What is Classical Catholic Education?
The authentic education of a child is ordered towards their happiness. True happiness is achieved when a child knows who they are and achieves the end for which they exist. A classical Catholic education is dedicated to forming a child to understand his or her self, the world around them and to respond to the voice of God who created them and calls them to Himself. This nature and purpose of a child’s life must be the foundation of their education—the depth and breadth of the humanity of a child. A classical Catholic education is thereby dedicated in its method, content, and structure to respect and nurture this humanity, to awaken a love for Truth, to desire to experience clarity, and to perseverance in seeking knowledge and understanding. The classical Catholic learning environment, while promoting these habits of mind, is also enriched with the profound Catholic understanding of reality, inspiration from a rich cultural heritage of heroism and beauty, and sacramental grace which together form a child’s conscience, virtue, and prayer. The learning environment of a classical Catholic education, therefore:
- Intends the integral formation of the whole human person–body, mind, and spirit in the dignity of being created in the image and likeness of God.
- Seeks to understand objective reality and to recognize the Good, True and Beautiful as revelations of reality’s origin and end in God.
- Attains a synthesis of faith, life, and culture incorporating the child into Christ and His Catholic Church.