Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers URL: www.scjfaq.org/faq/21-06-01.html

www.scjfaq.org/faq

Question 21.6.1:
Schooling: How do I determine the right type of religious program: day school vs. afterschool?

A day school education has the advantage of keeping the child's social, and secular training consistent. An after school program is often perceived by the child to show that the religious education is only an afterthought and is not as "important" as the "regular" classes. A day school education will also cover more ground, be integrated with the child's life, and teach the child throughout his/her entire school career.

On the other hand, there are also advantages to public school plus afternoon Hebrew school. These include having school friends in the neighborhood, and the fact that non-Jews who go to school with Jewish kids are probably less likely to grow up to be antisemites than those who've never met a Jew before.

The determination of the most appropriate choice depends on many factors: family finances, academic quality, child care options, the community, the religious schools available (there are fewer Reform day schools than Orthodox day schools, for example), transportation, the quality of the public school system, the attitude of the school if parents are not of the same movement, and other factors. Parents should also consider how close a match there is between the day school(s) available for their children and the family's own religious philosophy and level of observance.

In any case, any form of Jewish education is important, and many a committed Jew is the product of afterschool education.

The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

Hopefully, the FAQ will provide the answer to your questions. If it doesn't, please drop Email to questions@scjfaq.org. The FAQ maintainer will endeavor to direct your query to an appropriate individual that can answer it. If you would like to be part of the group to which the maintainer directs questions, please drop a note to the FAQ maintainer at maintainer@scjfaq.org.

© (c) 1993-2004 Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>