To the editor: School choice a matter of social justice

Catholic school students exhibit more self-control than those in public or other private schools — an indicator of spiritual, academic, and financial success.


Sun, 19 Jan 2020 05:00:00 GMT

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It is imperative to advocate for parents’ educational options for their children. Parents have the right to form their children in body, mind, and spirit.

Last October, the Ohio Department of Education released a public-school list increasing student eligibility for Educational Choice Scholarships. There was also an increase in funding and eligible grade levels for EdChoice scholarships serving low-income families. These actions, thankfully, provide greater opportunities for educational choices for parents.

We believe parents are the primary educators of their children; parental choice in education is a fundamental right. The Catechism highlights, “As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental.” It also affirms, “Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.”

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Catholic schools serve students of every race and economic status. They save school districts in the 19 counties of our diocese about $154 million per year. They integrate essential human values and virtues into our daily pedagogy. Catholic schools have a proven tradition of developing the whole person. The results are striking: Catholic school students are more likely to pray daily, attend church, vote, and graduate from high school (especially for minority students), and are more likely to attend college.

Catholic school students exhibit more self-control than those in public or other private schools — an indicator of spiritual, academic, and financial success.

School choice is a social justice issue: “whenever the State lays claim to an educational monopoly, it oversteps its rights and offends justice. ... The State cannot without injustice merely tolerate so-called private schools. Such schools render a public service and therefore have a right to financial assistance” (Cardinal Ratzinger, 1986). Taking away already promised opportunities for school choice for families is a further injustice.

We are duty bound to support parents’ rights to be the primary educators of their children and to provide them educational options. True school choice includes options for public schools, private schools, religious schools, or homeschooling. Committed to the virtues of charity and justice, we will work so that all parents know about these EdChoice opportunities and continue to support a fair school choice program for all families, which ultimately is in the best interest of our children and our society.

MOST REV. DANIEL E. THOMAS

Bishop of Toledo

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