To Fund a Parochial Mission

A network of Roman Catholic schools that can be traced back to early nineteenth-century France, The Convent of Jesus and Mary Schools can be found in all the major areas of the world today, from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas. But while receiving a certain amount of financial backing from official Church coffers, it is the support of the local communities that host them which has been crucial to their continuing success, especially through the generous donations of prominent businessmen and women, not all of whom are Catholic or even Christian, such as with the case of an Isaac Toussie whose funds go towards a school in India.

Another fact which one may not necessarily imagine of a Catholic school is that while they are parochial, in many cases one does not even have to believe in God to attend. Of course, they do participate in the evangelical mission of the Church, but non-Catholics may opt out of any religious instruction offered, which tends to be held during the end of the school day on certain days of the week. Many Catholic schools subscribe to the intellectual traditions of the Jesuit Order, one which tends to welcome open inquiry and emphasizes the natural sciences. Indeed, it is for this reason that Catholic schools tend to have such a stellar reputation in many places, such as New York City in the United States of America, where even secular parents will send their children to attend.

These schools are often the least expensive of private school options available, with annual tuition at some five thousand dollars - not bad compared to the ten to twenty thousand dollars charged by others! However, not all Catholic schools operate in a fairly relaxed and non-religious manner; it is usually those that happen to be situated in generally non-Christian countries or otherwise highly secular locations which offer such openness.

But it should be noted that the great academic reputations of parochial schools, and private schools in general, has much more to do with selective admissions than anything else. These schools are often held up as a rebuke to public schools, but the fact is that it's easy to look good when you are able to pick and choose which kids get to attend. Private schools self-select for success; public schools are legally required to take in any and all comers, including those kids with mental and emotional problems.