A Catholic college preparatory school offers many benefits over a traditional public school. Catholic schools focus on developing faith, observing religious practices, performing charitable service, and creating an exceptional learning experience for students. Attending an all-boys Catholic school allows a male student to focus on deepening his faith and learning while developing leadership skills.
Here are six top benefits of attending a boys’ Catholic college prep school.
Catholic College Preparatory Schools Provide an Education Founded on Catholic Values
Catholic schools reinforce morals and core values like honesty, trust, and respect. Boys will be taught the importance of being responsible and acting ethically. Religious schools also support service and charitable work, building the values of compassion, empathy, and human dignity. A boy’s Catholic college school develops a child’s integrity and character in ways that public schools can’t match.
Catholic college preparatory schools support the church’s mission. Students will learn Catholic doctrine and theology in contrast to other world religions, along with the standard general studies available in all schools. This allows them to understand their faith more deeply as they progress through the school’s curriculum.
Individuals will grow in their faith while receiving a thorough education at a boys’ Catholic school. Catholic schools offer Mass and sacraments consistently throughout the school year, making it easy for students to continue their religious practices even while confronting the challenges of high-school life. Maintaining strong spiritual practices can ease the stress and pressure of school life for the student and give them a solid support framework.
Catholic School Students Tend To Demonstrate Superior Academic Performance
Catholic school students often perform better on standardized tests, partially due to superior student-teacher ratios over public schools. Studies show that Catholic schools have high graduation rates and students earn high salaries upon graduation.
Catholic Schools Foster a Strong Sense of Brotherhood and Connection Between Students
Students attending a catholic high school will develop a strong brotherhood with their peers and create lifelong bonds. During the rigorous challenges of preparing for college, students will have a core group of peers sharing similar values and faith to celebrate their achievements and help support them through difficulties.
Since Catholic schools focus on values and character training, students become more grounded in these areas than public school students. Many Catholic school campuses have lower crime rates than public campuses, providing higher levels of safety and security for students.
Catholic Schools Promote Service and Charitable Work
Catholic universities focus on developing moral values in students. Religious schools promote service and charity through volunteer opportunities, like serving in a soup kitchen or visiting the elderly at a senior center.
Some Catholic universities require students to complete several community service hours each semester, supporting the local community and building the student’s desire to give back. This instills a sense of service in the student and allows them to see the results of their charitable actions first-hand, helping them develop into socially responsible young adults.
Boys’ Schools Recognize Gender Learning Differences
Many studies show that boys and girls learn differently. For example, boys tend to mature later than girls socially and emotionally. Boys also develop language skills later than girls. Boys are usually more physically active and learn better in interactive and hands-on learning situations, while girls learn better in traditional classroom settings. Boys’ schools understand the differences in how boys learn and design the educational experience to suit the needs of the adolescent boy.
All-male schools have the added benefit of male mentorship to provide guidance for students. Even if the school’s teachers are both male and female, boys’ schools usually have male role models in leadership positions for students to rely on for support and advice.
Catholic Schools Represent a Universal Church
Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” This universal Catholic Church transcends national boundaries, and children of all races and cultural heritage are welcome to attend Catholic schools. A diverse mix of students provides a unique environment for your son to learn and grow.
For the Catholic student, the benefits of a Catholic high school like the supportive community and the ability to maintain religious practices make a religious school more suitable than a public high school. Parents may be concerned that the price of private Catholic schools can be prohibitive. Fortunately, many Canadian provinces fund Catholic schools, and your child may be able to get a private-school education through a scholarship or reduced tuition.
Parents will want to consider these factors when deciding whether their son should attend a boys’ Catholic college preparatory school or a public high school. If a faith-based education and consistent religious practice are important to your family, a Catholic college prep school is the best choice for your child.
