More parents are enrolling their kids in private Christian schools today in an effort to combat the woke curriculum of many of America's public schools. They're choosing to put kids in schools that support the faith and values they offer at home.
"Fox & Friends First" co-host Carly Shimkus talked with Bishop Ryan Catholic School president Fr. Jadyn Nelson and parent Perry Olsen on Wednesday morning, August 24, 2022, about the current move by some parents to leave public school education behind.
Fr. Nelson explained that his school, in Minot, North Dakota, is seeing increased interest from parents in private Christian education.
"This year we are up 6% [in enrollment] overall, and we’ve been seeing year-over-year gains around 5% for the last five years," Fr. Nelson said.
"Sixty-seven new families for a small school like ours is good interest in what we’re doing here."
When asked why he felt that the Catholic school option was becoming more popular with families, he noted that values are key.
"I think the biggest thing is that when people look at what they want for their children in terms of an educational environment, they think of providing such an environment that corresponds to their own values, and what they want to communicate to their kids in their home," he explained.
He continued, "When we offer a faith-based education that also includes discipline and a strong moral foundation, they think of that as a great value."
Perry Olsen, who has three kids enrolled at the school, agreed.
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"Father really hit on it right there. It’s kind of continuing … the values that we’re trying to instill in our children at home, and it kind of just continues on into their education," he explained.
He noted that at Bishop Ryan, a "classical-style education" has been instituted, calling it "something a little different that stands apart from some of the other options. That was a big plus."
He added, "Just knowing that the care and the moral foundation that’s being laid hopefully at home continues on at the school during their time here, which is a lot, right?"
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He added, "Kids are at school for a long time. It’s reassuring to my wife and me that it continues on here."
Shimkus noted that recently a school board in Fargo, North Dakota, banned the Pledge of Allegiance because it included the word "God" — until serious public backlash against the decision forced them to reinstate it.
Fr. Nelson commented on the issue, saying, "I think that it’s a misunderstanding of the church-state separation."
He continued, "I think we’re seeing the Supreme Court re-look at what the original intent of the Constitution was, and you can see clearly that during that historical era we were looking at not having a state impose religion, but it was certainly not to take God out of the public square."
He added, "Which is kind of the interpretation that had to be behind their thinking on that, that you can’t even mention the name God in public."
"But clearly that’s not what the Founding Fathers of our country thought," he said.
