The purpose of classical education is to foster the full intellectual, moral and spiritual development of persons to appreciate truth, beauty, and goodness, and to act with integrity in life. As Catholics we understand that whole persons live well and know truth and beauty in the fullest sense through life in Christ. Tus, while classical education embraces all of the liberal arts and sciences, it understands theology as an integrating principle and the life of faith as what animates our love of learning. While the purpose of classical education differs from the contemporary “pragmatic” model, which proposes to cultivate skills students need for college and career readiness, it is no less practical.

By focusing upon the development of the memory and imagination, multiple languages, mathematical intelligence, logical and rhetorical ability, art and music, among many other things, students learn to form and ask the right questions, read thoughtfully, write eloquently, calculate effectively, and to represent their ideas to others. By paying careful attention to the development of the virtues, classically formed students learn to seek the good, tolerate frustration, be courageous, act with justice, and work cooperatively with others.

Contemporary culture understands these as skills of “emotional intelligence.” A classically trained student has the right balance of resilience, creativity, critical analytical ability, and the entrepreneurial spirit needed to excel in any field, as well as academic excellence that will compete effectively with any contemporary measure of student achievement.