Kerby Anderson

A recent article based on a Herzog Foundation survey concluded that Christian schools vastly outperformed public schools. That shouldn’t be too surprising since students in Christian schools usually outperform students in public schools. But a closer look at the survey showed the results were measuring parental satisfaction rather than student performance. We have had more than a year of lockdowns and online education. A month ago, I quoted from a report from McKinsey & Co. that discovered that the student shutdowns harmed the educational progress of students. Students were (on the average) four months behind in reading and five months behind in mathematics. This latest survey found that parents in Christian schools were far more satisfied with their child’s education than parents of children in public schools. Four-in-five (80%) of parents with children in Christian schools were satisfied, while only a majority (55%) of parents in public schools were satisfied, with more than four in ten (41%) who were unsatisfied with the child’s education during COVID. The survey found that during the pandemic, Christian school parents found it easier to manage their child’s time, communicate with teachers, manage their child’s assignments, and were better able to keep up their child’s morale than parents of children in public schools. Christian school parents also reported their schools were open even as nearby public options were closed. More than a quarter (26%) of Christian schools never closed, while a mere 8 percent of public schools never closed. Now that school is in session, we are hearing more and more about mask mandates and possible lockdowns. These recent surveys and reports are a sobering reminder of the negative impact the past school year has had on student performance and the benefits of Christian education to both students and parents.