Has the salt lost its flavour? The case for benchmarking Catholic schools in Ireland
Abstract
Based on the teaching of Vatican II, the Catholic Church has the obligation to preach the gospel and to teach its doctrines and its disciplines to the faithful (Canon 747). Canon 793§1 recognises the duty and the right of Catholic parents to choose schools which best promote the Catholic education of their children; Canon 793§2 acknowledges that these parents have the right to avail themselves of that assistance from civil society which they need to provide a Catholic education for their children. The Catholic school is understood to be the principal means of helping parents to fulfil their role in education. The responsibilities on bishops and trustees of Catholic schools from a canonical point of view are contained in canons 793-806. The task of ensuring that schools uphold this remit is designated to the diocesan advisor by the bishop as chief catechist of a diocese.
The history of diocesan inspection is recounted by Edmonds (1958) who links current diocesan visits with the “long visitational tradition of the Church” beginning with St Paul. The aim of all visits was to ensure orthodoxy in religion by securing orthodoxy in all aspects of its teaching (p.13).
In Ireland, visitations tend to be carried out on an ad hoc basis by the ordinary or his delegate. They could be carried out in response to concerns that come to the attention of the ordinary or as part of the bishop’s general duty of visitation. The term inspection is not used for these visitations. The term inspection was used, however, for the visits to schools by diocesan inspectors to examine the work in Religious Instruction classes historically and Condon (2014) offers an insight into the conduct of the work of Diocesan Inspectors circa the year 1900. Condon (2014) explains that the approach emerged from the first Vatican Council (1869-1870) which defined the faith as a series of propositions about God and the church and could be summed up in a catechism. A fearsome image of God was reinforced by both the method of transmission and subsequently by the diocesan inspector whose annual visit “must have seemed like the day of judgement” (p. 525). This fear-ridden practice was discontinued after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) which emphasised a positive and relational God (Dei Verbum, para. 2).
McConville (1966) describes the development of diocesan inspectors through the 1960’s and reveals the emergence of a softer and more supportive approach post Vatican II. The work of the diocesan advisor today is still largely that of a supportive presence, visiting schools and meeting with teachers. No element of inspection remains. In a landscape that is increasingly secular, the Catholic school is called to maintain mission integrity.
Legislative changes continue to impact on the characteristic spirit of Catholic schools. The intersection of compliance with State circulars and maintaining an authentic Catholic identity is a challenge Catholic schools in Ireland are currently experiencing. Treston (2007) warns that as compliance is linked to funding and accountability, energies of school management can be absorbed in this task and ethos can be relegated to the margins. Patrons need to know which perspective is central to the way of being in their school.
The proposal for this study is to design a framework or model that would allow diocesan advisors ascertain the quality of the Catholic nature of a school in collaboration with its stakeholders. Models of inspection abroad will be examined and a proposal for a framework put forward which could be used to measure the characteristics of Catholic identity of schools in the republic of Ireland.
The Catholic nature of a school must be visible, experienced by all and rich in gospel witness. Going forward it must also be measurable. Schools need to be supported in this work by highly trained and specialised diocesan advisors in order to honour this vision and hold Catholic schools accountable for their central purpose.
Bibliography
Condon, G. (2014) ‘Religious education in second level schools’, The Furrow 65 (11), pp.525-532.
Coriden, J. A., Green, T. J., Heintschel, D. E., Canon Law Society of America., & Catholic Church. (1985). The Code of Canon Law: A text and commentary. New York: Paulist Press.
Second Vatican Council, (1965). Dei Verbum, (the Constitution on Divine Revelation). Vatican Website
Edmonds, E.L. (1958) School inspection: The contribution of religious denominations, British Journal of Educational Studies, 7:1, 12-26, DOI: 10.1080/00071005.1958.9973006
McConville, P. (1966) Modern Catechetics, The Furrow 17(11), 718-722.
Treston, K. (2007). Five key challenges for leadership in Catholic schools for 21 st century.
