legs_akimbo

Would anyone be able to tell me of any good R.C. schools they know of. We are leaning towards Adelaide at present though certainly not sure at this early stage. We considered for a short while of returning to the UK from Ireland but to even be considered for children to be admitted was almost impossible with the criterea. We want to be able to move to a nice suburb but also for our children to continue with their Catholic upbringing including confirmations and communions etc when they are of age.
Are there many who have moved from Ireland (West) to Australia who have managed to resolve theese issues.

JAJ

Can't that be done through your church? I'm not sure if I see the need for these things to be part of the school curriculum. What happens if your children decide they want to be a different denomination?

maisey

Try this link and do a search for schools in area.
www.adelaide.catholic.org.au

Rosscarbery

We're in Sydney, and from what I can the Australian education system has been very heavily influenced by the Irish. Put it this way, as an Irish person I find the system here has far more in common with my Irish education than the UK system. There are the Catholic systemic schools which are private, but not very expensive, then you will get other private schools run by various orders of nuns (Loreto etc.), the Jesuits, Marists and the Christian Brothers.

For my own personal reasons, I didn't want my kids to go to Catholic schools even though they are all baptised, and have chosen a non-denominational Christian school instead, but it would have been very easy (and much cheaper) to go down the Catholic route.

From what I can see - but I am no expert - a lot of people send their children to Catholic schools as they are seen as academically better than the state schools, and are an affordable private option (I'm not agreeing that they are better btw, just that seems to be the perception). The local bishop was in the paper here recently bemoaning the fact that low income Catholic families were being pushed out of Catholic schools by non-Catholics looking for a "cheap" private education. I don't know if kids make their communion and confirmation as part of school like we did, or if it's done through your church like it is in England.

If you do a google search for "Catholic Schools Australia" you'll get lots of info. Good luck.

homewardbound

Holy communion and Confirmation is done in school including all the lessons leading up to the event and the fire and brimstone fear if the child decides not to go through with confirmation, children daren't say 'no' to being confirmed even though I do not believe at 11 yrs of age a child is able to make that decision for life! (speaking 1st hand experience here!)

debbies

My kids go to Newman College in Churchlands, Perth. They have been at school since we moved here in 2000.

Admission was not a problem - in fact it was one of the few schools that had places for both the kids. It is what is called a K - 12 school which means that it takes kids from 4 years of age right through to 17 (the year that they finish in Year 12).

They do all the usual RE and confirmation, communion etc. It's a Marist school but all the teachers are 'lay' i.e. not nuns/brothers.

The only bug-bear is that in Years 11 and 12, RE is compulsory which mean that kids are limited in the other subjects that they can choose for tertiary entrance.

Fees in high school are about $3500 per child per year (more for books and uniform).

See - http://web.newman.wa.edu.au/

This is Western Suburbs Perth and houses are not that cheap, but it is a lovely place.

Debbie

Teabag

We are 'non-catholics' that are sending our kids to a Catholic School - firstly - we can only get a place for them if they have a vacancy after the real Catholics have theirs, secondly my children have not been forced to take communion, actually they had a mass yesterday and they were not allowed to take communion as neither have been baptised.

TsukinoDeynatsu

Yeah, I got pushed out of a Catholic place because of the cost. Wish the Church would do a bit more to help the flock and make it affordable.

For a normal Catholic Primary, you're looking at around $2,000 a year. This goes up in high school from between $2K to even $10K, depending on the school. Scholarships are available for high schools but you need to do your research when your child's a year off leaving primary to make sure you apply in time (as far as I can tell there are no 'feeder' primaries here like we had in the UK, not sure what the system is in the Emerald Isle though).

Good luck! i think there's a website - Catholic Education Australia? - that should have some links to schools etc., search for it on google (if not, the National Council of Churches will be able to point you in the right direction).

Teabag, you're not allowed communion unless you've studied and taken your First Holy Communion, baptised or not. You have to go up and receive a blessing if you haven't taken First Holy Communion yet (I don't think the church allows you to take FHC unless you've been baptised, because I think the order goes Baptism, FHC then Confirmation).

Mipik

Q: Adelaide, nice suburb and a Catholic school?
A: Adelaide, Kensington, St. Joseph (kindy through primary) and than they have further education schools associated with them (you get preference on entry), girls one is just on the other side of the street, looks good.

Not the cheapest part of town but very nice.

moneypenny20

Friends of ours are very religious (Roman Catholic) but chose not to send their kids to the Catholic School. They still had all the communion, white frock stuff happen (sorry I don't know all the correct names).

debbies

Both my kids are baptised Catholic but have chosen within their school not to do Holy Communion and Confirmation. They have not been pressured at all within the school (Newman College - see my earlier posting), and there has certainly never been any negativity or 'fire and brimstone' - so your experience, while it may not be unique, is not necessarily the norm for all Cathlic Schools. At school masses they simply receive a blessing.

Debbie

legs_akimbo

Many thanks for the replies folks
I certainly dont want my kids in a fire and brimstone environment, they currently attend a nice quiet rural country school that is extremely laid back, as far removed as imagineable from the stereotypical image that some may have of a typical R.C school.
To me, it is not such an important issue as I am C of E and non practising but I still feel it valuable to instill a degree of spiritual guidance from an early age and as long as the children are happy to continue in this vein with their mothers (catholic) guidance, then I am more than happy to support thier Mums wishes and strong beliefs to such an age as they can decide for themselves with no sense of guilt or duty, but simply becase it will be their individual choice.

Sham Williams

My daughter goes to a fantastic RC school in Wynn Vale (North East Adelaide) we live in Greenwith, combined with Wynn Vale & Golden Grove it is a very nice area!! Not to cheap and not to expensive, 4 bedroom houses around the $420-$500 mark.

Her school is from Reception to Year 12 and then they go onto Gleeson which is in Golden Grove and has a very good reputation locally which is a Roman Catholic mixed school!

St Francis
www.sfx.adl.catholic.edu.au

Gleeson
www.gleeson.sa.edu.au

Hope this helps!!

Sandra

I agree with this post, after enjoying the Northern Irish education system and partly mainland UK for my education and then my children in England.

I had both my children in state run non denomination schools here in Aus when we came over, but moved my daughter to a private catholic school because for us the options of a parochial support system for my daughter outweighed my previous objections of regilous choice. We obtained her place as part of the schools policy to have an allowed percentage of non catholic children. My background is Catholic but have been taught to make choice on religion when older.

I abhor the fact that people see the catholic education system as a cheaper option for private but as previously stated it is a perspective here that paying for private is a better option. The school my daugher attended ensured that less than 10% attendees are not of the catholic faith.

I believe it should be up to the parent to choose the best school for their child and the Catholic school to enforce their rules.

Having been an 11 yr old refusing to be confirmed in a CoI boarding school I will always ensure my children have choice ........ but we need to make our choice wisely and not complain after the event. However cheap the option..

The choices for schools here in Sydney are very wide ......... it can be difficult.

Cheers