Secular schools include public, private, and independent schools. Public schools in the US have no religious affiliation, while private schools can be special education, athletic, trade/vocational, or based on a particular philosophy. Military academies can be secular or sectarian.
People often contrast public schools with sectarian schools without stopping to think that there are actually a wide variety of secular schools including, but not limited to public schools. Secular schools, which means “not connected to or supported by a particular religion or religious group, can be of three basic types: public schools, private schools, and private or independent schools.
Public schools are a type of secular schools in the United States. In the United States, no public school has a religious affiliation, whether it is an elementary school or an institution of higher learning, such as a grant-granting college and university. Charter schools are actually a part of the public school system, but they have specialized academic disciplines or focuses, so they too are, by definition, secular schools.
While some private and/or independent schools are sectarian, a large number are not. Those that are not can be of different types. Some private schools are special education schools, specifically created to serve special populations such as students who are blind or deaf, or students with learning disabilities or behavioral issues. Private athletic schools combine athletics with academics in a secular environment.
Trade or vocational schools are another type of secular school. The focus of a trade or vocational school is the training of students in skills and techniques. This is also the focus of performing arts schools, albeit in a different area of learning.
A number of private secular schools are based on a particular philosophy or pedagogy. These schools have a specialized curriculum and common approach with other schools of the same type. Some examples are the Coalition of Essential Schools, Distance Learning Schools, Learning Network Schools, Montessori Schools, Sudbury Valley Schools and Waldorf Schools.
One type of school that can be secular or sectarian is the military academy. Some schools combine sectarian focus with military training, but this is often evident in their name, which could be something like “Christian Military Academy.”
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