Has the salt lost its flavour? The case for benchmarking Catholic schools in Ireland
Based on the teaching of Vatican II, the Catholic Church has the obligation to preach the gospel and to teach its doctrines and its disciplines to the faithful (Canon 747). Canon 793§1 recognises the duty and the right of Catholic parents to choose schools which best promote the Catholic education of their children; Canon 793§2 acknowledges that these parents have the right to avail themselves of that assistance from civil society which they need to provide a Catholic education for their children. The Catholic school is understood to be the principal means of helping parents to fulfil their role in education. The responsibilities on bishops and trustees of Catholic schools from a canonical point of view are contained in canons 793-806. The task of ensuring that schools uphold this remit is designated to the diocesan advisor by the bishop as chief catechist of a diocese.
The history of diocesan inspection is recounted by Edmonds (1958) who links current diocesan visits with the “long visitational tradition of the Church” beginning with St Paul. The aim of all visits was to ensure orthodoxy in religion by securing orthodoxy in all aspects of its teaching (p.13).
In Ireland, visitations tend to be carried out on an ad hoc basis by the ordinary or his delegate. They could be carried out in response to concerns that come to the attention of the ordinary or as part of the bishop’s general duty of visitation. The term inspection is not used for these visitations. The term inspection was used, however, for the visits to schools by diocesan inspectors to examine the work in Religious Instruction classes historically and Condon (2014) offers an insight into the conduct of the work of Diocesan Inspectors circa the year 1900. Condon (2014) explains that the approach emerged from the first Vatican Council (1869-1870) which defined the faith as a series of propositions about God and the church and could be summed up in a catechism. A fearsome image of God was reinforced by both the method of transmission and subsequently by the diocesan inspector whose annual visit “must have seemed like the day of judgement” (p. 525). This fear-ridden practice was discontinued after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) which emphasised a positive and relational God (Dei Verbum, para. 2).
McConville (1966) describes the development of diocesan inspectors through the 1960’s and reveals the emergence of a softer and more supportive approach post Vatican II. The work of the diocesan advisor today is still largely that of a supportive presence, visiting schools and meeting with teachers. No element of inspection remains. In a landscape that is increasingly secular, the Catholic school is called to maintain mission integrity.
Legislative changes continue to impact on the characteristic spirit of Catholic schools. The intersection of compliance with State circulars and maintaining an authentic Catholic identity is a challenge Catholic schools in Ireland are currently experiencing. Treston (2007) warns that as compliance is linked to funding and accountability, energies of school management can be absorbed in this task and ethos can be relegated to the margins. Patrons need to know which perspective is central to the way of being in their school.
The proposal for this study is to design a framework or model that would allow diocesan advisors ascertain the quality of the Catholic nature of a school in collaboration with its stakeholders. Models of inspection abroad will be examined and a proposal for a framework put forward which could be used to measure the characteristics of Catholic identity of schools in the republic of Ireland.
The Catholic nature of a school must be visible, experienced by all and rich in gospel witness. Going forward it must also be measurable. Schools need to be supported in this work by highly trained and specialised diocesan advisors in order to honour this vision and hold Catholic schools accountable for their central purpose.
Bibliography
Condon, G. (2014) ‘Religious education in second level schools’, The Furrow 65 (11), pp.525-532.
Coriden, J. A., Green, T. J., Heintschel, D. E., Canon Law Society of America., & Catholic Church. (1985). The Code of Canon Law: A text and commentary. New York: Paulist Press.
Second Vatican Council, (1965). Dei Verbum, (the Constitution on Divine Revelation). Vatican Website
Edmonds, E.L. (1958) School inspection: The contribution of religious denominations, British Journal of Educational Studies, 7:1, 12-26, DOI: 10.1080/00071005.1958.9973006
McConville, P. (1966) Modern Catechetics, The Furrow 17(11), 718-722.
Treston, K. (2007). Five key challenges for leadership in Catholic schools for 21 st century.