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Catholic versus public schools: No more 'pencil-stealers' 

Time for a truce

The "Holy War" between Catholic school and public school rages on as evidenced by the cartoon "Pontius Puddle" [in the Aug. 20 issue]. The caption reads "Public Education vs. Christian Education."

As a product of the New York City public schools, including college and graduate school, I learned a lot more than reading and writing. I learned respect for people of all ethnicities and religions. We were guided by wonderful teachers who didn't hesitate to teach us right from wrong and to direct us to the path we should follow to become moral, ethical and caring people.

As children, on Wednesdays and Saturdays we went to "catechism" or CCD classes, where we frequently reminded that Catholic schools were better. God help us poor public school kids who were unable to attend Catholic school (and, no, I didn't touch the stuff in your desk)!

I'm a lifelong Catholic who for decades labored diligently in the inner-city public schools of New York City. I witnessed first- hand a lot more than teaching the sole stated goal of public schools according to the cartoon ("...to teach children to read and write"). I was amazed at the time, love and expense most of my colleagues poured out on their charges.

Amazingly, that cartoon also does a disservice to "Christian education" by pointing out that, while public school teachers have a plethora of resources, Christian school teachers are "given a rusty filmstrip projector and a box of broken crayons."

Give me a break! In the same issue of The Evangelist, students in Catholic schools are pictured using computers. Advertisements for Catholic schools proudly proclaim their technology labs, science and math labs, choirs, arts programs and so on. 

There's no need to put down public education. Parents of all persuasions want the best for their children. Parents will guide them to be come moral and ethical citizens not only through an educational choice which is best for them, but mostly by their own good example.

(Mary McKee Mertz lives in Clifton Park and attends St. Mary's parish in Crescent.)

(09/17/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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