Catholic Schools

[*Ali*]

After sooooooooo much agonising, fliping and turning and changing our minds, we have decided to send our kids to the local catholic primary school as I am not happy with the public schools in our area (a caseof being a teacher and knowing too much) and I dont really want to send them to school out of the area as I want them to experience growing up in the same neighbourhood as their school friends, I also want them to be able to stay at the same daycare they are at for after school care.

Anyway onto my next dilema- my children are not baptised, not for any particular reason, DH and I both are, but are not active in any faith, we have our own beliefs but dont subscribe to 1 particular organised religion. The school is happy to take both baptised and non baptised children, so that is not an issue.

What I want to know is what they will miss out on being an unbaptised child in a catholic school? I am not familiar with the process of a catholic church, and I dont want my kids to be the only ones missing out on things because they are unbaptised IYKWIM?

[Pandora]

They wont miss out on anything other than things like sacraments (first communion, reconciliation etc) and I assume if you wanted them to do those they'd be Baptised.
So really there should be no difference, other than there will be regular religious education and at most CAtholic schools you cant opt to not go to those classes.

[~Debbie~]

I went to a catholic boarding school, and, i had friends that where not catholic, and the only thing they missed out on is communion and was it.

[*Ali*]

I am happy for them to participate in catholic education- I guess not having attended church regularly myself I dont know what goes on, so wasn't sure what if anything they wouldnt be participate in because they are unbaptisied.

[Bengal]

I just wanted to add that a lot of preparation goes on for the sacraments in the classroom, so I would be asking what will your children be doing whilst the children are preparing for it all. My DD had been in Catholic Education for 12 years (she is 17) and it is very involved, so perhaps try to talk to other mums from the school and see what their experiences are.

[LuluHB]

My nephews go to a catholic school and they get a lot of religious education (too much for my BIL!!).

All catholic schools take a certain percentage of non-catholic students so your kids won't be the only ones not baptised.

Just out of curiosity, what school are you looking at? A friend of mine recently tried to get her baptised daughter into Newman for kindy and didn't even make the interview process, despite a glowing reference from their priest. They apparently had such a huge over application for the places available. I am still tossing up sending my girls to a catholic school but am now concerned about them even being considered for a place. We have a great primary school in our area but I've been told if your children aren't baptised you really need to send them from kindy if you want any chance of them going to a private high school, and we just aren't in a position to pay $10K odd per girl per year.