kavanagh, aengus - will catholic shc
DESCRIPTION
Will Catholic Schools be Catholic in 2030?TRANSCRIPT
The answer will be significantlyinfluenced by the awareness andpro-activity of present generationsof school and system leadership
Unless we plan for and actively work towards aPREFERRED FUTURE, we may drift into a---PROBABLE FUTURE
MYSTORY
Our Stories
Our Stories
Our Stories
Our Stories
The BIGStories
The BIGStories
The BIGStories
The BIGStories
LIFE IS AVOYAGE
ON A SEAOF STORIES
A COMMON THREAD IN OUR STORIES…..Our participation in the Patrician story in Catholic
school education ‘TSWS’
A ‘tribe’ to which we belong---STORY OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA
Brief snapshot only of phases
Phase 1 European Settlement up to 1880’sEmergence of a small number of 1-2 teacherCatholic schools. Localised, community supportedand autonomous. Modest government funding
Phase 2 1880’s to early 1960’sAfter Governor Sir Henry Parkes’ Public Instruction Act,Catholics decide to go it alone. No more governmentfunding. Expansion of a system of Catholic schools.Up to the 1950’s, staffed almost exclusively byunsalaried religious Sisters & Brothers, + some priests
19th Century: Springtime in the life of the church, witnessing thebirthday of a significant number of ReligiousCongregations devoted to Catholic school education
IRELAND1775 Presentation Sisters1802 Christian Brothers1807 Brigidine Sisters1808 Patrician Brothers1815 Sisters of Charity1831 Mercy Sisters1867 Holy Faith Sisters
FRANCE1817 Marist Brothers1818 Marist Sisters
AUSTRALIA1857 Good Samaritan Sisters1866 Sisters of St Joseph
From the 1880’s until the 1950’s,at least, Catholicschools in Australia were staffed almost exclusively by members of these Congregations.…UNSALARIED.Heroic support from Catholic communities
Other Religious prominent in Catholic schools from early times, De La Salle, Ursuline, Loreto, Jesuits, Salesian….
Large classes the norm in Catholic schools well into the 1960’s
77 students in one class in Yr 4 --Patrician Brothers, Liverpool 1964
Engaged Learning….Listen to Brother !...early 1960’s
Phase 111 From 1960’s to 1980’sContinued rapid expansion…close to breaking-point mid to late 1960’s…commencement of substantial laicisation of staff. First trickle of Government funding (1968). State only. Federal funding from early 1970’s onwards.
NSW Catholic schools’ staffing1965 Religious 69% Lay 31%1985 Religious 9% Lay 91%
Smooth transition from Religious to Lay
Phase 1V From 1980’s to NowCentralisation of administration. Restructuring of SydneyArchdiocese…Parramatta & Broken Bay Dioceses 1986.Formalisation of policies and structures. Emergence of ACU..Teacher & Leadership training and development
Professionalisation of staff. Expansion of non-teaching staff
Catholic Bishops of NSW & ACTPastoral Letter 2007
Catholic Schools At The Crossroads
“The Catholic school system is one of the‘jewels in the crown’ of the Catholic communityin our Region”
Widespread perception in the general community thatCatholic schools are a ‘good brand’ !In Australia in 2011:
1,704 Catholic schools 83,112 Staff723,472 Students
A proud story of Catholic school development fromthe days of ‘going it alone’ in the 1880’s, through over80 years without any Government funding, to NOW !
A rich legacy for present generation
The story of Catholic schools in Australia is a proud one. Present generations of Catholic educators are now the Bearers of the Flame
THE ICEBERG
What you see….roughly 10%, getsIts stability from what you don’t see..the 90%(approx)below the water
WHAT YOU SEE IN MOST SCHOOLS
Teaching& Learning
Assemblies& Rituals
Technology
Reports prep
Documentation
Meetings
Sport
StudentSupervision
Interactionwith parents
SUBSTANCE
Beliefs
Values
SOUL
Relationships
To ponder…How much energy& resources goto nurturingthe soul ?
Communications
THE X FACTOR UNDER THE WATER….DETERMININGTHE SCHOOLS UNIQUE CULTURE & IDENTITY…..ITS SOUL…….a blend which includes the following
* Vision * Mission * Values* Beliefs * Symbols *Stories* Assumptions * Ideology* Theory of action * PARADIGMS
etc…The ‘soft agenda’
To ponder: How much energy and resources goInto nurturing THE SOUL
* At school level ?* At system level ?
Short Buzz
CURRENT REALITY ?
1940’s
1960’s
1980’s
Ever widening gap
Religious culture...values & practice
Religious culture…values & practice
2000’s +
Challenge forour times…to bring the secularand the sacredinto conversation ?
EucharisticCommunity
‘Regulars’
DEGREES OF BELIEVING & BELONGING ??
Special FeastsChristmas & Easter etc.
Working in CatholicAgencies
Working in CatholicAgencies
NominalCatholics….Noaffiliation with church
Pivotal occasions…Baptisms, Weddings
Funerals…etc
Frontier Land ?
More Than 8O %
How is the Catholicschool an ‘experienceof church’ for‘nominals’ ?
Nominal only..little or noongoingaffiliation
Close fellow-travellers…‘believers’
but, not ‘regulars
EucharisticCommunity‘Regulars’
One perspective only…..Categories among those who tick‘Catholic’ at census time
Ballpark figures --* Regulars less than 15%* ‘Nominals’ over 70%
In Faith we believe that the GoodNews of Jesus is for all people, in alltimes
REFLECTION/DISCUSSIONFor the Church to be a more inclusive, more effective mission of Jesus in the world, whatchanges are needed:
i) In current Church policies and practices ?ii) In attitudes and behaviours of individual Catholics ?iii) How can we assure that school is sensed by staff and students as a Gospel Community ?