The Case for Catholic Education: Why Parents, Teachers, and Politicians Should Reclaim the Principles of Catholic Pedagogy

by Ryan N.S. Topping, O.P., Sister John Mary Fleming (Foreword)

Catholic schools have long contributed to the mission of the Church and to the flourishing of society. During the past few decades, however, Catholic schools have suffered severe losses, both in their religious identity and in their capacity to attract students.With penetrating insights, pointed anecdotes, and drawing upon recent empirical studies and Church documents, Ryan Topping describes the near collapse of Catholic education in North America and uncovers the enduring principles of authentic renewal. In The Case for Catholic Education you'll · the three purposes of Catholic education · why virtue is more important than self-esteem · the elements of a true "common core" curriculum · essential differences between "progressive" and "Catholic" models of learning · helpful study questions and a research guide"This is an accessible and eminently readable book on a topic which no Catholic can afford to ignore."--Joseph Pearce, Aquinas College, Nashville, TN"The Case for Catholic Education speaks to the heart of the debate over whether Catholic education is 'worth it.'"--Sister John Mary Fleming, O.P., Executive Director for Catholic Education, USCCB"The Case for Catholic Education will surely play a vital role in reinvigorating the handing-on of essential Catholic truths."--Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, MI"This short book contains an astonishing wealth of insights and practical suggestions."--Dr. Keith Cassidy, President of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy"Ryan Topping has written an engaging and coherent analysis of the state of Catholic education in North America, which will be useful for teachers in Britain, too."--Dr. Paul Shrimpton, Magdalen College School, Oxford"An insightful view of our threatened patrimony and a framed vision for what educating and forming our children may still yet become."--Dr. Jason Fugikawa, Dean of Academics and Faculty, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH

Genres: Education

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2015

About the author

Dr. Topping earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba as well as an M.Phil. and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Oxford. He held the Pope John XXIII Chair of Studies in Catholic Theology at St. Thomas University in Canada, and is Fellow at Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts in New Hampshire.

Dr. Topping has published on a variety of Catholic themes and figures, from St. Augustine, to Dante, to G.K. Chesterton in academic and popular journals such as International Philosophical Quarterly, First Things, Crisis Magazine, and Catholic Exchange. A popular conference speaker, he has presented widely on Catholic radio and TV networks including EWTN.

Besides home-schooling their seven children, he and his wife have been teaching Natural Family Planning for a decade. They reside in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not earth-shattering, but good, short, fundamental overview and introduction to genuine Catholic education.

[Anna Sobczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There can be no true education which is not wholly directed to man’s last end” -Pope Pius XI

Topping brilliantly outlines and argues for an education designed with man’s last end—heaven or hell—in mind. He calls this goal the “ultimate goal” and is one of three goals or purposes that each Catholic school should strive to achieve, the others being the remote goal (virtues and culture) and the immediate goal (practical skills). Using the catechism, he advocates for a view of the teacher as a servant and the parents as the prime authority over a child’s education. “The first and most abiding interest in the education of the child lies not with his state, nor his party, but his parents. In the familiar legal phrase, teachers act in loco parentis. Both our political tradition and our faith confirm that the teacher is first the servant not of the government, or even the Church, but of the family” (52.) The good teacher, Topping argues, is one who partners with the parent to provide texts, examples, and resources for the child which invite the child to see and to imitate truths of the world. This book was incredibly insightful and well written, as a Catholic educator, I will definitley continue to reference this book for years to come.

[Trista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about reclaiming the Catholicity in our Catholic schools.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent outline of classical Catholic education.

"The crisis of Catholic education, which the next generation of students and teachers must overcome, is the crisis born chiefly of our lack of confidence in truth. This lack of confidence has led us to accept an uninspired and uninspiring view of the human person."

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Case for Catholic Education is a short but eye-opening book by Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping, the author a book from 2013 that I still remember today - Rebuilding Catholic Culture. His current book looks objectively at Catholic schools, Catholic education and exposes the weaknesses. His reason for doing so is because "there is potential for greater strength."

The first chapter sets the stage by explaining why there is a crisis in Catholic education. Dr. Topping believes the root cause to be a "lack of confidence in truth." He goes on to explain what is lacking and Common Core and discusses a different curriculum briefly. He also speaks of Christopher Dawson and Dorothy Sayers and how they could see this crisis coming before it happened. The second chapter is the most depressing to me. In it, we are presented with numerous statistics and graphs that compared secular students, Protestant students, and Catholic students. Not all the numbers were bad, but with a lot of the moral and social issues you could see the degree of subjectivity Catholic students have adopted. Where is the objective moral truth that our children are supposed to be learning? But we cannot blame this solely on the schools, Catholic parents have failed as well. The remaining four chapters in this book discuss the purpose of education, the methods of the teacher, a curriculum of seven liberal arts (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music), and a hopeful chapter on the future of Catholic education.

It is hard to pick out a chapter as one that spoke to me the most, because each chapter built upon the previous one. I found myself nodding along the further and further I progressed in the book. After the chapters is a set of discussion questions, which can be used solo or in a small group setting. As for my opinion of the book, I found it to be succinct, but important enough that all Catholics should read it, not just parents and teachers. Catholic education is in need of a change, and we must stand up and do something about it, because it is not just our children's minds that are at stake but their souls as well.