Parental involvement in Church schools

The editorial of October 23 entitled A Moral Vision Of Education raises several relevant questions among which the issue concerning the identity of Church schools. As was rightly pointed out, the presence of fewer religious personnel in Church schools is bound to have an impact upon the identity of these schools. This, despite precious efforts by lay personnel to retain the school's individual and religious charisma.

Many parents are interested in sending their children to Church schools because, in their judgement, they consider that these schools are likely to give their children a better and affordable education. This motivation alone, however, is inadequate and parents must realise that they themselves have an important role to play in safeguarding the Church schools' identity and in achieving the better education which they wish for their children.

It was precisely in an effort to try and channel parental involvement in securing the identity of Church schools in a changing environment that the Association of Parents of Children in Church Schools was set up in 2002 with the full support of the Church authorities. Ever since, the association has been active in the field of parental involvement and has both participated in and organised seminars, meetings, consultations and similar activities in the educational field.

Given the busy schedules of most parents, the task which the APCCS embarked upon is not easy to achieve. However, as the leader writer rightly pointed out, children, parents and society have a lot at stake in this matter and the raison d'etre of parental involvement both in Church and in state schools certainly merits the commitment and effort required of all concerned, including the Church, state and school authorities, and all parents.