Religious Schools: Do Religious Schools Improve Achievement?

When considering the best education for our children an important thing to consider is how to maximize the chance that they will perform well. One option many parents from religious backgrounds may consider is sending their kids to a religious school. With smaller class sizes and a different way of looking at the world, religious education can greatly benefit students and could potentially offer a better chance of success to your child.

The first thing to consider is the effect that teaching good morals can have on children. By teaching kids the Ten Commandments, for example, you build an optimal background for quality learning. The first four commandments teach children to focus their attention on God and not on false idols such as movie stars or money. The fifth commandment teaches children to respect and obey their parents. Three more commandments teach children to not take anything from another person without their permission, whether that is their things, their spouse or their life. The last two teach children to be truthful and to be happy with what they have rather than being jealous of others for what they have. By teaching these healthy morals children become more focused on positive achievement rather than worrying about ways to get what they want in any way they cane come up with.

In addition to their good moral upbringing, children in religious schools benefit greatly from the small student/teacher ratios. With sometimes less than ten students to a teacher there are far more opportunities for children to get special attention when they need it. If they are having difficulties in a particular subject the teacher is often able to tailor their lessons to help that child improve. If a child is particularly good in a subject there is also more opportunity for a child to tackle more difficult work or to broaden their range of experience in that subject.

Another advantage comes from the teachers themselves. Most people who choose to teach in religious schools do not do it for the money. They are highly dedicated individuals who want to give their utmost to bring children to their full potential. Many of these teachers are willing to give of their own free time in order to help the children.

With all these things in place to help children it's no wonder that religious schools have higher grades overall than public schools. In nearly all subjects the children are more likely to excel. Some feel that this is due to the parental background and economic standing of the students, but in fact it has been shown that those from the most difficult backgrounds are the ones who benefit most from the education offered by religious schools.

Religious schools have a far higher rate of graduation than public schools. Not only do more students graduate, but more students choose to move on to post secondary education. Of the students who move on, many are eligible for various grants and scholarships to further their education. So, if academics are important to a decision between public and religious schools, the obvious advantage goes to religious based education.