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Catholic’s firmly believe that the lord Jesus Christ is the central figure in their lives. To exclude this fundamental aspect of who they are is to deny their very being. This includes education.
A child spends six to eight hours a day at school. If that environment does not share the basic beliefs and values of an individual then it is time misspent.
The foundational years
A child spends their most impressionable, formative years in school. To remove faith from those years, for a great part of each day is to give up a vital aspect of a child’s rearing. For this reason many parents are looking for a Catholic home schooling curriculum.
Catholic home schooling curriculum covers all the years of schooling. Providers vow to build spiritual, moral, ethical and academic foundation into each aspect of the curriculum and not to incorporate aspects that go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
A Catholic curriculum is rooted in the belief that every child has unique gifts. Individuals have a responsibility to use their gifts for the betterment of all.
A look at the curriculum
A brief inside look into the Catholic home schooling system reveals the presence of god in every chapter of every level.
The subjects of life science, physical science and earth science have been described as “discovering god’s creation science”. In these subjects, many things are discovered in the nature and thus all these have been described as the god’s creation.
Impact of the Bible and Christianity on the curriculum
There are also subjects that deal specifically with the Bible. The first part deals with base knowledge of tradition and biblical history. The stories, parables, gospels and Old Testament are explained.
Christian living components of the curriculum deal with the impact that the Catholic faith has on daily life. This includes making right decisions and living a moral life. The laws of the Catholic Church along with the sacraments and prayer are also taught.
The curriculum
It teaches a child basic subjects and skills within the context of the Catholic faith. Many of the stories that are used to teach reading are simplified Bible stories or stories that reflect Catholic values. Memorization activities would revolve around formal prayers and Catholic definitions.
Role of parents in the curriculum
The Catholic curriculum also requires that parents take a very active role in the education of their child. In accordance with the Bible it is the parents’ responsibility to ‘raise up their child in the ways of the lord.’
The Catholic home schooling curriculum like many other Christian home schooling curriculums allows parents to have direct control over the education of their children. They control the atmosphere and the content, especially during the formative years, when value systems are being developed.
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