years just to get heard let alone to have anything done about the problems.

No wonder many parents choose to pull their kids out of the public system and enroll them in private or religious schools instead. By selecting a school that believes in the same principals that they do, parents can ensure that their kids get the education they deserve.

But the withdrawal of students to the private systems is hurting the public schools. By removing those very students whose voice can help change things we reduce the chance that a student's voice will the catalyst for change.

We also limit our opportunities for outreach to those around us. If all the other kids in school believe the same way our kids do, how are they to fulfill their dedication to spreading the word about their beliefs? How are our kids to gain the experience in the way the rest of the world lives so that they can have perspective and depth in their faith?

While keeping our kids in private religious schools may make sense, especially in their early, formative years, eventually they will need to go out into the world. By putting our kid into public schools we give them a semi-structured format in which they can begin to learn about other beliefs and cultures. We also give them a chance to shine their light into the world and teach others the beliefs that enrich their lives.

As parents of children of faith within the public system we can make it known that the school system needs change. We can be the voices that guide the system into making public schools better for everyone involved. Religious schools have their place, but the public system also can play an important role in our children's development in the world.