The American Jizya

"Catholic schools save US $19.8 billion annually, education group says"

Washington DC, Dec 14, 2008 / 04:25 am (CNA).- The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) claims that Catholic schools save $19.8 billion to the U.S. annually in savings by serving children who would otherwise be educated at taxpayer expense.

The NCEA reports that the nation’s almost 7,400 Catholic schools enroll more than 2.2 million students, who would have been educated in public schools at an average cost of $8,701 per student.

"Catholic schools are a gift to the church - and to the nation," said Dr. Karen Ristau, President of NCEA, in a December 11 press release. "The enormity of this gift is more striking during these challenging economic times."

"Our graduates have a strong commitment to community service because that is a foundation of our schools," continued Ristau. "Just this past year Catholic school students performed 2.2 million hours of public service in honor of Pope Benedict's visit. That kind of involvement is a gift to the country that cannot be measured in dollars alone."

It's generous to think of it as a gift.  But misleading.  Since these parents are coerced to pay for schools they don't use for religious reasons, it's really a tax.  That Catholics have to make financial sacrifices to educate their children after their religion, while secularists get it for free, is rank discrimination, and ought to be considered a violation of the First Amendment.  There's no such thing as a religiously neutral education.