...AMERICAN BISHOPS EXPECT TEACHERS AT ROMAN CATHOLIC COLLEGES TO BE TRUE TO THE FAITH

The Roman Catholic church is taking a hard look at America's 235 Catholic colleges and universities. American bishops have found themselves caught between Vatican demands and a tradition of independence.

The result is a new set of guidelines that will help prevent a gradual erosion of Catholic identity at the schools, say the bishops. But the institutions will still retain their academic freedom. The compromise seems workable for both the church and the institutions.

The guidelines would require that teachers be licensed, particularly if they teach theology. They also endorse that a majority of those teaching on the faculty be Catholic.

The Catholic church is demanding a higher level of accountability. No doubt this greater measure of accountability is the reason that enrollments at private schools are soaring. Public educators and taxpayers should take note.