With the start of the new school year just around the corner, OSV News asked John DeJak, director of the Secretariat for Catholic Education at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to provide an overview of Catholic education in the country. As a former teacher and administrator who has worked in both diocesan and independent schools since the late 1990s, DeJak is in a unique position to assess the state of the nation\u2019s approximately 5,800 Catholic schools, which serve nearly 1.7 million students. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013I am the chief staff member of the bishops\u2019 Committee on Catholic Education, and my jurisdiction covers Catholic education from preschool through high school across the United States, with an emphasis on institutional settings, including Catholic higher education\u2014that is, all our Catholic universities and colleges\u2014and the related public policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have three other staff members and advisors who assist me, and I speak with Bishop David O\u2019Connell several times a week. He is the bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, former president of The Catholic University of America, and chair of the Committee on Catholic Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). My job is to carry out his priorities\u2014and those of the other bishops on the committee\u2014in accordance with the USCCB\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013The committee of bishops has focused on several issues that have remained relevant under different presidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before Bishop O\u2019Connell, Bishop (Thomas) Daly (of Spokane) showed great interest in evangelizing those who are not affiliated with any religion or who have become estranged from the Church, with a special focus on young people and young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, an analysis of the data shows that many of our young people leave the Church at age 13 or 14. They view Confirmation as a \u00abgraduation\u00bb from the Church and never set foot in it again. We must examine this situation: What are we doing right, and what are we lacking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is one of the areas\u2014a review of Catholic pedagogy and practice in light of what the Church has always done\u2014that has been a project of the committee for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another important aspect is the emphasis on the inclusion of students with disabilities in our Catholic schools. Over the past 10 years, with the support and encouragement of the bishops, we have made significant progress in the way we serve all our Catholics. It is a mandate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another trend that has emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014and has been exacerbated by cell phones and the ubiquity of technology\u2014is the issue of student mental health. While family breakdown plays a role, there have also been spikes in depression and suicidal ideation as a result of these new technologies and social media, in a sort of culture of unreality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013The Church has always maintained that parents can choose the environment and school that best suit their circumstances and those of their child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some choose to homeschool their children. Others choose public school. Still others choose private schools. However, Catholic parents have a duty to educate their children in the faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This renewal of Catholic education\u2014which includes some independent schools\u2014is, in reality, a return to a coherent vision of reality, born from the heart of the Church. It helps students understand where they come from, where they are going, and why they are here. And this is what Catholic education has always done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe it has had a stimulating effect on many of our diocesan schools, as well as on schools run by religious orders, so overall it has been positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013What these new schools do is acknowledge the historical reality that, unfortunately, secularizing influences\u2014the progressive education that began almost at the same time our bishops were founding the system of parochial schools\u2014took hold in university departments of education and in the institutions where many teachers were trained. There, certain assumptions exist that contradict a coherent Catholic understanding of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is inevitable that we have not had access to certain things or received specific training, but it is our duty to understand this and try to get back on track. I believe parents are recognizing the impact of these secular influences, and this is evident in the dropout rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013Yes, exactly. God raises up saints for the times when they are needed. I think something similar is happening here in terms of the renewed appreciation for traditional teaching methods. It\u2019s about awakening these children\u2019s sacramental imagination, so that when they look at the world, they know there\u2019s more to it than that. There\u2019s something deeper and supernatural behind it all. God is bringing all of this to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013People choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons, some financial, others philosophical. It is an integral part of Catholic education, and parents have the right to make that decision, given their circumstances. The Church has always emphasized the need for schools because it knows that parents cannot do everything, but it certainly does not oppose parents\u2019 choice to educate their children at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013Freedom of school choice is a crucial issue for the bishops, particularly the federal tax credit for scholarships\u2014also known as the Educational Freedom Tax Credit\u2014which was part of the \u00abOne Big Beautiful Bill\u00bb passed last year. This is an opportunity for taxpayers to donate $1,700 to a scholarship-granting organization and have that donation count as a tax credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has great potential if the Church takes advantage of this opportunity, as it allows parents and families to apply for scholarships. These are private funds, not federal funds, and they allow families to choose the school of their choice, which may be a Catholic school. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This truly puts the power back in the hands of parents as the primary and most important educators. It would allow more families to attend Catholic schools and could be transformative if people take advantage of it\u2014provided that communication is effective and people are aware that this option exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, ultimately, that is an opportunity to save more lives.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Con el inicio del nuevo a\u00f1o escolar a la vuelta de la esquina, OSV News solicit\u00f3 a John DeJak, director del Secretariado de Educaci\u00f3n Cat\u00f3lica de la Conferencia de Obispos Cat\u00f3licos de Estados Unidos , que ofreciera una visi\u00f3n general de la educaci\u00f3n cat\u00f3lica en el pa\u00eds. Como exprofesor y administrador que ha trabajado tanto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2425,"featured_media":63838,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[552,548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educacion","category-foco"],"yoast_head":"\n