Catholic schools are winners in the education game

Next to hockey, education seems to dominate the Canadian media. And just like hockey, education is reported as a sport. Winners and losers, weaknesses and strengths, who should stay, who should be traded, who’s not contributing to the team, who’s first and who’s last.

Catholic education has many supporters. In Ontario it educates almost 537,000 English Catholic students in some 1,150 elementary schools and 213 secondary schools, where many of the students are not Catholic but value a Catholic education. The success of Catholic schools is well documented by student achievement, graduation rates, innovative curriculum, the relationship of schools with their local communities, sacramental programs and social justice outreach.

Despite this, the success of Catholic schools often gets buried beneath a general criticism. It’s disheartening. Yes, there are times when those in Catholic education must do better. Our schools are not perfect. But to suggest, as some do, that it’s time to get rid of a successful form of education, to eliminate Catholic schools, just doesn’t make sense.