Summary: schooling without violence
Organization: City College of New York - Science Computing Facility
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.2.0 10/31/90)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Date:         Sun, 22 Nov 1992 16:53:42 -0500
From:         Patt Bromberger <patth@SCI.CCNY.CUNY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Separating our kids from public schools

In article <01GR9E97Y80G8Y6FD4@umassd.edu> EMOREAU@UMASSD.EDU (Liz Moreau)
 writes:
>> [deleted]
>
>[    ]
>
>This is a worry of mine.  I went to a Catholic school also and
>switched to a public high school.  I did have a hard time adjusting.
>I felt like I was thrown into the jungle.  Kids talked different,
>acted different, etc.  I had a hard time fitting in and felt like I
>was so much older than kids my own age.  But then again, do we really
>want our kids to fit into society today as it is, or do we want them
>upholding Biblical teachings.

        I had the same problem when I transferred from
        a Catholic high school to a public high school
        Basically, the difference was a matter of respect
        between the students and the teachers and vice
        versa.

        The degree of peer pressure to "conform" in a
        Catholic school was missing in the public school
        I attended; well, not exactly, but the "conforming"
        behavior was not towards respect or class attendance
        but rather towards cutting classes, copying homework,
        etc.  The basic behavior of picking a paper up from
        the floor rather than stepping over it was completely
        gone.

>My children are involved in sports where they come in contact with
>children from all over our city.  Hopefully, this interaction will
>help them later on.

        Sports has become "business" and, at least as far
        as I am concerned, no longer qualifies for establishing
        or building "character" or good sportsmanship.

        When I worked as faculty secretary at a very large and
        exclusive Catholic university here in NY, it was a shock
        to me to get a phone call from the coach for advance copies
        of exams that were counted, numbered and locked up in my
        office safe.  I refused to release the examinations without
        a direct order from the Dean.  The Dean called me to tell
        me to release them and I went to his office, thre my keys
        on his desk and told him to hand out the copies of the
        exam to the coach himself if he condoned cheating in
        a Catholic university.

        Atletes were "paid" a salary and rewarded with cars,
        motorcycles, etc.

>I just wish that our Catholic schools had more support from the
>parishes and dioceses.  I feel its a real shame that all children
>can't go (if they so desire) and that high school is really out of the
>question for most people.  If we really care about our children and
>the future of our faith, why not invest in it?

        Perhaps that can be rephrased a bit:  if we
        really care about our COUNTRY, we had better invest
        in its future by educating and elevating the children
        who will become its leaders.

        How often are teachers tested for competence?  Perhaps
        they should be tested at least as often as the students
        they purport to teach and if they're found wanting they
        should be recycled so they can properly "teach."


--
Patricia Ann Bromberger                      patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
                                        or      patth@ccnysci.BITNET
"There's no place like home!"  -- Dorothy, "The Wizard of Oz"