The story mentions the recent New York Times report on the state of Catholic education, including a 50% drop in enrollment in the last 40 years. See For Catholic Schools, Crisis and Catharsis. Mr. Borsuk reports
In the Milwaukee Archdiocese, officials say, enrollment in 132 Catholic schools totals 33,842 this year, down 717 from a year ago and 1,488 from two years ago.
That works out to average enrollment of around 256 per school, so we're losing the equivalent of almost three schools a year. At that overall rate of decline, total enrollment would reach zero in not much more than another 40 years.
On the surface, this appears to be a noble idea. Upon closer examination, it has many problems.
ReplyDeleteNone of the "Catholic" colleges and universities mentioned are Catholic in any real sense. And many of the "Catholic" grade schools and high schools have lost their Catholic identity long ago.
When our kids were younger, one "Catholic" high school have no Mass on holy days. Then there is the problem of "sex education," textbooks, first confession after First Communion. It will be a case of the "blind leading the blind." Many of these, and other problems have not been addressed yet.
Mr. Stollenwerk may mean well, but it is throwing good money after bad.