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PAGE SIX—Section Two
THE BULLETIN
DENIED BY SECULARISTS
Primary Right of Education
Belongs to God and Parents
By Paw. H. H*fcfclW
E DUCATION, TO WHOM does it belong? The answer lo that question depends on how
swer another: To whom does the child belong?
To the Catholic, or for that matter, to whoever reasons out the origin and m
here is bul one answer: The child belongs first of all to God, in whose image a
was made Coming from God. he must return lo God, and the process of returning
The child, from the dawn of reason, has the right This roe*™-that the secularist «
o know something about who made hint Neither par- effect that neb parent* shall have fti
-Ms, nor Slate. Oof any power on earth can rightly rate their chtidren in any school of
Unit oat God from the life of the child. The right to any way they wish; but that the pot
know God far transcends the right* to the air we ^ rqual to the Usk of paying for a religimw eduea-
bcrath to the food that nourishes us to the oppor lion «n todays deflated money, can send hi* children
io develop mind and soul, which perfect us “fr*"*** ^PPfted by tte puWte mcyyS-a
j torally. must teach either a watered-down religion or
Uminoer of »° religion «t all.
Basic Unit of Society
After God the child belongs to II
, partnership with Cod a* its
i are founders, unde: ' "
e institution of the family, which it
damental unit "of society, ha
The divine authority of tl
children obliges father and mother to accept tl
given constitution through wit' '
fly life. The right of parent* t
1, inherent, and ii
And yet our serai* ri*i i
(hat right. They d# not do so I
the Communist*, who outlaw
Nonetheless they effectively do so by rla
DEMANDED BY JUSTICE
Tax Aid for Pupils
In Private Schools
were a free question whether or
Catholics should campaign for educational ee
ity. that is. equal treatment for their pupils.
It is not a free question!
education belongs naturally and (
ents. that parents may not be unduly
ing compelled to pay only for an education they
not choose, is against the fact erf distributive justice,
which co
t _ _ The authority of parent* must ext
“public" schools, which are for only a part of the spent by their children in school. A* a consequence,
population, those for whom religion in education Is the teachers of the school, and the State itself, are
net vjtn). but the deputies of the parent* in the education of
Words of Plus XI
Pius XI, in his great encyclical. Dtefttf lifts* ifo
thrift, put this beyond all doubt when he said:
"Let it not be said that it is impossible for the
state, in a nation divided into various creeds, to pro
vide for public education except by the neutral mixed
school, for the State should more reasonably, and can
even more easily, provide for the situation by leaving
ive and
Since the child belongs to God, and the Church,
which is nothing more thin ati extension of Christ on
earth, is by that fact an educator, it follows that the
fSS
Duties of State
The State has definite rig
particularly as concerns the^enftrvly Catholic scht
cial aid^is given by the State to each of the set
being of Ha ciUlens.
Put the State is not constituted by n
Its duly is lo encourage parent* and t
is reference to the V&, which
ely ignore* special of Parent.v
school, the Pope ^
i religion, the policy *°! n “ rd " '
den of Catholics, who. ‘
h due'rega^'fcr thTfrith
CATHOLIC EDUCATION
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
„ power*. Owing it* origin and authority lo God, it m
ihe unflagging effortaof the secular and Regular proterf the rights of tfc« to -to
, support Wholly at their expense Catholic My wlongs. the parents and the t-
clergy. su t
schools f W Iheir children, as their most grave
gat ion of conscience requires, and who with laudable
generosity and constancy persevere in ^the holy purpose
in Catholic schools.
Justice Demands Rid
-Although this education is not aided by the public
treasury, as in itself is demanded bo dirt n but it e to*,
tier, it cannot be impeded by
is conscious of the rights of
indispensable condition* of lawful liberty.
•And even where this elemental liberty is im
peded or in divers way* made difficult. Catholics will
never labor enough, even at the cost of great sacri
fices, to support and defend their school* and to see
that just educational laws are made."
This is the message of the Vicar of Christ,
words roust be followed. It is impos " '
the present system whereby alt e
to pupils of secular schools and schools of the par-
—— religious choice arc kept going only under dif-
ies. Whether distributive justice' will be obUmed
ry or the next, ids goal is clear—it must
*■! P.H.H.
lt % € T%Ylt>>
uppty
of (tudy bul as yet not too much has been done.
