The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-23
THB PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.
An Explanation OF Their Character. Meth
DDS, and Purpopcp.

NS INV
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: At the
second annual Convention OF the Public Educa-
ton Association. held at 81 Madison avenue. on
Friday, Mrs. Van Rensselaer,, the President,
SPOKE In protest against parents sending their
children to other than public schools. A quoted
In SUN of this morning she said:
l object to the parochial and so-caIled national
schools not because they teach religion to the pupils,
but because In the national schools the mother tongue
10 taught such rs Italian In Italian schools. German
In German schools, and SO on. No school that recog.
niEes a particular creed or nation besides our own
can AmerioaniEs our young.
I know something OF the parochial schools
and of the parochial school system in New
YORK city. as elsewhere, and beg leave to inform
the President OF the Public Education Associa-
ton that no additional stock of knowledge
on the subject is to be derived from a peru
sal Of her statements on the subject as
quoted In THE SUN. There arc in New York
city $4,000 children attending parochial
schools maintained in and by Catholic parish
churches. These parochinl schools are not. as
the lady seems TO suppose. national schools for
instruction Of children in languages other than
English. They are American schools main
tanned chiefly by those speaking English. and at
which the rudiments of education are impaired
In the English language. The purpose of such
suppose, to maintain foreign notions and dis
t%inctions but 70 In conformity with the man
date OF the Baltimore Council or the Catholic
dained that In every parish which could support
che. thers shoaid, te naa:A;a!aed = paroohial
or parish school for the education Of
new in this declaration. for the traditional
policy of the Catholic Hierarchy on the question
of education has been uniformly the same for
centuries. It is not necessary to make any
establish this. for It has long been n matter Of
public knowledge and historical mention that
render Of the task of educating the young Of the
Catholic creed to secular or civil hands. The
objection which Catholics find to the grammar
or public schools Is that they impart no ~instruc-
ton in religious matters, which constitute, &C.
cording 10 the Catholic theory of education. the
most essential requirements. Hence, these pa
rochial schools wherein instruction is given In
the Catholic doctrines are maintained at private
expense. and without any public aid. through
out the country. and IN the city OF New York
the extent of the parochlal system Is shown by
the figures which | have Quoted-34,O 900 school
children In attendance.
The question of nationality does not enter into
the matter at all except so far a. arises from
the fact that many of the newly landed Catho-
attend churches at which everything but the
ritual Is in their own language. Necessarily.
the parochial school OF II German. Italian, or
bohemian church is, from its attendants, a
German or Italian parochial school. but this con-
dition Ia tenn porRry. not permanent: and the
great majority of parochial schools In this city.
as elsewhere. are as much English schools as
those maintained BY the Board of Education.
I DO not write this letter to provoke any con-
troyersy on the disputed school question, but to
make clear some matters which the President
OF the Public School Association does not APP
pear to understand and Col. Strong'a new ap-
pointee to the School Board, Col, Anderson who
was present on Friday. does not seem to know
much about, either, judging from a remark of
his which THE SUN quotes, that "a woman's
opinion, should be TO a man as welcome as her
caress." q, v,
NEW YORK, Nov. 2L.