The Important Role Of Catholic Schools

Have you ever ask why the Catholic Church runs Catholic Schools? Do Catholic schools manage and run their schools according to Catholic Church intentions? If Catholic schools were only meant for good education, then the Catholic Church need not and, may I say, should not be involved in running Catholic schools. The Catholic Church might as well focus all her resources for evangelizing rather than providing good secular education. However, Catholic schools have another important purpose other than providing good secular education. Catholic schools are good institutions for evangelizing. Together with providing good education, the Catholic Church saw the opportunity to give Christian education through the schools. She believed that moral education must be combined with secular education.

It was during the middle ages, the days of kings and princes, that the Catholic Church entered and engaged in running schools. It was seen as means to influence the rich and powerful through their children who will be enrolled in the Catholic School. These children, as we know, because of their status, would most probably be the future heirs of their parents throne or riches. Therefore, it was very probable that they would grow up to be the world's future leaders.  To be a part of their formation and education which would form the very foundation and source of their decisions, would make the work of evangelizing half done. It is the view of the Catholic Church then that by educating and forming the future leaders, the future would be Christianized.

Is it still the case now? Are the Catholic schools that we have now, aside from asserting that they are non-profit and provides excellent education, fulfilling their very purpose? The government had been very understanding and generous enough as to grant tax exemptions to religious schools because it recognized the fact that religious schools are good and effective partners in nation building and that they only accept donations. Schools are supposed to be an apostolate and not a business. Giving the religious schools the exemption is worthy enough for producing good and productive citizens.