Thomas Mott Osborne: “I think most of us realize the excellence of private schools, particularly the Catholic schools around the country that…”

“I think most of us realize the excellence of private schools, particularly the Catholic schools around the country that are internationally acclaimed for their academic excellence and provide students more than a superior scholastic education because they are very interested in value-added education, emphasizing a lifelong dedication to moral, intellectual, physical, and social values in America's young people. Certainly in our society today, a strong sense of values and character is critical. As has been mentioned previously, the total Catholic school student enrollment for the 2001-2002 academic year is over 2.6 million; and of course the student-teacher ratio is critical in any educational setting, and a ratio of 17 to 1 is truly admirable and does provide for a much better academic environment. Catholic schools teach a diverse group of students. Roughly one-fourth of the students who enrolled in Catholic schools are minorities, and more than 13 percent are non-Catholics. We feel that the Catholic schools of the United States provide a tremendous service to all people who are interested in education and would like to commend them, and I urge support of House Resolution 26.”