Catholic Schools in the Republic of Ireland: A Position Paper

by Catholic Schools Partnership

Introduction

Schools and their future require diligent reflection and consideration by all parties involved. Change in educational policy needs to be thought through carefully as the contribution of good schools to the development of social capital and the common good is inestimable. The Catholic Schools Partnership, an umbrella group providing support for all of the partners in Catholic schools in the Republic of Ireland, has reflected on many of the key issues facing all of the stakeholders in Irish schools at this time and presents this position paper to parents and students, to public representatives and civil servants, to patrons and trustees, to school staffs and management, to priests and parishes and, indeed, to all of our fellow citizens, as we look to a shared future in our democratic society.

This paper is part of a process of consultation which the Catholic Schools Partnership is undertaking. It follows on the publication by the Irish Bishops’ Conference of Catholic Primary Schools: A Policy for Provision into the Future (2007) and Vision 08 - A Vision for Catholic Education in Ireland (2008). More recently (August 2010) the Department of Education and Skills published data on stable demographic areas where the Catholic Patron might consider a change in patronage of some schools. In response to this the Catholic Schools Partnership has undertaken three steps: (1) further qualitative analysis of parental choice regarding schools; (2) the publication of this position paper and the invitation to individuals and organisations to respond; (3) internal consultation within the Church with parents, patrons, teachers, priests, pastoral councils, students, trustees and managers. The results of this consultation will be analysed at four regional assemblies in June 2011 with representatives from all dioceses. The Catholic Schools Partnership will then present the findings of its research to the broader public. In this context the announcement (March 2011) by Mr Ruari Quinn TD, Minister for Education and Skills, of a forum on the future of Catholic patronage of primary schools is most timely.

We welcome your views (as individuals or organisations) on the issues analysed here and on how best to address the various challenges that we face. Details on how to submit your views are to be found at the end of this paper.

A vision for Catholic schools

Schools are important places. We spend a lot of time in them. This includes a significant proportion of that most formative period in life between 4 years of age and 18 years of age. The informal education received at home and in the community is of crucial significance. The formal education of children in schools has its own integrity related to the stage of development of the pupils. When schools are working at or near their best they are truly a remarkable human achievement. Young children have a safe place to learn and play and pray; adolescents grow into a deeper intellectual, emotional and moral world; teachers use their personal and professional abilities to nurture and challenge new generations; parents, members of boards of management and other adults give of their time and money to support the educational enterprise. The hope is that by 17- 18 years of age a young adult who is free, rational and capable of mature relationships will be able to cross the threshold into higher education or the world of work.

Today all schools find themselves in challenging circumstances due to enormous social, cultural and economic changes. In an age dominated by media and information technology, significant new pressures are brought to bear on children and adolescents, on family structures, on religious practice, on community life and, not least, on behaviour in the school classroom. In this new cultural context every school needs to redefine its identity so that it is not just reacting to the latest trend or fashion but that it can truly articulate its self-understanding. Drawing on the document of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference Vision 08 - A Vision for Catholic Education in Ireland, the Catholic Schools Partnership has articulated the following vision for Catholic schools.

Catholic schools in Ireland are a living expression of a long and varied tradition of education inspired by the life of Christ. Such schools emphasise the dignity of the human person as a child of God called to work with other persons in creating an inclusive community in service of the common good; where knowledge is sought and respected while faith is nurtured and challenged.

One can expand on this vision as follows:

...in Ireland...

• there are about 3,400 Catholic primary and post-primary schools in the Republic
• parents are the most important educators of their children
• most Catholic primary schools are rooted in parish communities where they form a critical element in local life and foster a sense of shared responsibility for the educational enterprise
• home, school and parish work together in support of Catholic education

...a long and varied tradition...

• witnessing to the centrality of the Gospel
• teaching and learning for more than fifteen hundred years
• expressed in different ways depending on the socio-economic context, not least through the leadership and energy of religious congregations
• changing in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century as lay leadership emerges in the church to work alongside bishops, priests and religious

...dignity of the human person...

• each person is made in the image of God and is called to share in God’s own life forever
• valuing a broad curriculum and co-curricular activities in order to foster a deeper sense of the whole person
• emphasis on pastoral care and student support not least for those who are educationally disadvantaged
• commitment to service of all students with special needs

... creating an inclusive community in service of the common good ...

• schools seek a life-giving environment where students and staff hear the call to service and the creation of a more caring human society
• growth in moral awareness and commitment to the search for justice, integrity and care for the earth
• schools are communities made up of pupils, parents, staff, board members, patrons / trustees and others associated with the school
• in a more multicultural society Catholic schools welcome all that is positive in this new diversity, instil an attitude of respect for the good of the other and welcome pupils of other faiths and none

...knowledge is sought and respected...

