The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has taken a strong stance on the Catholic schools and colleges in the country, the theme at the centre of their last plenary assembly in Leeds (cf. Sir 78/2003). Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who chairs the episcopal Commission for education and training, put out a statement of the bishops declaring: “we are strongly engaged in playing our part in the educational system of our country. This represents a concern both for the people and for the Catholic Church”. The document underlines the importance of the “service that Catholic schools perform for the country” and voices its concerns about the impact that “some measures of the Government will have on this service”. It’s the intention of the government, in fact, to review the whole school system, in particular the schools runs by the Churches and their funding. “It is essential write the bishops that the Catholic communities of England and Wales continue to support their own schools, also financially. This testifies to our concern to give a Catholic education to our community”.
