Like you, I too was educated by the nuns from 1st through 12th grades. Back then, the schools were packed; we had 3 classes for each grade with students numbering 55+ in each class. It took a long time to recognize how these nuns needed to be strict disciplinarians in order to maintain order in such large classes. Moreover, there was no departmentalization. You were assigned to a class where the same sister taught the entire curriculum.
Fast forward to when my daughter attended a top rated public school. She would bring home papers written for different classes. These papers were graded strictly on content material. They were rife with grammatical errors. The sisters, OTOH, graded us, not only on content, but also on spelling and grammar - for each subject. That attention to detail entailed devotion to teaching, done out of love for Jesus Christ. How many young people today have been taught mental math, can discern the difference between "to, too or two", how to end the sentence: "my friend and ___" (most insert "me"), are able to count change? I will pit my Catholic School education from back then against any contemporary teaching method today. This understanding has resulted in prayers for those women who devoted their lives to ensuring we would grow up to compete in today's society. God bless them! (even the ones who scared the bejeebees out of me).
I agree. The quality of education was top notch and I notice in communications with peers. I’m now learning the “method behind the madness” of the catholic religion. I no longer think or feel a catholic God is one of spite and vengeance but one of forgiveness and love.