A Catholic school is a parochial school or education ministry of the Catholic Church. As of 2011, the Catholic Church has the world’s effective non-public school system. In 2016, the church supported 43,800 high schools and 95,200 elementary schools. Catholic schools participate in the Church’s evangelizing mission by integrating religious education as a core subject into their curricula.
Irish immigration is a major contributor to the growth of Catholic communities around the world. Irish immigration initiated the revival of Catholicism through movements in the countries of North America, , the United Kingdom of Europe and Australia. Historically, the establishment of Catholic schools in Europe faced challenges following the establishment of the Anglican Church in the Elizabethan religious settlements of 1558-63. Anti-Catholicism during this period encouraged Catholics to create modern educational systems for their tradition. The Relief Acts of 1782 and the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 later expanded the ability to practice Catholicism openly in England and to establish charitable institutions by the church. This lead to the development of local religious communities, opened schools, hospitals, orphanages, reformatories and workhouses.
Traditionally, Catholic schools originated as schools for men and women. Catholic schools used to have to depend on tuition and donations. Donations have plummeted, causing fees to rise. This prevented some students from enrolling because of their inability to pay.
Purpose
Catholic schools differ from their public school counterparts in that they focus on developing individuals as followers of the Catholic faith. Leaders, teachers and pupils must focus on the four rules set by the Church and the school. These include the Catholic identity of the school, education about life and faith, celebrating life and faith, action and social justice.
Like other Christian institutions, Catholic schools are generally non-denominational in the sense that they accept anyone, regardless of religion or denominational affiliation, race, ethnicity, or nationality, as long as admission or enrollment requirements and legal documents are provided and rules and regulations are followed for a fruitful school life. However, non-Catholics, Christian or not, may need to participate in or be exempt from mandatory activities, especially those of a religious nature. This is in keeping with the spirit of social inclusiveness.
Catholic schools are the largest non-public school system in the United States. In 2010, 2 million students attended 6,980 schools. 331 of these were private. Catholicism of schools in the United States first emerged in the nineteenth century with the arrival of English immigrants. Catholic schools in the United States play an important role in that Catholicism plays a crucial role in the development of American culture. The development and enrollment of Americans in Catholic schools increased after World War II, postwar development, and the Cold War in the battle against anti-religious Communism. By 1964-1965. Catholic schools accounted for nearly 89% of all private school attendance and 12% of all school-age children in schools (K-12) in the United States. The number of religious (priests, brothers and sisters) was highest, allowing schools to offer qualified teachers at minimal cost, which meant that most children in the 1940s and 1950s attended their parochial schools for free. Since then, there has been a significant decline in enrollment, largely due to “suburbanization, liberalization of education, and the growth of the Catholic middle class.” In the United States, Catholic schools are accredited by independent and/or government agencies, and teachers are usually certified. Schools are supported by tuition, donations, and charitable foundations.
In contrast to public schools, Catholic urbanization has had greater success in poorer neighborhoods than in wealthier ones. Holy Angels, for example, has become one of the strongest schools in the country; it serves the Kenwood, Oakland neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, where 3 out of 4 people live in poverty and violent crime is a frequent occurrence.