A Catholic Grade 6 Teacher

[marymary1975]

I also know a CCD teacher who teaches at Sunday school and she is not really catholic and teaches children completely erroneous concepts. I and two other parents told the priest and I told the priest that she shouldn’t be teaching CCD. He said OK and that woman is still teaching CCD. I think is very unfortunate.

 

[Estevao]

Not that I have kids, but I’m pretty sure I’d send them to a public school. At least there the teachers won’t pretend to be catholic while they hand on poison to my kids. And plus it will allow them practice at evangelization in a world which increasingly will list “none” as their religious affiliation. At catholic school you can’t really evangelize.

 

[Rau]

I also know a CCD teacher who teaches at Sunday school and she is not really catholic and teaches children completely erroneous concepts. I and two other parents told the priest and I told the priest that she shouldn’t be teaching CCD. He said OK and that woman is still teaching CCD. I think is very unfortunate.

I don’t know whether I am more amazed that a person without the knowledge would choose to teach catechism, or that the priest would choose to do nothing about wrong teaching? Or has he done something to improve her knowledge? I suppose the parents feel the only control they have is to remove their children from the class. But the priest appears to be objectively failing in his responsibilities, and perhaps the parents need to be more insistent with him? This may result in no CCD class for a time, but would that be an improvement?

 

[Gordon_Sims]

I’d recommend the OP go to the principal, then the priest. We’ve run into a few problematic teachers. The principal and/or priest were able to resolve the issues, one way or the other.

 

[Galbin]

I don’t think it’s appropriate to disparage a whole profession of dedicated men and women in service to the Church based on ignorant remarks allegedly made by one of them.

I agree. This lady sounds way out there. Even non practicing Catholics wouldn’t come out with statements like this.

OP, are you sure she wasn’t joking somehow?

 

[pianistclare]

I’ve worked in the Catholic schools. Students and their families are asked to provide proof of their Catholicity ( support of the church, letter form the pastor, up to date with sacraments, volunteering in various ministries, etc. ) but the teachers, upon signing contracts are not asked these things. They ask “are you Catholic?” Yes. OK! You’re hired.
No one investigates if they are even practicing.
The DRE should be teaching this person’s class. Not all folks are cut out for it, nor do they really want to. We had lots of Catholic teachers that refused to teach religion. They said they didn’t know enough about their faith to do it justice.

Again, that’s just around here. Not saying every place is like this. Just in my limited experience. 3 states.

 

[gabanzo]

A few of you have said that I should report this teacher. Honestly I can’t. First of all I am very depressed and reporting her is overwhelming. Secondly she is only a supply teacher now, she retired last year(she taught elementry school for 30years) and believe me I was a student of this school board this is the norm. It wasn’t as bad when I went to school but it happened.
1ke, I believe you asked if she is paid and the answer is yes. Every elementry school teacher here teaches religion.
Even if I told the pastor I doubt anything would become of it. One time I told the Deacon that are local elementry school refused a protestant(there supposed to except all students as long as the parents of the student give their taxes to the Catholic school board and they except that their child would be taught Catholicism and the parents where more than willing to do this). No matter nothing changed he was still refused.

 

[Mandychu22]

I’ve worked in the Catholic schools. Students and their families are asked to provide proof of their Catholicity ( support of the church, letter form the pastor, up to date with sacraments, volunteering in various ministries, etc. ) but the teachers, upon signing contracts are not asked these things. They ask “are you Catholic?” Yes. OK! You’re hired.
No one investigates if they are even practicing.
The DRE should be teaching this person’s class. Not all folks are cut out for it, nor do they really want to. We had lots of Catholic teachers that refused to teach religion. They said they didn’t know enough about their faith to do it justice.

Again, that’s just around here. Not saying every place is like this. Just in my limited experience. 3 states.

The process for hiring Catholic teachers here in Ontario requires a letter from your pastor and all those other things, however if you’re hired to teach 6th grade you teach ALL subjects for that grade (except french). Opting out of teaching religion isn’t an option (unless you use that class time for other subjects, which some teachers do).

A separate, specially educated religion teacher would be a fantastic idea, but it’s not the reality (unfortunately). With that said, not all religion teachers are poorly catechised. AND I’ve never (before now) heard of a teacher who was relaying the level of false information indicated by the OP (even though I have had some poor religion teachers).

 

[Mandychu22]

A few of you have said that I should report this teacher. Honestly I can’t. First of all I am very depressed and reporting her is overwhelming. Secondly she is only a supply teacher now, she retired last year(she taught elementry school for 30years) and believe me I was a student of this school board this is the norm. It wasn’t as bad when I went to school but it happened.
1ke, I believe you asked if she is paid and the answer is yes. Every elementry school teacher here teaches religion.
**Even if I told the pastor I doubt anything would become of it. **One time I told the Deacon that are local elementry school refused a protestant(there supposed to except all students as long as the parents of the student give their taxes to the Catholic school board and they except that their child would be taught Catholicism and the parents where more than willing to do this). No matter nothing changed he was still refused.

That’s because clergy have pretty much no say in what occurs in Catholic schools in Ontario… in my opinion full funding definitely isn’t worth it.