Benefits of Catholic schools? Confused!

[Guest mrsfluxsta]

Hi there,

 

My family and I are moving to northern Brisbane on Wednesday (woop!) and I've been looking into school options for my soon-to-be 5 year old. She will be starting Prep in January.

 

Having got my head around the Ozzie schooling system and got to grips with myschool website, I'm still a bit confused about the core differences between state and Catholic schools. Obviously, Catholic schools offer a religious education, but is this the only difference? I can't seem to see a real difference in performance of the kids? Maybe the difference is more obvious from Yr 7 upwards?

 

I'd be really grateful if anyone can point out the benefits of Catholic school above state schools, as if there is a real benefit, we would be happy to pay the smallish fees for our little one? We are Christians, but not Catholics, so would ideally like a form of religious education for her, but not necessarily a strict Catholic one?

 

Very confused, as I feel as if I'm missing something obvious!

 

:twitcy:

[Guest shusselmann]

Hi,

It's difficult for me to talk about comparisons because I don't have direct experience of Aussie public schools but like you we wanted our children to have some religious education and depending on the school this might not happen in an Australian public school. I felt the strong ethics and Christian values were important.

 

For information, I've really appreciated how inclusive my son's Catholic school is in Sydney, their RE teacher always refers to other religions and highlights interesting differences. This could be school specific though, or just specific to the way she teaches!

 

In our suburb, the reason I chose the Catholic school instead of the local public school was based on gut feel and the standard of resources available in the school. The Catholic school was better resourced and just felt right for us.

 

Perhaps you should keep an open mind until you're here and have visited a few schools.

 

Good luck!

[Guest guest30038]

I've used both systems and placed many kids with difficulties and some without, into both.

 

The results from the catholic schools were much better.............not academically, but in the "pastoral care". The moment one of the kids "mucked up" the Catholic scholl was on the case. Knowing that the kids had problems, they were on the phone immediately, advising me of the issues and how they were going to sort it out (after first considering our opinion).

 

The state schools just seemed to 'roll with the punches'............simply accepting that they had a problem on their hands, and hardly ever consulting us as to a course of action. It got to the stage where I was taking foster kids out of state and putting them into catholic at our own expense...............that's how much we valued it.

 

Religion wasn't 'rammed down their throats', in fact, Josh (St Patrick's college) has just finished an assignment on the contrasts between several religions.

 

The difference is in the "Pastoral Care".............somehow the Catholic schools seem to place more emphasis on the individual............IMHO.

 

At reasonable cost, you couldn't do much better than St Pats shorncliffe (boys) and for Girls, St John Fisher (Bracken Ridge)

[julzcary]

Both my children go to two different Catholic schools, primary and secondary, even though we are christian and they both went to C of E schools in the UK. Our experience is that they were much smaller schools that the others around us and had a nice 'village type' feel to it, compared with the larger state schools - very similar to their previous school. As to the religous side of it, at primary level, they do also study other areas of religion and have prayers in the morning, and lots of pastol care, but at primary level, I think its a good thing, as it does give them some values at a young age. As to high school, RE is compulsory all through the years and is studied quite in depth - think my son has it twice a week. It is also one of your compulsory studies that contributes to your OP score, unlike other schools, whereby it would be optional. Whilst my son's very happy at his school, he's moving schools next year to a state academy and his response was 'at least I wont have to do religion!', but I guess thats just the mentality of a 14 year old! Hope that helps.

[Skani]

My niece's 6 year old son goes to a Catholic school (in Canberra) - paid for by his grandmother, although she was not Catholic. She felt that it offered more attentive care and discipline than the state school which her own daughters attended. And it was affordable for her, which other private schools would not have been. So far, very happy with the results - fingers crossed!

[fmck]

I am Catholic and I am finding it hard to get a space in a Catholic school. As long as the school is Christian that is the main thing for me. I do not want a secular circus ideology taught to my children.

[fish.01]

I am Catholic and I am finding it hard to get a space in a Catholic school. As long as the school is Christian that is the main thing for me. I do not want a secular circus ideology taught to my children.

 

FYI, not many govt schools in Australia offer a circus programme. :wink:

[fmck]

FYI, not many govt schools in Australia offer a circus programme. :wink:

That's good to know. The wink was good by the way.

 

 

In all fairness, I have no experience of Australian education. I do consider some of the alternative teaching and content in many UK schools as nothing short of a circus. Much of what is being taught is wholly inappropriate for young children.

 

There are also alternative learning techniques whereby children learn to spell words which do not exist.

 

Anyway, I'm allowed an opinion on how my children are educated as much as anyone else. It not a crime to not have blind faith in state institutions.

 

I've seen a few heated internet comments about private schools versus state schools in Oz. Some say that the state should not fund private schools. As a taxpayer, I get nothing from the state that I haven't paid for.

[Guest guest30038]

That's good to know. The wink was good by the way.

 

 

In all fairness, I have no experience of Australian education. I do consider some of the alternative teaching and content in many UK schools as nothing short of a circus. Much of what is being taught is wholly inappropriate for young children.

