Are Catholic Schools Required to Teach Latin?

Latin was once required at many public and parochial schools, but fell into disfavor during the 1960s when students rebelled against traditional classroom teachings and even the Roman Catholic Church moved away from Latin as the official language ...

Catholic secondary school and college ... education. Latin is not merely another foreign language to be equated as a required subject or as an elective on the same level with French, German, Spanish, or Russian....

There is, however, a growing classical education movement consisting of private schools and home schools that are teaching Latin at the elementary or grammar school level. Latin is often taught in Catholic secondary schools, and in some of them it is a required course.

He’s a true benefactor of the human race, and I hope this article allows more Catholics to benefit from his work. In the meantime, I’ll be working my way through the Vulgate, memorizing some Psalms…but I’m not leaving Ørberg behind just yet! To reinforce and deepen what I’ve learned, I plan to start Familia Romana once more from the beginning, along with yet another book of exercises. *Having gotten this far in my Latin journey, I’m convinced that high schools and colleges ought to require students to take a multi-year course leading to proficiency in one language (even if that language isn’t Latin).

As modern education turned toward utilitarianism, Latin study dropped 79% over the next 14 years. However, since 1976 Latin has been on the rise for some of the same reasons it is now a major part of our curriculum at ...

Core Curriculum includes instruction in: Theology, literature, math, science and history. Enrichment Courses include art, music, drama, physical education, Latin, Ancient Greek, and modern languages instruction.

We maintain a deep and abiding commitment to our Catholic identity while welcoming students of other faiths (nearly 30% of our students are non-Catholic). ... The Prep years are the 7th and 8th-grade years available to students admitted while in or after completing 5th or 6th-grade year (thereby accelerating two years or one year, respectively). The Prep year eases the transition into Latin School by acclimating students to our expectations and culture, prior to the more rigorous Form I (Freshman) year.

Schools often point to its practical benefits: Latin helps students understand English grammar, strengthens vocabulary, improves SAT scores, and cultivates careful, logical thinking—the very heart of the liberal art of grammar. These are all true and good reasons to study Latin. But for Catholic schools, there is more.

“Greek and Latin carry in the wake an entire world of thought and feeling” (164). Looking at the great deeds of the past, within our own country and the entirety of our civilization, it is necessary to reconnect to the sources of life that inspired and animated their achievements. In looking to the greats, Simmons advocates, “Don’t merely read about them; read what they read – as they read it” (210). Many of our Catholic schools offer Latin, and its study opens up for their students a breadth of tradition, thought, and beauty.