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1. It is refreshing to have a Bishop speak such sense in a language that is comprehensible to contemporary people, and not the garbled Church speak we so often get or in the phraseology of outdated theology.
   Catholic Education systems and leaders are in danger of being seduced by the plethora of research and the strident voices of the 'experts', and lose sight of what must set Catholic education apart.

   Posted By: Peter

2. The heading of this article may mislead readers about its argument. You summarise Bishop O'Kelly's argument as claiming 'that 'Australian Catholic schools are affected by a rampant superficiality that is is widespread throughout the country’s education system'.
   That suggests that Australian Catholic schools (and other Australian schools) are part of the problem.
   Bishop O'Kelly's point is rather that Australian culture and in particular Australian educational policies create problems that Catholic schools must and do address.

   Posted By: Andrew Hamilton, SJ

3. Contrary to Andrew Hamilton, my reading of 'Catholic schools are affected by a rampant superficiality' is that the schools are victims - not causes - of the superficiality.
   Andrew is, of course, right that the schools are not themselves a source of the problem, but the article is also right.

   Posted By: Michael

4. Changes in our social behaviour are complex processes, but the undesirable outcomes such as reality shows are clearly identifiable and most likely give us a foretaste of purgatory or hell.
   Summing up the complex processes of schools as the interfaces of the next generation and society is fraught with superficial judgements and unreal expectations.
   To think that schools and teachers will be able to impose 'correct' life style choices on modern secondary school students is, well, optimistic on the one hand and laughable on the other. Politicians and social engineers have been trying for some time to attach responsiblity to schools in the areas of drugs, sex education, adolescent risk taking, etc.
   I don't think the statistics are all that compelling.
   The younger generations make up their own minds through their own experiences and by watching their peers.

   Posted By: Graham

5. Peter: Please clarify what you mean by stating that Catholic education must be set apart. From whom, pray?

   Posted By: JR,Sydney

6. Bishop O'Kelly identifies a critical issue facing contemporary schooling and society: the absolutising of individual choice severed from objective values and reference to their origin in God that invest our choosing with moral, social and theological significance, contributing decisively to our identity as persons.
   Pope Benedict discerns in this destructive phenomenon a 'dictatorship of relativism', a phrase well calculated to awaken serious educators from any philosophical slumber.
   This erroneous conception of choice is, not surprisingly, most evident in affluent western nations that seek to abandon their Christian heritage and the natural law tradition that underpins individual dignity and the common good of society.
   Key issues: the nature of marriage, the right to life of the unborn and the treatment of the disabled and dying.
   The synthesis of faith and reason characteristic of Catholic education is radically pertinent to the emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of today's youth in schools and tertiary institutions; it is a proven antidote to the superficiality that cheapens and weakens the inviolable dignity of human life and reduces right and wrong to taste and convenience.

   Posted By: John

7. Genuine Catholic education should be founded on the Liturgy of the Catholic Church.
   This requires full, conscious and active participation (SC #14).
   Because Christmas and Easter are vacation times in Australia, our Catholic students, as a rule, never experience these Liturgies.
   The faith-forming Easter Vigil, for example, is even replaced by a school trip to some holiday destination!
   I believe that when a Catholic primary or secondary school does not have a vigorous association with a parish and its Liturgy, it risks being very superficial indeed.

   Posted By: patrick austin

8. I write as a former teacher in the Catholic system.Once again we are seeing our schools being used as a vehicle to 'correct' issues in society that really belong in the families of the students we teach.
   While the orginal reason for catholic church schools was to ensure the continuance of the Faith, and even that is dependent on practice in the home. It is a bit rich to expect teachers to try and enforce ideas or practices on their students when they are not being supported by the parents.
   I also acknowledge that having lost our independence due to dependence on government funding,Catholic Schools run the risk of lowering standards in order to continue being funded.
   Next point is that teachers reflect the society around them, they are not and should not be seen as being 'saints' like the nuns and brothers were once seen as being(even if they were not-being human).
   Lastly while the avenues of influence on young people have multiplied, the temptations remain as they were when I was a student over 50 years ago. I think that nothing has really changed!

   Posted By: Gavin

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