Catholic schools losing their ethos

by Letters Editor · October 7, 2010

From Sello Mokoka, Pimville

It has dawned on me that our Catholic schools have lost their ethos in striving to teach the Catholic faith to our children attending some of our schools and institutions.

Teaching at these schools is no longer Gospel-based and centred on Christ. Why? Because teachers at these schools have lost the common good as witnesses to Christ being alive in the world today. They have stopped spreading the good news to our children. These schools have failed to make a difference in the lives of our children.

Prayer and liturgy are no longer the foundation for life-long growth from a spirituality perspective of hope for our children. Our children are no longer attending morning Mass at the parishes within the vicinity of their school yard. Why? Because the presence of teaching staff and children of other faiths has created barriers that have had a devastating effect on the faith of Catholic children, thus our children have lost focus of their Catholic inheritance and influence that we instil in them.

We as Catholic parents have also became too complacent in the education of our children to an extent that entire school governing bodies and teaching staff are 100% non-Catholic, also becoming indispensable in the process.
Some of these schools have become inaccessible for Catholic children to the extent that some have been turned away.

This means that our Catholic children are unable to benefit from our rich tradition at Catholic schools.
Through the Deed of Agreement that was established between the State and the schools on private property, Catholic schools are accorded the legal status and a measure of state support, hence the links which exist between the owners (Catholic schools) and the school bodies that govern them.

The Deed entitles Catholic schools to retain their Catholic character and ethos.
We should therefore not allow these school governing bodies to do as they please at our Catholic schools. This is apparent in some cases where Catholic parents have opted to send their children to non-Catholic schools because the Catholic faith has been throttled and trampled upon to virtual extinction.
It is of critical importance that we discern together as a Catholic community and redirect our spiritual energies so that our schools retain and preserve the Catholic faith.

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, in his pastoral letter regarding Catholic education said: �We need to ensure that prayer and liturgy remain central in the life of our schools.