It's a real shame that the "spirit of Vatican 2" led to the closings of so many parochial schools.
But I think we are reaching the point where a majority of voters may be willing to say that they should not have to pay taxes to support swinishly wasteful and badly run public schools AND pay to educate their children privately.
Not to mention the fact that in the cities numerous blacks and others attend parochial schools on scholarship even though they are not Catholic.
The whole education business needs to be reinvented. If the Baptists pull out, that will be a major step toward revaluating the entire system.
Right. I'm interested in growing the number of homeschoolers, but the really HUGE change could come if the Baptists could use their existing facilities to multiply the number of church-related schools.
At their peak in 1965, Catholic parochial schools in the United States constituted the largest non-government school system in the world, enrolling 5.5 million American students. This system has shrunk to a mere 40% of what it used to be, enrolling just 2.3 million students in 2005-06.
There are demographic and sociological reasons for this: many of the schools were founded to serve ethnic parishes with lots of immigrant parishioners --- inner-city Poles, Italians, and Slovaks who have long since integrated culturally and moved to the 'burbs.
But the main reason, I think, is the disastrous drop in the number of religious sisters who used to staff the schools. Nationally, the number of religious sisters has plunged from 180,000 in 1965 to 68,000 in 2005.
To be frank, the nuns worked "for a prayer" and practically lived on air. They were dedicated, most of them were young (back in 1965) and most were very competent and effective teachers.
I am excited and thrilled that the Baptists are talking about using their existing buildings to start Baptist schools and pull as many kids out of the public schools as possible. But I wonder how they can affordably do it without a cadre of teachers who will be as dedicated (and low-paid) as the splendid cadre of nuns who taught me when I was growing up.
But there are possibilities. Internet and satellite education... hmm... Well, go get 'em. Baptists, my hat's off to you. I wish you all the best!