There are many reasons why parents choose to place their children in religious schools. Parents feel that their kids must not only be taught academic subjects buts that they must also be exposed to the foundation of their religious background. They want the kids to receive a solid background in ethics and they want them to develop a healthy moral foundation. Most religious schools are privately owned and managed.
Religious schools are as old as mankind itself. From the beginning of time the church has realized just how important it is for young people to learn and churches of all faiths ran educational programs. In many countries the only education was that offered by missionaries. To this very day church run schools enjoy an enviable reputation. They achieve excellent results and they maintain better discipline.
Parents are satisfied with the results achieved by their kids in religious schools. Most of these schools have strict entrance criteria and poor discipline is simply not tolerated. There are therefore fewer incidents of bullying and very few disruptions. A disciplined school also promotes an atmosphere conductive to learning. That is one of the reasons why top teachers often vie for posts at religious schools.
Detractors say that these schools are too exclusive. They maintain that it is the right of every child to decide whether he wants religious instruction or whether he actually wants to subscribe to any religious belief system in the first place. Some critics even say that the constitutional rights of the students are ignored. Critics believe that parents that want their children to be tutored in a religious belief system should do that outside the framework of formal schooling.
When contemplating enrolling a child in a religious school parents should make sure that they are in full agreement with the underlying faith governing the school. They must make sure that religious studies and academic subjects are in balance with each other. It may also be important to choose a school that encourages participation in sport and cultural activities.
Parents must also take great care to make sure that their children do not live completely cut off from the rest of the world. They will have to live and work in the secular world but they will have difficulties if they were overly protected during their school years. They need to learn that not all people subscribe to their faith system.
There can be little doubt that students at religious schools receive a privileged education. Parents must be careful, however, not to force their children into a religious system without at least some consultation. This can lead to rebelliousness and behavioral problems.
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