• Bishop Donal McKeown•March 2010

Where are we?How did we get

here?The big picture

Content

• How did we get here?

• The big questions– And do we have answers?

A. The way we were

• Catholic schools ≈ schools for ethnic Catholics.

• Criticised as being merely separatist or divisive.

• Defended as being a relic of the past, rather than as part of the future.

• Accepted set of relationships between Trustees, Governors etc

History 1

• 1998:Good Friday Agreement

• 1996: Life to the Full

• 1998 Bishops’ Working Party

• 2001– Building Peace,

Shaping the Future– Proclaiming the

Mission

History 2

• 2001 Burns Report

(Collegiates)• 2002 RPA process

launched• 2004 Costello

Report – Entitlement Framework

EF (2013)

• 2006 Bain Review

• Catholic responses

• 2002– Consultative Group

for Catholic Education

• 2005– Catholic Education,

the Vision.

History 3

• RPA outworkings– Inc proposed ESA

legislation– Loss of influence at

strategic level?– Strengthening of

influence at local level

• 2007 Devolved administration takes power

• 2006 • NICCE

– Initially to oversee CGCE 2

– Interface with DE and Bain

– Post primary Review

• PPR– To develop Catholic

plans for Area-based planning

– In context of EF

History 4

• 2009/10 Inability of NI Executive to find any agreement on– ESA

• Transferors• CESS

– Transfer

• Prolonged negotiation re– ESA bills– Schemes of

Management– Sectoral body

• 2010 March PPR first proposals

• Consultation

The big questions

• Faith-based education has a role in modern secular, post conflict NI

– Discuss!

• NI has a generally excellent/poor education system.

– Discuss!

• You can measure intelligence at 10 with a considerable degree of accuracy. - Discuss!

Big Question 1

1. Does Catholic education have any role to play in a post-conflict and increasingly secularised NI?

- are we a relic of the past or a part of the future?

- Pluralist provision is a sign of a 21st society;

- Diversity is to be cherished, not feared

Alex Salmond (Scottish First Minister)

• I am particularly pleased to be able to........make clear my unswerving support for faith-based education in Scotland.

• I have long been a supporter of the quality of faith-based education in this country - and a particular admirer of the contribution of Scotland's Catholic schools.... I believe that here we are in full agreement on the tremendous role that faith schools can play in Scottish society. (Feb 2008)

Big Question 2

• How good an education system do we have in NI?

Globally NI is

1. underachieving system

2. Failing too many

NI has

1. skewed economy

2. education system in old model

Data

• Exam Data

a. NI very average in PISA tables

b. 9,000 pupils leave school without 5 GCSEs inc English and Maths

c. We have the highest gap between high and low achievers

How can we benefit all without damaging what is good?

The direction

Focus on

- broadening access

- refocusing outcomes

How do we plan for the next generation

• Looking after all young people

• Supporting communities

• Strengthening social capital reserves?

Big Question 3

• Can we base key decisions on the belief that ‘intelligence’ is measurable in a definitive way at 10?

• How do we marry– The need for change– The desirability of legislative framework– The current neuralgic points?

• When/how rather than whether.

Catholic Education 1

• New context– Strengths

• Quality outcomes• Agreed language for staying together• Confidence of very many parents

– Weaknesses• Decreasing ‘brand loyalty’• Lack of political direction• Fear of losing good in what we have.• Divisions

Catholic Education

• Challenges– Be true to core principles

• How are they mediated?

– Deal with lack of clarity about• Stakeholders (Trustees, Governors, Principals, pupils

and parents)• Rights and responsibilities in Catholic education

– Divisions– Communication of the big picture

Context• This is not a merely structural

development.

• It is part of a repositioning of Catholic education.

• How much do we take the lead?

• How much do we move with others?

The big picture

• It is hard to read history when you are in the middle of it

• How we answer the above questions will determine our credibility and role over the next 50 years.