Voluntary Contributions to Society: The Impact of School Systems

Abstract

The question of how much religious schools contribute to the preparation of their students for citizenship has long been debated and empirical evidence has been mixed. A national Australian survey, Contributing to Australian Society, conducted in 2016 by the Christian Research Association, provided the opportunity for a quantitative study comparing the graduates of government, Catholic, independent high-fee, and low fee Christian school systems in their patterns of informal and formal adult volunteering as expressions of active citizenship. The survey found that the graduates of non-government secondary schools displayed higher rates of both formal and informal volunteering. However, stronger factors in graduate volunteering were parental volunteering and volunteering at school or in religious organizations.

Acknowledgements

Permission was given for the use of the SEIROS survey by the Study for the Economic Impact of Religion on Society (www.seiros.study).

Disclosure statement

The author is a representative of the Uniting Church in Australia on the board of SEIROS. He is a member of a sub-committee of an independent school in a voluntary capacity but is not involved in any school system.

Data availability statement

Contributing to Australian Society survey (2016) SEIROS.sav (computer file).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Philip Hughes

Rev Professor Philip Hughes is a Research Fellow at Alphacrucis College. He is an Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Divinity and with the Christian Research Association. He is a Senior Fellow of the National Centre for Pastoral Research of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.