Catholic Schools

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We are looking at St Brigids in Middle Swan. It is a great school from all accounts and it isnt one of the higher fee paying schools, having re thought it I probably will get them Baptised, partly because I feel that if they are going to a catholic school I want them to be able to embrace it, plus it will make them more eligible for the High School I want them to go to.

It is funny you should mention Newman as my DH Aunty is the Principal there and I was talking to her on Boxing day and she was saying that it is best to make up your mind and get their names down so they are eligable for a place, she was saying that they have high demand for places at her school. I know that St B's usually has places, as when I rang them earlier this year to enquire she said they dont have a wait list.

Once they start school I can get them baptised through the school, which is what we will do.

My DH's god daughters both go to St Brigid's and they (and their parents!) love it. Sounds like a great choice of school for all sorts of reasons.

Maybe I need to get to be very good friends with your DH's aunty!! I find it very difficult to make intelligent decisions about what school to send my daughters to when they're both less than 2 years old. Who knows what direction they will want to go in, and therefore what school is best for them? Its all so hard.

I know what your saying, I have been stressing about the whole schooling thing for nearly 12 months now- I think it is worse when you are a teacher because you know more about the schools/ education system.

Do you have any catholic schools in your area that are lower fees that are a feeder school to the high school you want them to go to? St B's is a feeder school for La Salle, which is where my 2 will go if we are still living in the same area then.

Ali, just wanted to pop and let you know that, depending on enrollment numbers, preference will probably be given to catholic and christian children over non-catholic children if the numbers are tight. I suggest you ring the school and have a chat to the registrar to get an idea of whether there are waiting lists or not. Good luck!

As you know Ali, we've been through the same dilemmas!

I've decided on the local catholic school which is where we go to playgroup and i just have a good feel about it. It IS very competitive though regarding entry as they take preference over those baptised, so for this reason and others, we have decided to have them baptised which is happening this January. (as it asks on the enrolement form and i am eager to get those in). We also have to have a reference from the preist.

I initially wanted to go a religion neutral path but have since seen things in a different light since looking in to it more. It's kind of nice for the boys to be able to have faith in some kind of higher power, and while i'll always let them know there are other options, at least they will thoroughly discover one.

We're actually very close to Newman so it was a convenience thing as well as the fact that I like what the school seems to represent, as well as very much liking the lower fees!!

Otherwise I'm surrounded by the biggies with the big fees. I know education is very important but I just can't justify the $10K St Hilda's, Perth College and St Mary's are asking for kindergarten!! and then each of the primary school years. We're 200 metres from Wembley Primary which is supposed to a very good primary school, so its really hard to turn our backs on that and pay $140,000 minimum for their primary school education (and this is when you tell me that Wembley is a cr*p school and burst my little bubble isn't it ;))

Maybe I need to get DH to agree to move to the Swan Valley so we can go to St Bridget's and still be able to pay the mortgage???

Thanks everyone for your input, we have decided to go down the Baptism road, like I said before it is not that we are non believers, or specfic followers of any certain religion(i guess our faith is made up of a number of elements from different religions)- but I am happy for my children to be taught about the catholic faith and participate in it's rights and rituals.

Lulu- My god daughter was at Wmbley primary to the end of this year (they have moved out of the area now) and it is a lovely little school. Swan valley is great too though! Such a huge decision to make when they are so little, especially when you start thinking about High Schools as well.