The Catholic vision of education stands in marked contrast to that of the pure 'market-driven’ model. The goal of Catholic education must be, above all else, the formation of the student.
The Catholic vision of education stands in marked contrast to that of the pure 'market-driven’ model. The goal of Catholic education must be, above all else, the formation of the student. The needs of society, of 'the real world', must be taken on board, but not at the expense of the human needs of the young person. Education cannot be neutral. It is directed either towards the dignity of the student and the humanisation of society or towards another social agenda which may not necessarily view these goals as being of primary importance. In the quest for meaning and continual renewal of a genuine and fuller understanding of Catholic education, it is necessary to ensure that formal schooling becomes a humanising and incarnational activity and experience. Of course education must aim at excellence, competence and empowerment. The Catholic educator must be interested in enabling young people to take up roles of leadership and responsibility in society and this necessarily involves the attainment of academic success. Yet we aim to form Christian people of competence and conscience, people who can play a full role in society with a Christian vision and value system, a concern for their fellow humans and a deep desire to put their talents at the service of others. To do less than this is to run the risk of reducing education to a simple acquisition of value-free 'facts' or skills to be traded on the market for individualistic and egoistic advancement and betrays not only the Church's mission but also the individual who receives such 'education'. The true test of Catholic education is not simple quantitative results but how the students use his or her gifts and talents. What students do with their empowerment and knowledge is of paramount importance - the putting into practice the Word which underpins the Church's mission and justifies Her involvement in the educative realm.12 The pursuit of the maximisation of the students’ potential rightly remains an important goal for Catholic education. The position of the individual in society and his or her life-chances can, of course, be greatly enhanced by a good formal education. And this involves the acquisition of academic qualifications. The ultimate aim of Catholic education, however, is the full growth of the person, a fully alive person for self and others, in complete communion with Christ and each other. To do otherwise is unworthy of the person created in the image and likeness of God as well as being potentially dangerous to the student as a social being.
There is, unquestioningly, a radical and challenging dimension to this vision of education - no less challenging than the Christian message of the Sermon on the Mount (Lk. 6:20-23). The challenge of Catholic education in many ways mirrors the challenge of Christian living itself. The linkage between education and Christ is made clear by the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education thus:
The purpose of instruction is education, that is, the development of man from within, freeing him from that conditioning which would prevent him from becoming a full integrated human being. The school must begin from the principle that its educational programme is intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person. Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps man to direct his thought, action and will according to the Gospel, making the beatitudes his norm of life. The fact that in their own individual ways all members of the school community share the Christian vision, makes the school 'Catholic'; principles of the Gospel in this manner become the educational norms since the school has them as its internal motivation and final goal. The Catholic school is committed thus to the development of the whole person, since in Christ, the Perfect Man, all human values find their fulfilment and unity. Herein lies the specifically Catholic character of the school.13
There is no room for ambivalence here. Catholic education is about the whole person, the school as a genuine Christian community, unity and freedom. Knowledge is not about power and possession but about becoming truly human and being socially responsible. The distinctiveness of Catholic education rests upon Catholicism's commitment to 'catholicity' - a universal concern for and identification with the other. This is no simple extension of the secular notion of 'tolerance', the idea that each person has the right to have their views respected or, at least. tolerated. The pivotal notion in the Catholic world vision of seeing each person as a fundamental spiritual being, formed in the image and likeness of his/her Creator, redeemed by Christ and confirmed in the Holy Spirit places enormous responsibility on social practice. The Christian answer to Cain's question (Gen. 4:9) - 'am I my brother's keeper?' - must be a resounding 'yes'. The Final Judgement in Matthew (Matt. 25: 31-46) is neither an option nor an exhortation but a command and a responsibility. This, in turn, involves a deep Eucharistic sense of sharing, salvation and, especially, justice. Communality or solidarity is not simply a response to social problems but is an integral part of the Church's salvific mission and is based on the Church's understanding of the nature of humanity and God. According to John Paul II:
Beyond human and natural bonds, already so close and strong, there is discerned in the light of faith a new model of the unity of the human race, which must ultimately inspire solidarity. This supreme model of unity, which is the reflection of the intimate life God, one God in three Persons, is what we Christians mean by the word communion.14
The clearly communal understanding of the nature and mission of the Church, the inclusive sense of community 'made for each other' implicit in the notion of 'koinonia' or 'communion' permeates Catholic teaching on education and suggests a pursuit of knowledge, truth and understanding based on inclusion and dialogue. Education in the faith is not simply education about the faith - although it does involve that as well. Sacramentality - perhaps a more distinctive feature of Catholicism (as well as other denominations) than some other expressions of Christianity - is not limited simply to the seven liturgical sacraments but infuses all of human living in what Karl Rahner called 'the liturgy of life' or Aquinas held to be 'seeing God in all things'.15 For Catholic education the formation of the student in sacramental consciousness is not a simple transmission of 'the faith' or the mechanistic 'learning' of Church dogma. The actual proclamation by word and example of the Good News, outlined in Paul VI's Evangelii nuntiandi, involves dialogue with others, reconciliation, celebration and liberation. In reality, the true sense of proclamation involves the coming together of these elements in actions in everyday life. The distinctive formation associated with Catholic education extends beyond the transmission of beliefs to the religious, moral and social personhood involving - unapologetically - 'the communication of the living mystery of God'16 and a celebration of the Good News of human dignity and the offer of salvation. The joyful and celebratory practice of this sacramental consciousness presumes a profound sense of openness and freedom by which people are free to respond to the call of the Good News and the salvation offered. This is only right and proper since any diminution of openness or restriction on freedom or conscience would be a denial of the human dignity of the subject. Thus, far from being a restriction on the freedom of conscience, the aspiration of Catholic education is to proclaim and assert that freedom of conscience in a mature and non-coercive fashion.17 This is true freedom, a true sense of proclamation, the true holistic formation of consciousness. Education for sacramental consciousness involves encouraging students to employ their critical powers in order not just how things are but what they might become. When Christian faith impacts upon people's imagination and knowledge, the integrity of the Christian mission becomes clear and that which was hidden, or overlooked, comes into view. Catholic education, therefore, aims at enabling people to become agents of history - rather than its passive observers or even objects and victims - through encouraging a faith that does justice.
