Humans strive for heaven by being part of social communities on earth. Understanding one’s cultural heritage and making contributions to the common good are the responsibilities of any good citizen.

Therefore, education is an inalienable human right, insofar as it is the process of preparing children to pursue salvation and contribute to the good of their earthly community. Parents have the duty of being the primary educators of their kids. Because of this serious responsibility, they have a right to great liberty in shaping the education of their children. While other institutions, including public schools, may share in the responsibility of educating a child, they do so with the implicit permission of a child’s parents, and should never supersede or marginalize parents in the education process.

We support public policies that support the role of Catholic schools and other non-public education institutions in South Carolina, and that affirm the rights of all parents to choose schools that best fit the educational needs of their children. We advocate for the equitable participation of non-public school students in state and federal education programs.

“Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom.”

-Pope St. John Paul II