THERE will no doubt be those who say that a poll commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church which comes out in favour of Catholic schools is suspiciously predictable. It certainly contrasts with the most recent survey which seemed to show support for Catholic schools ebbing away - the victim, according to the Church’s press office, of a “highly pejorative” question.
Pollsters’ questions are, of course, carefully framed and, mindful of the risk of receiving an answer it did not want, Catholic leaders will have walked a fine line between approving a neutrally phrased question and one which did not appear too partisan. The findings will inevitably reinforce Catholic schools’ sense of worth and mission. But they should also comfort politicians who were alarmed at the prospect of standing up to be counted in the face of an apparently rising tide of antipathy.
The more intriguing question for all schools, however, is posed by the overwhelming figure of 96 per cent of Scots who support the teaching of moral values. Perhaps another poll: what values and whose values?