• respecting reason and scientific /technological progress while maintaining a balance between the humanities and technology in education
• seeking excellence, including academic achievement, in the context of a broad Christian philosophy of education
• nourishing the mind and soul through a varied academic curriculum, involvement in the arts, physical education and sporting activity, and a commitment to moral development and personal responsibility
• creating a dialogue between faith and contemporary culture

...faith is nurtured and challenged...

• all those who are part of a school are invited to constantly rediscover what it is to be a follower of Christ
• a religious education which includes faith formation, prayer and sacramental experiences, and a growing awareness of being stewards of God’s creation
• support for staff, principals, pupils, parents and members of boards in opening their hearts and minds to the presence of the divine
• continuing the mission of Christ entrusted to the church to go and teach.

Teaching and learning in the twenty-first century

The leaders of tomorrow are in the classrooms of today. All pupils are capable of imagining, creating and exploring. Fostering a commitment to critical thinking and creativity is the heartbeat of any living tradition and Catholic schooling is an expression of just such a living tradition. We hear much today of “innovation” and the “knowledge economy”. To be truly innovative and knowledgeable is to be more fully human. It is human beings that will create the innovation and knowledge that we need. The aim of schooling is far greater than job training or qualification for a particular third-level programme – it seeks to create a human person who is knowledgeable and innovative and so can adapt to many different roles and realities in the future. We need an approach to schooling that keeps curiosity alive, fosters a love of learning, stimulates problem-solving and critical thinking and encourages students to become independent learners.

A fundamental aim of a vibrant school system is to facilitate the emergence of a literate society where individuals learn how to learn so that each person can embark on a life-long educational journey. Literacy impacts on all aspects of life and opens the door to further horizons of knowledge and imagination through all the multiple intelligences including literature, mathematics, music, science, religion, art, sport and the whole range of new possibilities that are emerging through information technology. If any education system fails to make students literate and numerate then it closes the door to much that matters in life. With all our partners in education we must renew our commitment to the attainment of literacy for all.

The role of parents

Parental choice in education is recognised in most democracies and enshrined in the Irish Constitution, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in United Nations and European legal instruments. It is also strongly affirmed in the teaching of the Catholic Church. This principle clearly holds that parents have the right to educate their children in accord with their social, political, cultural, linguistic, religious and moral self-understanding. Whilst others may disagree with these views, the parents’ decisions concerning a child’s education should be respected and, where practicable, facilitated except in the cases where a child’s physical and/or emotional wellbeing are endangered. The ultimate expression of parental choice in schooling is the decision to educate children at home. Most parents do not take this option based on personal, educational and economic judgments, but its very existence in principle is an important statement with regard to parental rights in education vis-à-vis society in general and the State.

Different types of school

Throughout the world democratic societies provide funding and legal protection for a plurality of school types. The spectrum of provision covers a broad range from schools provided by the State itself to various forms of communal and voluntary groups who come together to give expression to a particular vision of education. Many of these groups owe their inspiration to religious beliefs.

There is no such thing as a value neutral education. All schools, whether established by the State or by one or other voluntary group, necessarily and implicitly espouse a vision of the human person and give expression to a particular ethos by their choices, actions and priorities. Some people argue that schools should adopt a neutral stance in relation to religion. The inference is that religious belief is purely a private matter and should have no role in the public sphere of education. However, those who would exclude religion from school also espouse their own ethos. They impart a worldview, a philosophy of life, just as much as the person of faith. Moreover, they imply an understanding of the nature of religion which is philosophically mistaken and unjustified.

Faith schools

The interaction between religious belief and education is as old as schooling itself. From the schools and universities of medieval Europe, through the growing rates of literacy promoted by the reformation and counter-reformation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and on to the furthest end of the spectrum with the atheistic schools of twentieth-century communist regimes, the question of God cannot be avoided in education. Some schools in their structures and curriculum embrace a particular belief in God; others present all religions and atheistic humanism as equally valid responses to the question of God; others demand that such beliefs be left at home and not influence the life of the school; others ban all mention of God. But the question of God will not go away. Religious belief makes a fundamental claim on the conscience of religious believers because it deals with ultimate questions. Since religion deals with matters of fundamental, ultimate concern it follows that the religious response has a priority in all one’s subsequent reasoning and deliberation. The identity of believers is inseparable from their religious faith. It is not one more interest alongside others akin to a hobby or a leisure time pursuit or a family tradition. Rather, it is a reality which frames and interprets all of life. To equate all religions is in a real sense to empty them of any significance. No believer will ever do this. The study of religions and religious beliefs by the social sciences quite properly brackets out the question of belief and the truth claims of each religious tradition. But such studies, while contributing to our knowledge, are a limited lens through which to interpret the conscientious option for religious belief. Many adults are committed to the education and formation of their children in accord with their religious beliefs.

