The Roman Catholic parochial school system in the United States, the largest private school system in the country and in the world, educates elementary through secondary students in schools affiliated with Catholic parishes. The system of parochial schools developed in the nineteenth century as a result of concerns within Catholic circles about the dominant Protestant sensibility. Catholics viewed the public schools not as secular, but as non-denominational Protestant, and sometimes audaciously anti-Catholic, especially where nativist attitudes were strong. The Catholic Church believed that attendance in public schools would lead to a decline in Catholic identity among the immigrant Catholic communities.

At the midpoint of the twentieth century, the official position of the Catholic hierarchy was that all education for Catholics should be religious in orientation and controlled by the Church, a position held by the majority of Catholics as well. The number of schools in the parochial school system doubled between 1940 and 1960, when it reached its peak in population and percentage of Catholics. The predominance of parochial schools in the Catholic community sustained a culture of Catholicism that imbued much of the activity of the community. From May Queen processions to beginning the school day with Mass, such socializing resulted in various attitudes among Catholics and perceptions of the Catholic community. The schools were known for their strict discipline, for children wearing uniforms, and for the religious sisters who tended to run the schools. While there were abuses of discipline resulting in many true and apocryphal stories about students surviving Catholic schools, the schools were effective in inculcating Catholic values in the students and making it more likely that they would remain Catholic in their later years.

Towards the end of the twentieth century, as Catholics, as a group, have become more acculturated into mainstream society parochial schools have shifted their focus. While the majority of schools used to be urban, the majority of Catholics have now moved into the suburbs. Thus, schools have been built in the suburbs for the moving population and the numbers of inner-city schools have declined. The remaining inner-city parochial schools educate increasing numbers of nonCatholics and minorities, following the Catholic Church’s concern for the poor in the inner cities, especially for African American, Latino and new immigrant populations. For inner-city families, parochial schools offer a low-cost and high-reward alternative to the decaying public-school structure. While urban parochial schools spend less per student than the local public school, they demonstrate higher rates of learning.

In recent years, parochial schools have become the touchstone for traditionalist religious forces. Foes of the secular public-school system promote parochial schools’ values, and supporters of parochial schools often align themselves with the burgeoning force for tax-supported vouchers.