Religious Education

The pros and cons of religious schooling.

by Allison Tyra

Choosing where to send your child to school is arguably one of the most important decisions in parenthood. When considering public versus private you may also have to consider religious versus secular.

"We deal with the students as a tri-human being," says Reverend Ralph Hebblethwaite, a teacher at St. Louis Christian Academy, referring to the mind, body and soul. St. Louis Christian strives to feed all three parts to help their students grow as a complete person.

For the St. Louis Public School District, Melanie Adams of the Special Administration Board said creative programming is one advantage to a public education. As an example, she cited the recent pilot school program, in which students can attend specialized integration schools, such as Jefferson Elementary School, where the arts-integration program emphasizes dance, fine arts, theater and music.

"There are a variety of different options," she says, which include literature integration, college preparation and other areas.

The Newcomer school is specifically geared toward helping new immigrants make successful transitions to life in the United States.

"That's a large need because of the number of immigrant students we have," Adams says.

Moreover, because of state funding and larger numbers of students, there are usually more options for "co-curricular" activities like sports, clubs and the Urban Debate League.

"We are always looking for opportunities for the students to have out-of-classroom experiences," Adams says.

She also feels that, by taking religion out of the equation, SLPS schools have a different responsibility to the children, their families and the community. "I think it gives us a different level of accountability," Adams says.

This is not to say that the schools are completely separated from local churches, says Julie Linder of the SLPS Office of Public Information. Since 2007, the school system has established partnerships with more than 20 congregations, whose members donate their volunteering efforts to create opportunities for the students, such as camps, sports leagues and special sporting events. Volunteers also tutor the children and make minor repairs to the school buildings, like repainting classrooms on the weekends.

When making your decision, be sure to ask what your child will be learning from that school system. Public education tends to be fairly standardized, but private schools dictate their own policies more broadly. For example, does a Christian school teach creationism, evolution, or both?

"I teach that class, and I teach them both," Hebblethwaite says; while he believes in creationism, the school recognizes that its children will likely end up at secular colleges where evolution is the only theory taught.

"I don't want them to be shocked," Hebblethwaite says, explaining that, unless they are prepared, many students could be traumatized by having a lifelong belief challenged that way.

In addition, ask what the school's sexual education program entails. "We don't have a sex education program as such," Hebblethwaite says. "We are of the philosophy that that is something that should be taught at home."

However, St Louis Christian does offer an optional biology course to seniors that deals with the mechanics of sex and contraception, because the school recognizes that the topic is not discussed in many conservative homes.

"If the folks at home don't talk about it, someone else will," Hebblethwaite says, and the administration would prefer students get solid information at school rather than from a more dubious source.

There is also the irrefutable financial benefit of a public education, compared to the thousands of dollars the average year's tuition will cost in a private school. Of course as the saying goes, nothing in life is free; however it could cost a lot more.

St Louis Christian tuition is $2,900 per year, which is about half of what some private schools - religious and secular - charge.

It cannot be denied that public schools are inherently more diverse, as many religious schools only hire teachers of that religion, the students are predominantly of the same religion, and the only attendees are those whose parents can afford the tuition or who can somehow earn a scholarship. St Louis Christian is an exception to the norm, hiring teachers of all backgrounds.

"We hire a broad range of teachers, we have a broad range of students," Adams says.