Jesus was from a family who were obviously not part of the upper-class of the times. (Note his birth took place in a stable). I doubt that his upbringing, with a father who was a carpenter, would have provided him and his family with the trappings of success. Because of his socio-economic background he would not even have been granted an interview at Xavier. No Mary would not have wanted to send Jesus to Xavier.

Mary would not be very likely to send Jesus to Xavier or to any other Christian school as neither he nor his family were Christian. She would be sending him to a Jewish school where he would be getting a Jewish education. If there is a heaven and Mary and Jesus are there, they would be taken aback at the many people in the world who claim to follow them but reject their religion.

Yes, indeed, Alan Matheson. Whilst institutionalised religion has won non-taxable status and achieved public funding for private schools, it has not pursued with the same conviction the right of the poor and dispossessed to retain the fruits of their own labours.

By supporting the so-called 'progressive' income tax and rejecting the equity of revenues drawn from the holding of land, the churches have become complicit in a system of land monopoly and speculation that has delivered us into the GFC. Their ability over the centuries to overlook this fundamental point does unfortunately amount to hypocrisy.

In 'Cura Pastoralis' Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) had strong words for people who prefer to replace economic justice with charity:-

"Those who make private property of the gift of God pretend in vain to be innocent. For, in thus retaining the subsistence of the poor, they are the murderers of those who die every day for the want of it."

A thought provoking article. It's the power of marketing in education. Check out the number of jobs for educational marketers in unis in the Weds Australian, Higher Ed section. This is the business of education. The marketers walk a very fine line between the truth and absolute balderdust. It's sad that it has gotten to this state.

It's not only Christian schools but all colleges from reception to Phd. Lock the kids in to the credential system.

Would Mary send Jesus to Xavier? She would if she thought the kid would get a AFL contract at Carlton or Hawthorn.

Public schools are not that different to many private schools in terms of facilities, and it has now reached the situation where a student would not have the time available to use all the amenities, equipment and facilities available in their school.

For many years both public and private schools have been awash with money (until the recent economic down turn), but education is in such a mess that it is now creating a new class of poor in Australia, with states such as Tasmania having over 30% of the workforce classed as illiterate.

If someone is illiterate, their chances of finding well paying jobs in today’s world is zero, so a new class of poor is now forming.

The high levels of illiteracy and innumeracy in the public have rarely been of any concern to any teachers I know of, as their No 1 concern is seeking a pay rise.

I have also known of few teachers who place any priority upon purchasing anything from Australian companies, despite record trade deficits.

While the federal government wants more Australia content in the media, there is now very little left in the schools that is produced in Australia.

To a teacher, their priority is getting as much money as possible, and the public is simply a cash cow to be milked as much as possible.

Interesting that Alan works at a migration centre. No doubt he has no problems with people from poorer countries coming here to live among the rich. For that matter it seems that he is comfortable living in a wealthy nation while large numbers starve in Africa and India. I wonder if Alan thinks Jesus would bother to come to Australia. If He would not then what is a Church of Christ Minister doing living in such a rich place? This article is a load of garbage and an insult to the thousands of parents who work hard to give their kids a decent education which many state run zoos are unable to provide.