What makes a School Catholic?
The communal characteristics of the particular society conditions and permeates the content and process of the pedagogy of the schooling system of the respective society. A school influences the identity, perspectives and values of those whom it educates. In short, schools tend to reflect the society in which they exist. Secular schools, therefore, tend to reflect and reinforce the values of secular society. In the same way Catholic schools must aspire to realise in its students - as well as in all others involved in the education process - the communal values which underpin Catholic education. It is simply not sufficient to define a Catholic school in terms of numbers of students/teachers/trustees/etc. who 'happen' to be Catholic. The qualifier 'Catholic', as Groome points out ['What Makes a School Catholic?'],18 is of crucial importance of the debate on Catholic education, particularly in an increasing secular society. While it is important to avoid the charges (and dangers) of exclusion and sectarianism, it is imperative for the integrity of Catholic education - and its institutional expression in Catholic schooling - that this qualifier in the educational sphere is made clear. There are, of course, numerous educationalists, theologians and philosophers who have sought to identify what makes a school 'Catholic'. Concepts such as commitment to tradition, communal emphasis, holistic vision of humankind, Sacramentality, the promotion of human dignity and so on are common place throughout Church documents and other writings on Catholic pedagogy. The American educationalist Anthony S. Bryk identifies that which is specific to and definitional of Catholic schooling: namely the 'inspirational ideology' which (should) underpins Catholic schools and the 'Catholic tradition of the common good'.19 This notion of the 'common good' is inclusive and involves the Gospel sense of solidarity and identification with the other as expressed so profoundly in parable of the Good Samaritan [Lk. 10: 25-37]. The Catholic commitment to solidarity sets no limitations. John Paul II defines solidarity as 'a firm and preserving determination to commit oneself to the common good ; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual.'20 There is no exclusion allowed here, nor any demand that each person must be possessing of explicit faith before solidarity is extended to that person. Christian solidarity is a recognition that all people are 'living images of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and placed under the permanent action of the Holy Spirit.'21 The promotion of the common good is intrinsic to Catholic faith and not an optional extra. The true sense of solidarity involves a form of duty towards the larger community of one's fellow beings. It is this vision of 'reaching out' and 'other-directedness' which Bryk argues characterises Catholic schools and which is not only noble and desirable but is, in fact, an essential task in pluralist, secular society and has particular importance for Northern Ireland and all societies which experience such division.
Catholic schools must be not simply institutions of learning but are what Bryk calls 'voluntary communities' in which the student, as 'a person-in-community',22 is actively engaged with teachers in a process of mutual formation and affirmation. This implies a 'buying into' the ethos of the school on the part of parents, students, teachers, other members of staff and school governors and trustees to a much higher degree than in schools guided by a market or individualistic ethic. According to Bryk personal experiences in a voluntary community have additional inherent value beyond purely instrumental value. The shared vision of a moral imperative and the distinctive inner life of the Catholic school stands in marked contrast to the individualism and managerial ethic of much of modern society.
The ethic of genuinely Catholic schools must be based on a form of communalism through which their members derive support from others with whom they share the vision. The sociologist James Coleman points out that a shared social outlook or set of values - what he refers to as 'social capital'23 - can have considerable impact on academic achievement. For Coleman social capital - the extent to which parents reinforce each other's social norms, the degree to which these values are passed on to their children and the closeness of the community to their institutions such as churches, schools, etc. - can be a powerful factor in enhancing human and social development. When social capital is high - when a community shares core values and virtues, Coleman argues, - educational attainment can be considerably improved.24 The effective school, he maintains, does make a difference.25 The crucial question is 'a difference to what?' Catholic schools must aim at promoting a shared vision based on community and solidarity in order to further the personal and social formation of young people.else, the formation of the student.
Interesting article I'm glad to see it on the new website
Very interesting article. I am very heartened that my school does have a strong community focus but feel that it is an uphill battle. The contribution of teachers is a vital component and cannot be stressed enough.
Teachers have a responsibility not only to further the faith journey of the children they are teaching but also their own. In a time of such adversity, teachers in Catholic schools, must take this responsibility seriously.
Hello there.
Just found your site. Great job!
I like it much.
I was taught in a Catholic School and I believe that I received the best educational experience. Whilst I may not have been to enthusistic about homework I appreciate the dedication and hard work shown to me by my teachers.