I attended a Christian college for my undergrad studies
(public for my Master's degree) and I've taught for more than 17 years (out of 28 total)
in three private religious schools; I stay in touch with former students, as well. So,
I think I can offer something to this discussion. I concur with the ideas above and
would add a few more:
1. Accountability. In a smaller
environment where class sizes are smaller and teachers really do know their students,
it's more difficult just to get by. Expectations are higher and mediocrity is generally
not acceptable because we understand that God expects us to give our best efforts.
Students who would typically get "lost" or overlooked in a larger school will be seen
and encouraged, allowing them to flourish in ways they would not in a public school
setting.
2. Opportunity. While these kinds of schools
are generally smaller and don't necessarily offer as wide a variety of extracurricular
activities, more students are able to get involved in those which are offered. This
allows the directors, coaches, advisers, and sponsors to act as spiritual mentors for
their students. For me, this was the best part of teaching in these schools, and it's
the reason I have so many ongoing long-term relationships with my students. They know
they have someone in their corner who loves them and prays for them in the good times
and the bad.
3. Worldview. We all have a worldview, and a
religious education really allows students to learn what they believe and why they
believe it. One of the tragedies of life is that so many high school students have a
crisis of faith after leaving whatever high school they attended; having a strong
grounding will help those students persevere and grow if and when they have such a
crisis.
I assume you're looking for positive elements of
religious education, based on your question; if not, there is an entirely different set
of issues.
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