Foreign language: In the 195859 *ehooj yew
n n white Catholic schools had the Foreign language in the
,- Wl . tnentary .School Pfogrsro* in 10 different langt
Department of Education. i|nnd r «t
“It tie., a need for more religious teacher*! i*
the rrvine need* nf American ruhnlir life
Catholic Education Becomes
'Commodity in Short Supply'
•s*HE CHURCH IN THE U- S. "has done so fine a piece of work in promoting Catholic education
I that it is now a commodity in short supply," writes Sister Mary Uichardme There is no need
to try to sell tl, she continues, "rather the problem is to guarantee ds genuine quaiilv, to keep
...I**. •«— w it an[ j 3 jj a „ *• - ' " ”
it they view it as a
irfment of Education,
rence. Washington, D
Supply
igh the history of Cat
pace'with the demands for it, and to allay the fears of those outside the Church^who a’re°so Inp
pressed by its growth that they view it as a threat to the public school system " (Catholic Ele
mentary SchoolUS A., Department nf Education, Na
ilonal Catholic Welfare Conference. Washington, DC.) Social studies: New Catholic geography series
Never SuUicicnt
A backward g
more recent publi
518
in* televised.
Theory Would Deny
:rr All Meaning to Life
This is the slogan of the philosophy that
lominated American education in this ten-
Twenty year* ago Monsignor Thomas J. Quigley in tury. Yet this philosophv denii that life has
hi* thesis on The lay Teacher m the American School meaning, it is the philosophy of Experimental-
System, said, "that a complete exclusion of the laity ism. one form uf which was embraced by the arbiter
ou'd be con- of American education. John Dewey 11859 1953)
spirit of the Esperimenialism teaches that experience is ail
best inter eats." that »r have or can ever hope to have. Man expert
raiholic schools rsnnot pay ** high sal ments * Hide with thL- amt a little with that ami finally
as those offered by the public schools. there U discovers that a certain kind of conduct hurts the
ig lay teacher*. But recent ^ast. That is morality for him. There is „o objective
sign* of administrative ef- morality, as there is no objective truth. Absolute
. avision for training, salary, dogma must give place to hypotheses, which in turn
for lay teachers. are modified a* experience alters. Observation, c*-
great prub- Perimeni, trial. and error are the only method* to test
school*. In ISSg- opinion* and to seek the truth.
Is la the ' 5 casy !o *« *l>at Kxperimcntali*m leads in
the realm of religion. Man is considered as merely a
id teach thinking animal, his soul ignored. If religion enters
^ ^ and 175 ^
Experimentalism Rctutcd
Any such philosophy a* that of Experimentalise!
can be refuted by ii* own first principle. One who
says we can know only from experience i* thereby
asserting something not known from experience. A
ing to youths a complete view of life from the lowest of creation fo fhg Supreme Creator*
8,786,275 Under Catholic Instruction
\ TOTAL OF 8,786,275 school-age children and in l“titUtions of higher learning than 10 years ago-an
r *■ vonnp men and women received Catholic in- ,ncre ** 4 0150J81 over lhc 252 ‘ 27 recordcd in l95 °-
iar- 461,876 or five and
ceding year.
Injustice of Situation
lei us see what a knowledgeable, fal
» say of the injustice ii
tool year 1959-60, an increase of
one-half per cent above the pre
pared With last academic year-* total of 4.898.693 in ele
mentary and secondary schools, this year's combined figure of
5090,012 represents an increase of 191319 or 3.9 per cent. Of the
ajrf , Reported by the I960 Official Catholic Directory in released CLda
treat asm am rmi-.ii.- tan m °^ c *
Papal Directive on Liturgical Parti- Catholic education reallv fits the c
trenccs on the leaching of religion because it correctly understands what life 1*. both
materials and method in religious natural and supernatural. Thu aim of education as
i for life was cmphasiied by Pius XI in
power, which o/ Choice in
Herbcrg, a noted sociologist and the au-
amous. Catholic, Protestant, Jew. deplores.
Father Virgil C, Blum's Freedom
ton (Macmillan), that in educa-
5,393,012 Enrolled
a be right and proper, . < a!l1
F function of the gov-
rare The" unity"and" solidarity'<Tf thTtCdion. *! “ ** This is ait increase of 163.148 pupils ovlr'the'previ
It does not seem to be realized, however, that such ° f the teaching staff, 73.871 are sUters, 24304 are
an attitude is, in fact, profoundly illiberal, since it laymen. 2,712 are priests, and 589 are brothers
not only discourages pluralism and -
ill celebrate their IBth birthday; but in five
will rise to nearly 4,000,000. There will be a
e in the total Of Americans aged 17 lo 20. More
st
school* and CCD centers.
Language arts: Phonies 1* In the I
some parts of the country. The schools an
Fine art*: Vocal t
grams where good leadership is provided are p
ing. fn classroom art there is less tracing and eo
of outlined sketches and more original creative w
Science and mathematics; The science p
I, it is Clear that
end, and that, in the present
ince God has revealed Himself
Its only bex-tten Son. who alone
and the life', there can be no
Ideally perfect education which u not Christian e
an enrollment pf 827.912 and are staffed by 40.869
20.684 of whom are sisters, 6.775 are priest*, 5342 at
4,123 are lay women, 3,544 arc bt
The total enrollment in the
leges is 302,908, an inercase of 12,041 ov
the school year 1951-52 there had been a ...
in this figure—31,699 There are now 19.9 per Cent