Letter: Future of Catholic Schools and Academies - ASKING PARENTS

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Thanks for today's useful article (ICN - 21 September 2023: Reflection on academisation of Catholic schools www.indcatholicnews.com/news/48049 )

I may have missed any reference to ASKING PARENTS - the first educators - what they think! Or even older pupils. In a synodal church where we are bidden to LISTEN not just to the voice of the magisterium but the whole people of God in seeking to discern the action of the Holy Spirit - some mechanism must be found to do so. Of course that requires levels of adult formation not uniformly in place. How many parents understand what academy status really means?

I write as a former HoD RE in both state and RC sector schools and an Ofsted Inspector and member of a diocesan steering group on the synodal process.

David Jackson