The Catholic Book Club discussion

5. Do you agree with Dreher's assessment of the schools as you see them in your area. If so, what alternatives do you have and how would you go about it?

Dreher's main recommendation about education is either to start your own Classical Christian school, or to homeschool. The last option is illegal in Spain, and I doubt that opening a new private school would be easy.

In Spain, most private schools (including religious schools) have an agreement with the government, who partially subsidizes them in order to make elementary education almost free for every family. But this also means that they have to follow the state curriculum, which right now is starting to include gender indoctrination. The most recent numbers I am finding in the internet say that only 3% of the students go to a non-subsidized private school.

Mariangel wrote: "Dreher's main recommendation about education is either to start your own Classical Christian school, or to homeschool. The last option is illegal in Spain, and I doubt that opening a new private sc..."

In the European Union there are four different versions of legislation about homeschooling:

a) In some countries, such as the U.K., Ireland, Denmark and a few others, homeschooling is fully legal, as in the U.S.

b) In some countries, such as France, Germany, and several others, homeschooling is legal under certain (sometimes very strict) conditions.

c) In some countries, such as Greece or Malta, homeschooling is illegal.

d) In Spain it is a-legal, i.e. it is not specifically excluded, although in practice it is almost impossible.

Additionally, in Spain there are a few schools that separate boys and girls in classrooms, and they are under continuous attack by the different Administrations, who try to cancel the agreement with them, but the schools usually go to the courts and the Supreme Court usually decides on their favor.

Dreher calls for Classical Schools and mentions that his children are reading the Greek classics. A book that we have in our list of nominees is "The restoration of Christian culture" by John Senior, who held "Great Books" courses in the University of Kansas during the 1970s. In addition to reading Greek, Roman, medieval and Renaissance classics and discussing them in class, the three course teachers made their students memorize poems, sing and dance folk songs, and stargaze, as activities to promote wonder and appreciation for beauty.

After a significant number of students taking this course converted to Catholicism (some of the conversions were featured in local newspapers), several parents complained to the University, and an investigation was started to see if the professors had been proselytizing. Many former students testified about what the classes were about, and said that of course Christian point of views came up in the discussion of books such as "The Divine Comedy", but denied the proselytizing; the committee investigating decided it had not taken place -but the University stopped the courses anyway.

Mariangel wrote: "Dreher calls for Classical Schools and mentions that his children are reading the Greek classics. A book that we have in our list of nominees is "The restoration of Christian culture" by John Senio..."

I've read a number of articles on the concept of "classical Christian education" and I hope we read Senior's book in the group. Looking back, I view sending my children to the public schools to have been a great mistake, though from everything I've read I'm not sure the Catholic schools would have been any better.

Mariangel wrote: "In Spain, most private schools (including religious schools) have an agreement with the government, who partially subsidizes them in order to make elementary education almost free for every family. But this also means that they have to follow the state curriculum, which right now is starting to include gender indoctrination."

And the Church says nothing about this? That makes things very tough. How would you go about trying to give your children a Catholic education?

John wrote: "And the Church says nothing about this? That makes things very tough. How would you go about trying to give your children a Catholic education?"

Yes, the Church (or at least some Bishops) speak against it, and they are immediately denounced in Courts as homophobic. Up to now, those trials have not been accepted by the Courts, but as things go, it may easily happen in the near future, and then we'll have direct persecution of Catholics.

To make sure our children receive a Catholic education we must, either take them to private un-subsidized Catholic schools (which means parents must pay for their education), or resort to tricks, such as calling sick when homosexuals come to the school to proselytize, or hoping that the Catholic teachers will dilute the anti-Catholic teachings (which they not always do).

Manuel wrote: "or resort to tricks, such as calling sick when homosexuals come to the school to proselytize"

Most likely, parents and students will not be informed in advance of these visits. It already happened in a high school ran by nuns that a group of lesbians visited a class to promote their ideas and attack the Church, and parents learned about it from their children, several of whom stood up against the visitors and defended the Church.

Mariangel wrote: "Manuel wrote: "or resort to tricks, such as calling sick when homosexuals come to the school to proselytize"

Most likely, parents and students will not be informed in advance of these visits. It a..."

Good for those kids and shame on the teachers and administrators.

Mariangel wrote: "Dreher calls for Classical Schools and mentions that his children are reading the Greek classics. A book that we have in our list of nominees is "The restoration of Christian culture" by John Senio..."

Shutting down the "Integrated Humanities" program at KU was an ever-crying shame. Yet in the few years it flourished it made enough of an impact that still resonates today.

Yes, I was a student in the program in 75-76. It was an amazing program that challenged the students to think.

Oh my!
Both my husband ('79) and my oldest son graduated from KU.