Since the 1970s, the regime for teachers has become so much more complex and stressful that it is understandable that fewer teachers are prepared to devote the time to run commitment groups effectively. Also, the lives of the students, both in school and out of school, has tended to become more complex and busy than was the case in the 1970s. However, it is difficult to judge on this question. What has been written here discusses some of the characteristics of voluntary commitment groups and the role that they can play in fostering the personal and spiritual development of young people. It may useful to again stimulate the thinking of Catholic educators to reconsider the religious potential of such groups in Catholic schools.
Further comment is welcomed.
It would be of interest to find out what examples of voluntary commitment groups remain operative in Australian Catholic schools today.