From the February 2014 NZCBC document: The Catholic Education of School-Aged Children
Catholic educators
47. At the heart of the Catholic character of a school are the Catholic hearts of those who work in the school, principal, teachers, chaplains and other staff. They are witnesses to the students of a mature faith, and an integration of faith with life. The teacher in a Catholic school may teach a secular subject but he or she does so in a way which assists in the human and faith formation of the student:
“The entire effort of the Catholic teacher is oriented toward an integral formation of each student. New horizons will be opened to students through the responses that Christian revelation brings to questions about the ultimate meaning of the human person, of human life, of history, and of the world. These must be offered to the students as responses which flow out of the profound faith of the educator, but at the same time with the greatest sensitive respect for the conscience of each student.”
48. The Catholic educator is involved in a major work of evangelisation: the incarnation of the Christian message in the lives of young Catholics. The education and formation of teachers in Catholic schools are critical in ensuring that the formation offered to students is authentically Christian and Catholic.
49. The Catholic school system in New Zealand is blessed with many outstanding Catholic educators, but there are not enough people available with the right formation and qualifications to staff all schools adequately in terms of the Catholic character. For this reason we intend that research will be carried out into the levels of qualifications of teachers of religious education, with a view to improving the current situation through the provision of easily accessible courses which lead to qualifications.
Pages 11-12 Read the document in full