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Abstract

This research uses subsidiarity, a key principle of Catholic social teaching, to better understand teachers in a small, regional Australian diocese. Nine teachers with at least three years’ experience working in Catholic schools in the diocese were interviewed. The interviews focussed on three research questions: How do teachers come to work in this Catholic school system? What is their experience of working in Catholic schools? How do they feel supported in Catholic schools especially in regard to teaching religious education and identifying with the ethos of the school? Results indicated that the life journeys of teachers that brought them to work in Catholic schools in this region are complex but a number of salient features stand out. For many teachers, working in Catholic education is associated with opportunities that may not have arisen if they had not moved to this region. Teachers reported that they enjoyed working in Catholic schools, supported schools’ religious identity and expressed satisfaction with the levels of support they received both within the school and from the central Schools’ Office. The size of the Catholic school system allows for networks of personal relationships to be developed and this brings with it a collaborative and participatory sense. The teachers feel that they are part of a system that takes into account their own backgrounds, needs and interests. This is a good example of the practical application of the principle of subsidiarity.

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