Parochial schools are private primary or secondary schools that are affiliated with a religious organization. These schools often include religious subjects in their curriculum, along with secular ones.
There are several arguments for and against providing state aid to parochial schools. For example:
For
- Allowing aid will ensure that no child from the state is left behind because the school does not have enough resources to provide a good education.
- The opportunity to attend religious schools allows minorities to retain more of their culture and promotes diversity.
- Providing state aid could allow the state government to have more influence and oversight in the affairs of parochial schools.
Against
- It can be seen as a threat to the separation of church and state, which is instrinsic to American democracy.
- It could be seen as encouraging subjects in curriculums that are not universally accepted or backed up by science.