As the debate over Father Spitzers actions extended beyond the campus, the Gonzaga president submitted this op-ed column to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, which published it in slightly abridged form.
The purpose of human life is not "feeling good", but being good, and as a leading philosopher recently wrote, "the beautiful is the way the good manifests itself to the rational creature."
"Its a very, very prestigious honor to receive the Blue Ribbon award," says Marilyn Valatka, principal of St. Timothy School in Chantilly, Va. "Five percent of schools in the United States are Catholic schools. Twelve percent of the total number of schools in the U.S. that received the Blue Ribbon award this year were Catholic schools. Thats pretty good."
The purpose of the Church and of Catholic education is to turn us into little Christs, to continue the process of our transformation in Christ that began in our baptism. How can Catholic schools help to develop, in both students and staff, the character of Christ.
Because teaching is holy, the identity of the teacher can best be understood in the context of the threefold division of Christ's identity, namely that of priest, prophet and king; for the revelation of this threefold identity is the revelation of our identity, that is, the revelation of the fundamental truth about humanity.
Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., spoke recently about Catholic colleges and universities calling them to stop being on the defensive about their Catholicity. The time has come for them to regain their confidence and proudly proclaim the faith that animates them, he said.
Children who are educated at home have better social skills and achieve higher grades on standardized tests than students in private or public schools, according to a new report. Contrary to the popular belief that children educated at home are disadvantaged because of a lack of peers, the study by the Fraser Institute shows they are happier, better adjusted and more sociable that those at institutional schools.
The Catholic Church has been a vigorous proponent in international settings of social and economic justice for women. This article provides evidence of an enviable historical record of concern for women by the Church.
A report prepared by the Ontario Coalition for Educational Reform, for which Mrs. Morrison served on the steering committee, calls for the return to things such as desks in rows, classroom discipline (but not corporal punishment) and standardized testing. In short, says the coalition, dispense with todays child-centred approach to education, and allow the teacher to regain control of the classroom.
