Non-churchgoers may pay higher school fees

Press, 20 August 1976, Page 4

Non-churchgoers may pay higher school fees

Non-Roman Catholics and non-practising Catholics whose children attend Catholic secondary schools might pay higher school fees than practising members of the Church if a Dunedin proposal finds favour.

The proposal suggests a §3O term fee for practising Catholics,, a $4O fee for nonpractising Catholics, and $l2O a term for non-Catholics. Discussions have been limited to the Dunedin Diocese, but the topic is believed to be controversial enough to gain an airing throughout the country. All secondary school boards in the Dunedin Diocese will be asked to discuss guidelines on higher enrolment fees for Protestants and non-practising Catholics. The fees to be charged will be set after discussion with secondary school boards, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin and the Education Council executive. The proposal was made at

a recent meeting of the Dunedin Diocesan Catholic Education Council, which considered a case presented by Moreau College. The college board felt that its big roll and the contribution of practising Catholics to the Church’s educational effort warranted a heavier fee loading for non-practising Catholics and Protestants. Where non-Catholics were accepted for enrolment, they should be charged a fee which not only covered tuition, but also contributed to capital costs, the school board said. A suggestion was made that a standard fee should be charged for tuition. Attendance dues could be asked above that from nonCatholics and from Catholics not contributing to the Church’s education. The council was told that more non-Catholics were seeking admission to Catholic schools, and that they in-

eluded “splendid people of strong faith, ranging froth Salvationists to Baptists.” Protestants also wanted to enrol their children at Catholic secondary schools, but they had not contributed to the development and costs of the schools, the board said. (There is no diocesan policy on enrolment of nonCatholics, but schools tend heavily to favour Catholics. They take non-Catholics on a second-priority basis.) The Rev. P. Maloney told the council that children from good non-Catholic homes could make a distinctive contribution to Catholic schools. “We are playing a ridiculous game when we accept children from homes with no faith at all, and who can ruin the whole Christian tone of a school,” he said. The general manager of the Christchurch Catholic Education Board (Mr A. A. Craig) said that a differential fee structure had not been considered in Christchurch.