PHILLIP HEATH says Christian educators have the chance to speak to a generation that is finally listening

The steady growth of the independent schools in Australia continues to ignite debate over resource and funding allocation between different education sectors. It is a difficult matter for all who care about the education of young people in this country. We all desire the best possible educational opportunities for our children, while at the same time insisting on our right to choose the school that best meets our needs and aspirations.

According to the National Council of Independent Schools of Australia (NCISA), the number of students attending non-government schools now exceeds 30 per cent of the total student population in this country, making the independent/non-government sector one of the largest of its kind in the world. The figures are even higher for students in their final years of schooling, where parents seem to be making further sacrifices in the pre-tertiary years.

The pattern of enrolments reflects growth not only in what we might refer to as ‘traditional’, well-resourced schools, but also in the new low-fee schools right across the country. The Australian Anglican Schools Network now lists over 145 schools, with many new schools proposed around the country. The rise of Christian community schools parallels this growth pattern.

New schools have also been established in the greater Sydney region, offering an education in diverse cultural and religious contexts such as Islam, Judaism and other Christian traditions. Virtually all of these schools enjoy very strong enrolment demand and are experiencing rapid growth.

The past 20 years in Australia has far outstripped any previous period in terms of the establishment of new schools, the overwhelming majority of which are of religious foundation. At the same time, the established schools of long tradition appear to have lost nothing because of the new low fee schools.

The emergence of these new schools all over the country leads to a search for explanations for these trends. Are independent schools growing because of disaffection with the State School alternative? Are parents looking for better educational experiences, or is a more profound need being pursued? Are parents seeking stronger support in the formation of character and values in young people?

The answer to these questions is not simple. However, the powerful and unavoidable evidence suggests that parents are choosing schools that uphold a strong faith tradition, and I am convinced that they equate this with the formation of character.

The choice of religious schools appears to defy the trends identified in the National Church Life Survey (2001). While church attendance in Australia is in significant decline, Anglican schools are thriving in every state. The schools seem to weather the various storms of politics and circumstance, even when other Anglican institutions suffer from the ‘bad press’ the church sometimes experiences. New schools find great merit in the use of the term ‘Anglican’ in their name or their charter. The Anglican Church still connotes a sense of respected standing and tradition in governance and educational approach.

Parents exercise considerable care in their choice of all facets of schooling. It can no longer be assumed that all Australian schools will conduct themselves in the same manner, even if they pursue similar curricula. Young people do not absorb academic content in a values-free environment. It is this pursuit of the right educational climate for children that is now receiving a vastly higher priority for parents in their choice of schooling.

Not surprisingly, many parents now feel underqualified for the complex task of raising a child. The intricate matrix of influences that shape character include forces well beyond the family. We are all products of our environment, and the world where we live today changes rapidly. It is individualistic, competitive, amoral and even cynical.

Parents deeply desire the best educational opportunities for their children. Their understanding of these opportunities now includes the pursuit of values and ethics as integral to the educative act.

As Christians offering schools, we have an obligation to set the values we present in the context of belief. Values that are separated from belief are, as Archbishop Harry Goodhew once said, like cut flowers. They rest pleasantly within a vase only to be discarded when they no longer give pleasure. Although many families do not give assent to the beliefs, determinedly they seek a Christian community filled with compassion and grace. There has rarely been a better time to speak to a generation that is so acutely eager to hear.

Phillip Heath is principal of St Andrew’s Cathedral School.