Forecasting Catholic Education.

While concern over external threats to Catholic education are valid, there is also much disarray from within the system, as pointed out by Mariette Ulrich, who below presents a vigorous diagnosis of the present malaise of Catholic education. While Mrs. Ulrich writes from Saskatechewan, where she and her husband Dan divide their time between farming, working and homeschooling their four children, her observations are pertinent and timely for Catholic parents across Canada. After a diagnosis, it is necessary to provide a cure. That is a subject we invite our readers to consider seriously, as it has profound consequences for Catholic life and culture.

What does the future hold for our Catholic schools? The question is on many lips these days, and it is often asked in a state of anxiety. Many fear that the Catholic school system's demise is imminent, and they are looking for something or someone to blame. Some place responsibility squarely on the shoulders of government, others talk of 'changing times' and pluralism, still others blame the economy and the shrinking tax base. Some individuals have even assigned a measure of culpability to Catholic parents who have chosen to educate their children at home.

We must not, however, overlook the threat from within. If the separate school system is in mortal danger, it is not because others--be they homeschoolers or hostile governments--are holding a gun to its head. The cause of impending death, rather, is assisted suicide; the means employed, a Kevorkian-style death machine, which for years has been releasing a toxic cocktail into the lifeblood of our Catholic schools. The ingredients comprising this brew follow in random order:

1. Fallout from thirty years of poor catechesis.

In the heady days following Vatican II, eager reformers trashed traditional catechisms for being too dry and rigid, and replaced them with a plethora of programs having the collective spiritual impact of wet spaghetti.

A priest once commented to me that the catechetical materials he sees in schools today are flawed, not so much for what's in them, but for what's lacking. All macaroni and no meat makes Johnny a feeble boy.

The result of this post-conciliar void in faith formation has been nothing short of disastrous, as large numbers of the laity are profoundly ignorant of the faith. These include many young parents and schoolteachers, who, having been poorly catechized themselves, are ill-equipped to pass on a living faith to their children and pupils.

2. A cluster of 'isms'. Secular humanism, feminism, egocentrism, and materialism have changed the meaning and goals of education. The quest for heaven, personal sanctity, and objective truth has given way to the pursuit of earthly goods, feeling good, and "what works for me."

If asked why education is necessary, most people today will reply that it's needed for financial security or self-fulfilment. Our need to know, love and serve God on earth, and to be happy with Him in heaven is virtually unheard of as the primary end of education.

3. A liberal dose of disobedience. If parents, teachers, and separate school administrators practice selective Catholicism, or harbour disrespectful attitudes towards authority in the Church, how can they hope to instil in their charges a love of the Church and a desire to serve her?

More scandalous than the disobedience of individuals is that which is institutionalized or part of the curriculum. Controversial sex education and AIDS programs are being used in many schools today. These programs contradict Church teaching, and violate everything from children's modesty to the principal of subsidiarity upon which Catholic education is founded. Such programs force parents into the awkward and painful position of fighting the Catholic school in order to defend Catholic teaching.

4. Equal parts apathy and loss of faith.

One Monday morning, a local teacher began the day by saying to his class: "Was anyone as bored at Mass as I was? I wish I'd been able to go [to children's liturgy] with my three-year-old: at least he got to colour."

It's one thing for parents to fight attitudes like this when they are held by their children's schoolmates: it's quite another when such comments issue from the teachers. One might argue that at least this teacher attends Mass--there are plenty of separate school employees all over this country who haven't set foot in a church in years.

Sadly, the same can be said of many Catholic parents whose children attend separate schools. I participated on the Confirmation preparation team at our local middle school (Grade 6-8), and was told that only about 10% of the families on the list of confirmands were churchgoers. In schools and parishes across the country, this situation seems to be the rule rather than the exception.

5. A dash each: political correctness, labour unions, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These have ensured that external (and usually secular) forces control hiring policies and practices. You don't hire the fox to watch the henhouse, recruit the blind to lead the blind. Many Catholic boards no longer have total control over hiring practices, nor exercise it properly when they do.

6. A hearty dose of the culture of death:

Contraception, abortion, voluntary sterilization. Some Catholic parents lament that falling numbers will mean the demise of their schools. Many of these couples are sterilized or using contraception. They fail to realize that their schools could boast a healthier population if every Catholic family in town were open to new life.

I recently heard the accusation that homeschoolers are taking jobs away from teachers. I contend that the contraceptive mentality (and all it has spawned) has emptied more classrooms than any other single factor. Furthermore--lest anyone forget--the primary purpose of the Catholic school is the formation of children in the Faith, not the provision of employment for every baptized individual who emerges from the local College of Education.

Schools exist for the children, not for the teachers. It is therefore a horrible irony that so many teachers' unions in North America are "pro-choice." Talk about slitting your own throat!

7. A sharp decline in religious vocations. This seems particularly applicable to the teaching orders. Given all of the above, it's not surprising that so few young people are choosing to answer God's call to religious life.

8. One brick wall or a ton of red tape.

This may or may not be tinged with arrogance and condescension. Many parents who have exercised their right to oversee and contribute to their childrens' education within the system have experienced everything from frustration to outrage at the treatment they received from school officials. Despite all the talk about school-parent cooperation, horror stories abound from parents who 'fought the system' and lost.

If schools (and teachers) exist to educate children, they are to do so in deference to parental authority. Church teaching is very clear on this (see Gravissimum educationis and Familiaris consortio, for starters), yet many school boards and officials have yet to practice what the Church teaches regarding the principle of subsidiarity. Small wonder, then, that growing numbers of parents are exploring other educational avenues. For many, the only feasible option is going home, the last bastion of parental control.

