| International News

Their pastoral letter, "Catholic Schools at a Crossroads," published Aug. 7, ushers in a debate on the future mission of the Catholic school system in Australia's most populous state, where shifting demographics have seen record numbers of students, but with an increasing number of non-Catholic students.

The bishops said their dilemma was whether to "resist the pressure of demand for Catholic schooling and downsize our school system to a scale at which we can choose students and staff who readily embrace the mission of the Catholic school" or "recognizing, and even embracing, changing enrollment patterns as 'signs of the times' and of a new mission for Catholic education."

Nationally, 20 percent of school-age students are educated in Catholic schools. But a cultural transformation has occurred within the schools: Catholic schools in New South Wales bear little resemblance to the modest parish schools established and staffed by religious orders throughout the 19th century as a service to poor and isolated Catholic families.

New South Wales' 585 Catholic schools employ 25,500 staff. Of these, 15,500 are qualified lay teachers, including many non-Catholics who have joined from government-run schools. Only 143 of the teachers are religious priests, brothers or nuns.

While the enrollment of non-Catholics has increased from an average of 9 percent to 20 percent in the last 10 years, the bishops' letter notes with concern the paradoxical movement of "poorer Catholic families to state schools, while wealthier Catholic children go to non-Catholic, nongovernment schools."

Conceding that "children from what has come to be known as 'middle Australia' now dominate in our schools," the bishops challenged everyone involved in Catholic schools to dedicate themselves to ensuring that Catholic schools "retain their identity and life as centers of evangelization, Catholic religious literacy and practice, led and staffed by people who will contribute to this goal."

As a means of ensuring progress toward these goals, the bishops have proposed a list of critical indicators to be installed in schools. These include raising the 'critical mass' of Catholic students, especially from poorer families; increasing the proportion of teachers - especially religion teachers - who are Catholic; sponsoring activities aimed at evangelizing and catechizing students and otherwise nourishing their spiritual life; the systematic external examination of Catholic religious literacy; evidence of increased attendance at Sunday Mass; and programs for students wishing to join the Catholic Church.