Catholic schools prepare students for future by forming their faith
Catholic Schools Week, which runs from Jan. 30 through Feb. 5 this year, is a time to celebrate the importance of Catholic education. Families choose Catholic schools because they are known for high test scores and graduation rates, passionate teachers, and creating a world of opportunities for students.
But what is the true value of a Catholic education? According to Barbara Dolan, it’s faith formation. Anyone can get a quality education in other types of school, she pointed out, but children who attend Catholic school are taught what it means to follow Christ and treat others in accordance with His values. This results in the students developing a moral conscience infused with the Word of God, which will be a significant influence on them in adulthood, Dolan said.
“Students are growing up hearing different voices and seeing different ways of perceiving the world around us,” said Dolan, who is the Archdiocese of Newark’s associate superintendent for Academics and General Administration. “By going to Catholic school, students grow up rooted in our Catholic faith and what that means in terms of how we should live our lives. And then later in their lives, when they’re faced with some decisions and adversity, they can draw on their faith for guidance.”
This reliance on faith is exemplified by Sydney McLaughlin, the former Union Catholic Regional High School track star who won two gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics. After winning her medals and smashing records, she returned to her alma mater and gave an inspiring, God-centered message.
“Success is not measured by the amount of money, medals, or followers that you may have — true fulfillment comes from obedience to God,” McLaughlin told the crowd. “People constantly scramble for authenticity. But my question to you is, where are you looking for those things? Things such as money, notoriety, and materials are not bad things, but they will never fulfill you. True happiness and purpose come from God.”
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., who attended parochial school throughout his youth, also stressed the importance for students to grow in their faith. In the new Annual Appeal video, the Archbishop of Newark noted the Archdiocese’s 74 schools are a pivotal way for the Church to instill a commitment to Christ in future generations.
“As Catholics, we recognize that the educational experience is an opportunity to cultivate the entire human being by nurturing the mind, body, and spirit,” Cardinal Tobin said. “Our Catholic schools provide children with the invaluable opportunity to expand their knowledge, explore their passions, create community, strengthen their sense of self, and come to know God all in one place.”
Teachers and Academics
Faith-based education is not the only appealing aspect of Catholic schools. Parents concerned about the academic viability of parochial education should know that Catholic school students in grades 4 through 8 outperformed public school children in math, reading, and science, according to two 2021 reports published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Additionally, the NCEA reports that 99 percent of Catholic high school students graduate, while 86 percent go on to attend a four-year university. And 25 schools within the Archdiocese of Newark have been named Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, meaning they are ranked among New Jersey’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests.
Dolan credits this academic success in large part to the Archdiocese’s educators, many of whom are products of Catholic schools themselves. The associate superintendent said archdiocesan school employees are extremely dedicated and passionate about providing students with a quality educational experience.
Though teachers might not make as much money as they would in a public school system, Dolan said they are willing to make that financial sacrifice because they believe so strongly in the mission of parochial education. Some have even left to work for public schools, she said, only to return to the Archdiocese after realizing their values were aligned with Catholic education.
Kimberly Harrigan, principal of St. Bartholomew Academy in Scotch Plains, is also proud of her staff, pointing out that they create an environment in which students can grow in their faith, accept Catholic values, and live the principles of truth, charity, and Christian hope.
“Our teachers are dedicated educators who are partners with our parents to help fulfill the school’s mission,” Harrigan wrote in a column published on Jersey Catholic. “Teaching is not only their profession, but it is their ministry.”
Enduring the Pandemic
In Dolan’s view, this fierce commitment to education that defines Catholic school has been on full display within the Archdiocese of Newark during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. When schools shut down in March 2020, she said teachers went above and beyond in making remote learning work, sacrificing their privacy to let students into their homes virtually while overcoming the technical glitches and logistical obstacles. Then, when the Archdiocese decided to reopen its schools in September 2020, she said the teachers rose to the occasion of balancing in-person teaching with engaging the numerous students who opted to continue remote learning.
“I cannot express enough the tremendous admiration I have for our educators for the way they managed to keep students learning during an extremely challenging time,” Dolan said. “It took a great deal of effort. They were worn out by the pandemic just like so many of us were, yet they continued to do that job at a level the students deserve.”
The teachers’ tenacity resulted in archdiocesan students experiencing in-person learning for 83 percent of the September 2020 through December 2020 semester, which was highly unusual at a time when only 82 of New Jersey’s 589 public school districts were fully open by December 2020. As a result, many public school parents enrolled their children in Archdiocese schools for the 2020-21 academic year.
“Knowing that in-person learning was the best option for our children, we immediately contacted [the school] and signed them up for the learning experience we felt they deserved,” said Thomas and Nadine Knapp, who enrolled their children in St. Thomas the Apostle School in Bloomfield.
An influx of families helped bring about an enrollment increase in St. Thomas the Apostle School, Notre Dame Academy in Palisades Park, and other schools throughout the Archdiocese of Newark. And though the 2020-21 academic year has ended, Dolan said some of those public school parents re-enrolled their children in the Archdiocese’s schools because they were so impressed by the Catholic education they received.
A Viable Alternative
Of course, parochial school is not for everyone. But with 1,626,291 students currently enrolled in Catholic schools across the United States — according to NCEA statistics — it is evident that many families are satisfied with it.
Furthermore, organizations like the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children, which has partnered with the Archdiocese of Newark to provide more than $54 million in partial tuition assistance scholarships to underprivileged students attending archdiocesan schools, may help ease any fiscal challenges associated with parochial education.
To learn more about Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Newark, visit www.catholicschoolsnj.org.
