Parents cheating system to get children into Catholic schools

Non-Catholic parents are baptising their children, befriending priests and even going to church on Sundays in an effort to improve their children’s chances of getting a Catholic education.

With waiting lists for Catholic schools at an all-time high, principals suspect some parents are "exaggerating their Catholic credentials" to enhance their children’s enrolment prospects.

Catholic schools are seen as offering a cheap, but quality, alternative to expensive private schools for those parents who don’t wish to send their children to a state-funded school.

Average annual fees range between $240 and $500 a year – about double the cost of a state education, but thousands of dollars less than private schools.

The efforts by non-Catholic parents to get around the Church’s tough selection criteria is another twist in the whole school selection saga that has forced some teachers to try to catch out parents trying to get around the rules.

Schools have reported more and more parents are making false declarations about where they live in a bid to get their children into the school of their choice.

Some parents have given addresses of industrial properties, half-built houses and, in one case, a massage parlour. [Source]

Maybe they could have a pop test of basic questions about the Catholic faith. Oh wait… that would probably exclude most Catholic parents.