"Over the last half-century, the number of Catholic schools has fallen to 7,000 from about 13,000, and their enrollment to barely two million children from more than five million. A disproportionate share of the damage has come in big cities.
So when a landmark topples as Rice did — and as Cardinal Dougherty High School did in Philadelphia last year, and as Daniel Murphy High School did in Los Angeles two years before that — it ought to provoke more than sentimentality or tears. It ought to sound an alarm about a slow-motion crisis in American education."
This is just a snippet of an article called, As Catholic Schools Close in Major Cities, the Need Only Grows. It points out the declining rate of Catholic Schools in America's largest cities. This is a great article to read the week after National Catholic Schools Week. The motto for this year's celebration was: "Faith. Academics. Service." After attending Catholic schools for over 15 years, I can't say enough about how the combination of faith, academics, and service has shaped me into the person (and future religion teacher) I have become. I hope we see a reverse trend in the number of Catholic schools and students very soon!
Full Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/us/04religion.html?_r=1&ref=catholicschools
It hurts my heart a little bit to hear that Catholic schools are on the decline. I, too, attended Catholic schools for my entire academic career (except for the first half of kindergarten), and I absolutely love Catholic education. The atmosphere that is generated by the student body, the excellent educators, the attitude of faith and service, and the wonderful extended community have been blessings beyond telling in my own life. I truly believe that my education experience has shaped me into a better person than I could have been without its influence. Thank you for sharing the article, and I will cross my fingers that the trend turns around and that Catholic schools fill up with eager learners!
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