LONDON - 10 March 2008 - 290 words
Bishop
O'Donoghue to represent Catholic schools to government committee
Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue has
received an invitation from the House of Commons Select Committee
on Children, Schools and Families to attend a session in order
to answer questions on Catholic schools, and his teaching document,
Fit for Mission? Schools.
The Bishop will appear before the Committee, under the chairmanship
of Barry Sheerman, Labour MP for Huddersfield, on Wednesday 12
March.,
The Secretariat for the Committee have indicated the areas proposed
to be considered by the committee members, which include:
The principle of faith schools their distinctiveness and
the issue of whether they should be publicly funded.
Faith school performance and pupil intakes - the implications
of Voluntary-Aided faith schools being their own admissions authorities
and the impact of the new schools Admissions Code.
Faith schools and community cohesion - how faith schools can balance
building a strong religious identity among their pupils and promoting
tolerance; preparing pupils for living in a multicultural society;
and recognising different aspects of pupils' identity as well
as their faith.
Bishop Patrick said: "I am eager to appear before the select committee to explain the Catholic Church's vision of education, which I have clearly set out in Fit for Mission? Schools. I am especially keen to challenge the urban myths that seem to be growing around Catholic schools at the present time.
"One such myth is that faith education works all right as long as people are not that serious about their faith. In fact, the contrary is true the most successful Catholic schools are exactly those which have a vibrant and confident ethos deriving from the Catholic faith as professed, celebrated, lived and believed.
"Another myth is that Catholic schools are divisive and sectarian, and work against community cohesion. Frankly, such a view is based on ignorance of the reality on the ground. In the Diocese of Lancaster, 24,731 children attend our 84 Catholic schools. Of this total, 33% are non Catholic children. In Preston, 50% of children attending our schools are non Catholic. This rises to 80% in some Catholic schools in Preston.
"Parents consciously and deliberately choose Catholic schools because they are Catholic and we are letting them down if we don't present a vital and authentic Catholic ethos and identity.
"I look forward to answering the Committee's questions, and thank them in advance for giving me the opportunity of the presenting the truth about Catholic schools in this country".
Source: Diocese of Lancaster
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