 

There are also alternative learning techniques whereby children learn to spell words which do not exist.

 

Anyway, I'm allowed an opinion on how my children are educated as much as anyone else. It not a crime to not have blind faith in state institutions.

 

I've seen a few heated internet comments about private schools versus state schools in Oz. Some say that the state should not fund private schools. As a taxpayer, I get nothing from the state that I haven't paid for.

 

They don't. They only put into 'em the amount of money per pupil that they would put into a state school. It's the parent's fees that add the funding.

[fmck]

They don't. They only put into 'em the amount of money per pupil that they would put into a state school. It's the parent's fees that add the funding.

 

That's what I thought. From the comments I've seen, some think that it is wrong regardless. You just try to do your best for your children.

[newjez]

If the govt didn't fund them, then many would close, as the parents couldn't afford the increased fees. This would mean many more state schools would need to be built. So you can't win really.

 

Many private schools don't do as well as state schools, but the results aren't the only reason people use private.

 

The idea of private schools, even low fee ones, is that the children that are there will be from families which value education enough to spend money on it. This should mean that children from families who don't value education won't be distrupting the classes.

 

It only takes one or two students to heckle a teacher to the point where they are wasting their time.

 

I guess in Australia private education is a choice that is available to many people, whereas in the UK it is restricted to the few. I think this is a good thing.

[fish.01]

Hi there,

 

My family and I are moving to northern Brisbane on Wednesday (woop!) and I've been looking into school options for my soon-to-be 5 year old. She will be starting Prep in January.

 

Having got my head around the Ozzie schooling system and got to grips with myschool website, I'm still a bit confused about the core differences between state and Catholic schools. Obviously, Catholic schools offer a religious education, but is this the only difference? I can't seem to see a real difference in performance of the kids? Maybe the difference is more obvious from Yr 7 upwards?

 

I'd be really grateful if anyone can point out the benefits of Catholic school above state schools, as if there is a real benefit, we would be happy to pay the smallish fees for our little one? We are Christians, but not Catholics, so would ideally like a form of religious education for her, but not necessarily a strict Catholic one?

 

Very confused, as I feel as if I'm missing something obvious!

 

:twitcy:

 

Unlike the UK where catholic schools are sometimes free in Australia they are always considered non govt fee paying schools but you will sometimes see the non govt sector split into independent private vs catholic private categories.

 

Catholic schools are split again into independent and systemic, the systemic schools being under the umbrella of catholic education where the others are run by catholic religious orders.

 

Many catholic schools out perform govt schools but the reverse is also true so if you are just making a choice on the best education sometimes a govt school is the better choice. It has been reported that the catholic sector spends the lowest amount per pupil on education: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/catholic-schools-are-the-nations-cheapest/story-e6frg6nf-1226016141422

 

State schools tend to be strongest in the higher socio economic areas so inner city govt schools are often very strong, especially in primary. The further out you get, on average, state schools get weaker and in some cases people feel forced to use the local catholic school (specially in high school) even though they do not want the religious indoctrination that sometimes goes with it. All generalities of course and many exceptions. Given the funding arrangements sometimes, through lack of choice, catholic schools have many non catholics in attendance so the strict catholic stuff is not omnipresent or can be avoided to some extent.

 

Apart from being Catholic or having no better choice locally other reasons I have noticed Australian parents choosing a catholic education range from being culturally Catholic but no longer practising, liking the community feel of the school, agreeing with the uniform policy/discipline, liking the prestige they feel it gives them, or not being able to afford one of the top non catholic private schools.

[LKC]

We sent our eldest to state school because neither hubby nor I are Christian and it would have felt terribly hypocritical of us to send her to Catholic school. Maybe we are just lucky in the area we are in, but our state school performs as well as the local Catholic. It has smaller class sizes, seems to have a wider variety of classes such as gymnastics available, and our daughter seems to be blossoming in its care. In my opinion, from what I have seen of the school/other parents/teachers/children, it is a great school. I go in once a week to listen to the children read, and have seen nothing but well behaved, well mannered children. They all wear uniform, the older children are encouraged to mix with the younger ones and there seems a real sense of community in and around the school. It certainly doesn't feel like it is full of children whose parents don't care about education.

 

Having said all that, we do live in a nice area which, whilst not as affluent as places like the Northern Beaches, is good to live in. We chose the area in part because of the good schools nearby.

[paulswin]

Are catholic schools like private where you have to pay?

[Skani]

Yes, although generally cheaper than other private schools.

[Guest jeza]

We have chosen to pay the fees for a catholic educantion. I am a teacher, and i can tell you, that all those lovely 10 year old children become increasingly difficult in the lassroom as they get older. You may not notice this when you see them individually....all 12 and 13 year olds are lovely when you get them on their own. Its in a class when they have to work all day tht they change. It only takes oneor two and the whole atmosphere of the class changes. Catholic and private schools can choose to not have these kids....they wont tell you this, but its true. Govt schools have to take them and keep them until the cause physical harm to someone. In oz, 1 third go private....what do you think is left in the tate system? Some good kids, but a large percentage of disruptive kids. Thats just he way it is here ...good areas and bad.