9. Payment for pipers and tunes, blended with misplaced trust.

To a certain extent, government funding itself has caused problems in the separate system, and not only because of mandatory curriculum requirements and hiring policies. One unfortunate consequence of having a publicly-funded separate school system is that many parents have, to varying degrees, neglected their duty to educate their children in Catholic faith and morality. For years, parents assumed the schools were giving solid catechesis and adequate sacramental preparation (and for a while they were, but this is not the point). Too many parents became negligent, and social engineers and avante-garde theologians were only too happy to step into the void. When parents attempted to call the schools to accountability, they experienced a rude awakening. Some teachers and school officials seem to believe that since their salaries are furnished by the state via provincial and property taxes, they are answerable to Big Brother and not Mom and Dad.

10. One large bone of contention!

There is disagreement as to exactly what constitutes a "Catholic" education. This, perhaps more than any other factor, has broken down the separate system and driven away conscientious parents. What is a Catholic education?

In the words of one principal: "All facets of our school program are permeated by a philosophy based on the solid teaching and principles of the Catholic faith."

I know what he thought he was saying, but his grammatical-Freudian slip comes closer to describing the actual state of many Catholic schools today. Rather than ordering the entire educational experience to the pursuit of sanctity and subjugating it to Christian Truth, all too many Catholic schools are trying to fit in a little religion somewhere between math and volleyball practice. When it comes to what passes for catechism or ethics classes, the alpha and omega are "how I feel."

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In their book Catholic Education: Homeward Bound, co-authors Kimberley Hahn and Mary Hasson describe Catholic education explicitly as passing on the faith revealed to us through Holy Scripture and Tradition, and implicitly, as anything that is true, good, and beautiful. Go into virtually any school today; look at everything from the catechetical programs to the academic curricula to the library books and periodicals: you are bound to discover at least a few things that are false, bad, ugly, or otherwise inimical to the Catholic faith.

There is room for debate regarding which literary works ought to be studied in English class. But catechetically speaking, that which defines "Catholic" in Religion class simply isn't open to interpretation. There is only one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: either you wish to teach the faith that comes to us from the apostles, or you don't.

There are all too many administrators, school board 'trustees', and teachers, whose brand of Catholicism does not mirror that of the teaching authority of the Church. If, among these educators, there are those who openly dissent from Church teaching, and are hoping to usher in a Brave New Church, then the present system cannot be dismantled quickly enough.

What the real debate should be about

In any debate, it is imperative to ask the right questions and be willing to discuss all the issues, giving precedence to the most pertinent. In discussing Catholic education, we have been talking about funding when perhaps we should have been discussing faith, and how to restore its fullness in the schools.

We have been debating constitutional rights, when we ought to be addressing the wrongs that have crept into the system. We worry about bank accounts and balancing budgets, but spend less energy ensuring accountability for the Catholicity of the system. We insist that we must save our schools, without stopping to ask ourselves exactly what about the schools--in their actual, not idealized, state--is worth saving.

Some fear the physical death of the school system, without considering--or admitting--that spiritual death may have taken place years ago. Why indeed do we ask "Can we save our separate schools?" when what we really need to address is: "Can we restore Catholic education to Christ?"

Are Catholic schools worth saving? If by "saving" we mean propping up the facade and preserving the status quo, the answer is "no." If, however, we mean "redeeming," then yes, indeed, Catholic schools are worth saving. As wonderful as private schools and homeschooling may be, they are not for everyone. We need an accessible and reliable Catholic school system. We need zealous Catholic teacher-evangelizers; we need curricula firmly grounded in Truth; we need administrative staff and school boards that are united in their loyalty to the Holy Father, and in their support for Magisterial teaching. Is such a Catholic school system attainable? Mark 10:27 provides the answer: "With God, all things are possible."

Redemption

The separate school system may be dying, but it is not dead yet. It's time for the family to gather and make an unprecented effort to revive the patient. Catholic education can make a full recovery, but only if we turn to the Great Physician, the only One who can heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead.

What measures will need to be taken? Change medications? Absolutely. Clean out some festering wounds? Surely. Amputation? Very likely. Death and resurrection? Dare we risk it? Do we trust the Good Doctor enough for that? What if He asks us to relinquish our funding? What if He asks us to give up our constitutional rights? What if He asks us to endure persecution in a pagan society? A loving God would never ask that of us, would He? (Now take a deep breath and repeat after me: "Be not afraid... Jesus, I trust in you... Thy will be done.")

I am by no means suggesting that we bend with the prevailing secular winds, and passively surrender our rights. We must fight for our schools, but with our priorities firmly in order. Above all, we must place our trust completely in the Lord, and believe that "all things work together for good for those who love God..." (Rom. 8:28).

Whether you are young or old, married or single, ordained, professed, or lay, you'd better be concerned about Catholic education. All Catholics are obliged to ensure its vitality because it is a powerful tool of evangelization, particularly of the young. However, it does not follow that we are obliged to maintain a flawed system. Arguably, from an eternal perspective that would be the worst course of action to take. We must, rather, work for the separate school's renewal and restoration to Christianity.

Everyone has a part to play, whether it's by becoming involved in politics, preaching from the pulpit, studying to better know the faith, becoming a zealous teacher, raising strong young Catholics, or praying a daily rosary for Catholic educators. Keeping in mind that the silent, hidden efforts are often the most efficacious, let us not be too hasty in judging others' motives and means of reviving Catholic education. The only inexcusable course to take, at once the easiest and most dangerous, is that of doing absolutely nothing.