Scottish Catholic Observer

EVERY time that Catholic schools are mentioned in the Scottish Press, it is inevitable someone will pipe up, whinging on with the tired old claims that they cause segregation or prioritise pupils based on their religion.

As someone who very recently attended a Catholic school, and will send her son to one in a few short years, I can tell you first hand why that is miles from the truth.

Some of the most important lessons I have learned in life were not in English or Maths, but Religious Education.

In my last year of school at St Ninian’s High School, I studied Higher Religious, Moral and Philosophical Education and I can honestly say that it was the most engaging and worthwhile class I ever attended.

During my years at secondary school I drifted away from the Church, as many teenagers do. It wasn’t for any particular reason—I just felt much more interested in going out with my friends than practising my faith.

When I look back now, I realise that if it were not for taking that class at school, I probably would have continued to drift away from the Church.

The previous five years of RE classes had mainly focused on the catechism but this class brought it all together and expanded it, explored other faiths, debating moral and religious decisions and most importantly forming what my faith meant to me.

I owe a lot to that class and my old teacher, as it allowed me to reconnect with my beliefs again.

I recognised that yes, there are some teachings in the Church I may struggle with, but that doesn’t mean I have to fall away from my faith completely.

I think this is a great example of the importance of Catholic education. I was at a pivotal point in my life, about to journey into adulthood, and if it were not for my school guiding me towards where I wanted to be, who knows if I would still be calling myself a Catholic. That has helped me in my life, which I am grateful for.

Another reason why I am all for Catholic education is that the message of always showing respect for others is instilled from an early age. From my experience of attending both a Catholic primary and secondary school, I encountered people with faith in Islam, Hinduism and even people with no religion at all.

I was brought up by my parents and with the guidance of teachers to respect other people’s beliefs and treat people the way you would like to be treated.

I am in no way saying this is unique to Catholic schools, but I do know that in faith-oriented education there is a great deal of emphasis on including everybody.

At no point did I ever feel like Catholicism was forced upon myself or my peers. People from different faiths and backgrounds were always welcomed with open arms into the school community. Every Ramadan, classrooms were made available for people to say prayers and support each other during fasting.

I feel this shows just how accepting our education system is of other religions, and that in fact it does everything it can to accommodate them where possible.

Unfortunately, there are still some people who peddle the myth that denominational schools are causing a divide in society, which I just don’t think is the case at all.

It was highlighted recently that the Green Party’s aim is to roll out a non-denominational school system throughout the country to encourage greater integration.

Personally, I don’t believe that there is a lack of integration to begin with, as I saw for myself how my school community was made up of people from all different backgrounds. There is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to attend a faith school over a school that chooses not to focus on religion.

This is completely down to personal beliefs and I don’t think the government should be able to bring in a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to education.

From growing up with people in my area who attended non-denominational schools, it certainly seemed like my school was much stricter. Again, I think this falls under having respect for others, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe the length of my school skirt had a bearing on my education, but as a teenager I respected that there were rules and I followed them.

Now as a parent myself, I don’t see anything wrong with there being stricter rules, because I do believe it is important for my son to grow up learning to respect others, whether he thinks they are right or not.

Looking back, I think the strict uniform and code of conducts were only there to promote a high standard of excellence in a learning environment—not just to treat us unfairly, as my younger self once thought.

Faith schools allow the opportunity to incorporate and reflect on our religious life while learning at the same time. Since leaving school, I have seen encouraging projects such as the Pope Francis Faith Award that gives young people the opportunity to reflect and act on their faith, whether that be at home or in the local community.

Learning activities like the faith awards are crucial in paving the way for children to become the best they can be, and this would not be possible without the ethos of Catholic schools.

Even such a simple thing as starting and ending the day with a school prayer reminds you how grateful you are to have God with you at all times.

Having that time with God is an important part of being a Catholic and I hope that this will always remain a central part of school life.