Faith schools exist in almost all countries except those where they are outlawed by non-democratic regimes. In many nations they form a central part of the education system while in almost all democratic societies they are funded by the State. Such schools provide a real public service and they are a notable expression of the contribution of the voluntary sector to the development of a vibrant civil society. Jurisprudence has evolved in this area to emphasise two freedoms: the individual freedom of parents to choose the school they want for their children and the collective right to form and run schools of a particular denomination. There is a well-developed awareness among policy makers in western democracies concerning the need to provide space for structures of civil society to emerge between the powerful centralising forces of the State on the one hand and the impersonal dynamic of the market place on the other. The principle of subsidiarity should inform such a process. As an organizing principle it suggests that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. The principle is based upon the autonomy and dignity of the individual, and holds that all other forms of society, from the family to the State and the international order, should be in the service of the human person. Subsidiarity assumes that these human persons are by their nature social beings, and emphasises the importance of small and intermediate-sized communities or institutions, like the family, schools, the churches, and voluntary associations, as mediating structures which empower individual action and link the individual to society as a whole. All of this contributes to the common good.

Social inclusion

Religious affiliation is not the only measure of diversity in Ireland. Arguably, it is the least important such measure. Most religious organisations (educational and otherwise) are extraordinarily inclusive in their approach and very respectful of diversity. Catholic schools are caring and inclusive communities precisely because they are Catholic. They have adapted to demographic change with significant net migration into Ireland and have led the way in integrating migrants into local communities. They have been leaders in areas such as special needs, social inclusion and traveller education. One of the great strengths of our primary school system has been that in most parts of the country children from various social strata have attended the same school together. In any reconfiguration there is a danger of much more streamlined social stratification as the evidence demonstrates that, given the choice, many parents will opt for a school which draws most of its pupils from the more upwardly mobile social classes. Thus the strength of our present system where most parents identify the local primary school as their school should not be underestimated.

It must be noted that parents who have a choice sometimes opt for more socially exclusive schools. Travelling some distance to a particular school while passing by other schools can be an indication of this. Similarly, language or the payment of fees can raise the bar of likely social participation. While the principle of parental choice must be respected, the Catholic Schools Partnership believes that parents should also reflect on the common good when it comes to issues relating to schooling. In particular, Catholic fee-paying schools must make serious efforts to reach out to socially deprived communities, to pupils with special needs and to foster an ever deeper sense of social awareness among all members of their school communities. Otherwise, they risk becoming a sign that is contradictory in terms of Christ’s mission. It is the responsibility of the leaders of all schools to foster an ever deeper sense of social inclusion and service of the common good.

Religious education

Catholic schools are committed to a religious education which invites students to grow into a deeper understanding of Christian faith; it is respectful of difference, it is holistic and it is in dialogue with contemporary culture. Such religious education is philosophically justified, it is based on well established educational principles and it fully respects the human rights of all involved. But this does not mean that all religions are the same or that we can reduce religious beliefs to the lowest common denominator between them or that we merely need to impart some information on all religions. Religious education has nothing in common with indoctrination which amounts to a deliberate harming of students by undermining their natural ability to reason. In contrast, Catholic schools are committed to the deepest respect for both faith and reason and as such they contribute significantly to the formation of rational and mature citizens of our democratic society.

In January 2011 a National Directory for Catechesis in Ireland (Share the Good News) was launched by the Irish Episcopal Conference. This details a ten-year plan for catechesis across the life cycle from childhood through adolescence to later adulthood. At its heart is a strong commitment to adult religious education. With regard to schools the Directory acknowledges the impact of a changing culture on children and adolescents. It calls for a religious education based on a partnership of home, school and parish. There is an ongoing debate in the Irish Church about the relationship between these three realities. It is generally accepted that Catholic primary schools do a really good job in religious education, not least with regard to preparation for the sacraments. However, difficulties arise because of the lack of any faith context in some homes. Thus the best efforts of school and parish can be undermined.

There is the further problem in some large urban areas that the link between school and parish is weakened by mobility as many pupils attend schools in parishes other than their own. All of this has led to an understandable divergence of opinion on the best way forward. Many believe that this is a time to strengthen the links between parish and school so that this nexus sustains Christian faith in a secular world. Others believe that the parish should now take on many of the responsibilities currently discharged by Catholic schools, not least with regard to the sacrament of confirmation. It is generally agreed that a religious education which ignored the sacramental life of the Church would not be Catholic in any meaningful sense of the term. Given these various views it would be helpful if a group of parishes or a diocese were to undertake a pilot programme over several years to experiment with a more parish-based religious education. In particular, this might focus on the sacrament of confirmation. In the meantime other parishes and dioceses would continue to strengthen the element of parish support for school-based religious education. Were such a pilot programme to be completed there would then be a lot of evidence to inform everyone’s judgment on the best way forward.

Catholic Schools in the Republic of Ireland – A Position Paper by the CSP (Complete Version)

© Irish Catholic Bishop's Conference - 2011

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