Catholic education is simply a large problem in Poland. Many parents would like to send their children to a good Catholic school – but they are not. They then decide on home education, which has immense advantages, but is frequently a major organizational challenge. In the United States, alleged microschools are becoming increasingly popular – a solution that in a sense combines any of the advantages of home education with the advantages of larger schools.
It is written by the American National Catholic Register. According to author Jack Figge, in the face of many years of declines in the number of students and rising costs of surviving facilities, any of the tiny Catholic schools in the US began to implement the alleged microschool model – combining respective yearbooks in 1 class and conducting more individualized teaching. This solution proves to be a way for many of them to save business without having to close the school or combine it with another facility.
An example is the St. Athanasius school in Long Beach, California, which in 2022 was on the verge of liquidation: with minimal budget resources and falling student numbers. After the transition to the microschool model, the number of classes was reduced, the staff was limited, and teaching was transferred to a strategy of multi-level groups. 4 years later, the school notes an increase in the number of students, a crucial improvement in educational outcomes and financial stability.
Microschools are a facility of little than 150 students, in which the classes are multi-annual, and teachers work with students according to their individual pace and level. This model refers to the erstwhile education of the "one chamber", but uses modern tools, including adaptation technologies and flexible teaching methods.
For many dioceses this is simply a consequence to the ongoing crisis of Catholic education. Over a decade, the number of students in Catholic schools in the United States has dropped by over 250,000, and on average about 100 schools were closed annually. The introduction of the microschool concept hampered this trend: the number of closures began to decline and the parishes gained an alternate to the liquidation of their facilities.
The model focuses on 3 aspects: the identity of the Catholic school, the effectiveness of teaching and sound financial management. Maintaining tiny classes, constant relations between students, and closer cooperation with parents bring not only educational but besides social results – students show greater responsibility, independency and commitment.
As his supporters point out, microschooling is not the "last resort", but a real, sustainable model of the functioning of tiny schools that want to stay rooted in their communities. alternatively of focusing solely on expanding the number of students, the model promotes the school's assessment through the prism of the effects of teaching, social improvement and spiritual life.
Source: ncregister.com
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