Is a Parochial School Right for your Child?

When determining the best elementary school, best middle school, or best high school for your child, you have to select from a variety of options that enmeshes properly with your child's needs as well as your beliefs on education. One of the forks in the road that you will encounter is whether your child should attend a public, private, and/or parochial school.

But what exactly is a parochial school?

Wikipedia defines a parochial school as a school that engages in religious education in addition to conventional education. Narrowly speaking, it could be a Christian grammar school or a high school run by a parish, but this is not always the case.

Some of the advantages of a parochial school versus a public school are: an atmosphere that demands respect for authority as well as self-discipline; fewer distractions from learning, as a parochial school can remove problematic students while a public school must work around them; and a curriculum that really stresses the core subjects.

Of course, there are also disadvantages. Parochial schools are not known for having the best technological equipment available, as the parish is the financial backbone for the school. There are also fewer elective courses, which could mean not as much studies in the arts or other specific interests for your child.

There are exceptions to both the advantages and disadvantages listed, and even if you decide to send your child to a parochial school, you should still use the same criteria for determining if the school is an ideal choice for your child or not: does the social environment work, do the academics challenge the child, does the child have the elective choices available to them that would warrant the most growth in their interests, et cetera.

There are good and bad parochial schools, just as public and private schools vary in their excellence. Consult the faculty at your parochial school of choice and ask as many questions as possible to get an idea on your child's future education.