Secular critics argue that religious organisations such as faith-based schools, especially Catholic schools, should not have the right to discriminate in relation to who they enrol and who they employ.

Wrong. One of the fundamental rights in any democratic and open society is freedom of religion.

Faith-based schools, by their very nature, are there to uphold and teach the spiritual values and morality embodied in their religion. If freedom of religion is to have any meaning, then it follows that schools should have the power to discriminate in relation to who they enrol and who they employ.

The religious nature of such schools explains why they are so attractive and popular with increasing numbers of parents.

When it comes to school choice, a 2004 survey by the Australian Council for Educational Research concludes that a very important factor is ''the extent to which the school embraced traditional values to do with discipline, religious or moral values, the traditions of the school itself, and requirement that a uniform be worn''.