Director of Education JP Morrison writes that sending your child to a Catholic secondary school well be 'one of the best decisions you ever make':
As parents you are the first educators of your child and with that responsibility comes choice and decisions. In the coming weeks you
will be making the very important decision as to what secondary school you will send your child to and what will help them succeed in the face of the challenges of modern life and a fast-changing world. Coupled to that decision is whether or not to send them to a Catholic secondary school. It may have been the right decision for you at primary level, but perhaps secondary offers a different set of circumstances and options.
Be confident that sending your child to a Catholic secondary school will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. A Catholic secondary school is far more than its acclaimed and recognised achievement of academic standards and reputation for excellence. It is about formation. In the light of government changes to education in recent years, Catholic education has maintained its extraordinary success and offers not an alternative, but the standard to which many aspire.
At the heart of Catholic education is the opportunity for any child, regardless of ability, to grow in their understanding of themselves,
their relationship with others and their relationship with God. They will be in an environment where they are actively encouraged to shape a community of faith and live out their values and yours. We are preparing them not only to cope with life, but to shape their life and that of others.
Community is central to Catholic education and the need to find meaning in the age of digital media and social networks that surround them is so important and prevalent. Your child will thrive in a community that finds that meaning through prayer, liturgy and celebration. They can bring to the modern world a value-based judgement that has at its heart Gospel values and the teaching and example of Christ.
Catholic education is centred on Christ as its mentor and guide. All our schools celebrate their strengths through service to communities, inspiring achievement, being witnesses to faith and recognising the diversity and equality of each one of us. By choosing Catholic secondary education you are allowing the high academic standards and attainment you seek for your child to be
intertwined with a faith-based judgment system that both brings them closer to God and makes them eager to improve the world around them. Many of our schools are at the cutting edge of academic excellence and progress. Your child will flourish in that environment and bring them closer to knowing Christ and knowing themselves. That is indeed the Good News, and why Catholic schools exist.
This article originally appeared in the Westminster Record in October 2014. To read the full edition, click HERE
