Why do non-Catholic families choose Catholic schools?

By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer

Non-Catholics make up 13.5 percent of the total enrollment of Catholic schools, according to a report compiled by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) — a figure so significant it has Catholic education officials reassessing why their schools attract so many students from outside the Catholic faith.

Brendan Petersen, director of formation and evangelization for St. Francis Xavier School in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said he believes the answer consists of three key elements of the Catholic education system: discipline, community and faith.

"Catholic schools provide a sense of structure and discipline that is often lacking in public schools,” Petersen observed regarding the non-Catholic student-enrollment statistics, which were part of the 2004 “Report on Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools” for the NCEA.

Petersen, himself, worked for years in public schools. During those years, he said, “I didn't see that sense of order, community-feel, or calm that I do in Catholic schools. That calm is conducive to learning. It creates an environment where education can really take place.”

Nearly fifty percent of the students in the school where Petersen now works are non-Catholic. He said visits to the homes of both Catholic and non-Catholic students have led him to conclude that “many families are broken. And although nothing can replace parents as the primary educators, Catholic schools — in terms of a structure that works with the parents — can, in some ways, fill some of the void that [exists] at home.”

“Catholic teachers are free to talk about faith and morals, integrating Gospel truths into a nurturing learning environment,” Petersen added. Such values anchor students in a sense of identity and belonging during their formative years, he said.

“Catholic Schools are a vehicle for spreading the faith and embodying the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “We respect the beliefs of others, but our message is universal. Non-Catholic students participate in prayers. They go to Mass and other services. And although they are not attending as full members [of the Church], children recognize the goodness and feel connected. 

“We’re clear we’re a Catholic school — and if this is not about bringing people closer to God, then why are we here? I have never gotten a complaint from non-Catholic parents that we are too Catholic or that we are praying too much,” he said. “In fact, I know some of our non-Catholic students go home and teach their families the Act of Contrition, the Hail Mary and other prayers they learn at school ...  The parents see the goodness in that.

“Whether it’s a Catholic or non-Catholic parent, they all want their children to have character development,” Petersen said. "Instilling values such as dignity, honesty and respect — which are hallmarks of Catholic education — is seen as good.”

According to the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic education is one of the most important ways by which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the human person and to the building of community.

“When we value students with that human dignity founded in the fact that they are children of God, low self-esteem is not an issue,” Petersen continued. “If what a parent is looking for is that his or her child will feel valued regardless of the child's abilities — that the children become individuals of character, that they will be safe and feel a sense of ‘home away from home’ — then that’s why they’re choosing Catholic schools, even if they are not Catholic.”

Research supports his observations.
A report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found in the school year 2002-2003, that fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders who attended Catholic schools had higher average scores in writing, math, reading and science than students who attended public schools.

In addition, a 1993 study titled “Catholic Schools and the Common Good,”published by Anthony Bryk, Valerie Lee and Peter Holland, noted that Catholic schools’ faith-based communities and supportive social environment promote academic achievement for a broad cross-section of students.

Even as far back as 1982, a report by the researchers James Coleman, Thomas Hoffer and Sally Kilgore, which was titled, “High School Achievement: Public, Catholic, and Private School Compared,” found that students in private schools learn more than those in public schools, that private schools are safer, more disciplined and have a more ordered environment than public schools, and that public schools are more internally segregated than private schools.

Mary Harkins, principal of Cardinal Dougherty High School — where 25 percent of the student body is not Catholic — said she believes a Catholic education is the greatest gift that parents can give their children, and that it should be afforded them if it is at all possible.

“What a gift it is for your children to spend those formative years in an environment where their heart and soul — in addition to their mind, is developed — so when they are faced with the challenges of this society, we are here to help them make good choices,” Harkins said.

“As Catholic schools, we can — and will — say 'this is right' and 'this is not.' Students need direction,” Harkins added. “And they need to be validated in their good choices when the society is telling them to behave in the contrary.”

Paul Fleming, the chairman of the Kennedy-Kenrick High School Board of Advisers, agrees: “In this day and age, Catholic education is absolutely essential — and the community we live in needs us to survive and flourish.”

It is that belief that keeps Fleming dedicated to the advancement of Catholic education even after his own children have graduated from Kennedy-Kenrick.
With its rich history of more than 300 years in this country, Catholic education is irreplaceable to society. And, clearly, even non-Catholics can see that.

CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.