Introduction
This essay will discuss the purpose of Catholic schools and identify the challenges leaders of Catholic schools face in achieving this purpose. Firstly a short exploration of the development of Catholic schools in Australia will provide a brief outline of the changing context that exists with regards to the establishment and the continuation of Catholic schooling. Secondly, key documents will be evaluated in order to establish the purpose of Catholic schools. Finally, based on the discussed purpose of Catholic schools, the challenges faced by leadership in achieving this purpose will be discussed. In comparison to the period when Catholic schooling was established in Australia, the present world is a very different place. Whilst the purpose of Catholic schooling may be fundamentally the same, there are significant challenges which leadership in schools must overcome in order to achieve this purpose.
A brief history of Catholic schools in Australia
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The Catholic school system in Australia is different to other Catholic School systems around the world as the Australian Catholic school system was founded by poorer members of society, many of them convicts and not educated themselves (Prosser, 2015). Whilst Catholic children were able to attend the government schools, they were not being taught in, or of, the Catholic faith. In response to this, Sisters and Brothers were invited to relocate to Australia in order to establish Catholic schools (Prosser, 2015). The aim of these early Catholic schools in Australia was to educate the poorer class of Catholics, in order to raise them up to take their place in society (Prosser,
Saunders, William P. Straight Answers: Answers to 100 Questions about the Catholic Faith. Baltimore, MD: Cathedral Foundation, 1998. Print.
The Church was not the centre of life as it was in Asia or in Europe. The separation of Church and State was clear, and the Church had nearly no influence in Politics. Australian Catholics focused on saints of Irish and English origin, while these saints held nearly no influence in other nations.
In the 2011 Religious Affiliation in Australia census data, ‘Catholic’ recorded the highest percentage of adherents, at 25.3%.
The myth that Australia is a classless society is still, till this day, circulating. With education opportunities differing, depending on your status in society and socioeconomic background, not all Australians share the same opportunity of education. Whether being a middle class citizen or an “elite” or from working class, all education opportunities offered, will be influenced by your financial status and hierarchy in society. Power can influence the outcome of an individual’s life.
I remember attending St. Mary’s open house when I was in fifth grade and instantly knew that it was something special. Unlike most people, I have the unique perspective of going to both a public school and a Catholic school. St. Mary is very different from my old school. Looking back at my time here, I realize that St.Mary is a much better fit for me. It is a better fit socially, academically, and spiritually.
In Dr. Byrne’s article, “Roman Catholics and the American Mainstream in the Twentieth Century”, she identifies two transitional time periods in American history that have refashioned Catholicism. Dr. Byrne’s article focuses on the immigration of Catholics to America between 1840 and 1920. In Dr. Byrne’s article, she analyzes the immigration of Catholics during these centuries and concludes that each surge of immigration has contributed to the modernization of Catholicism. Dr. Byrne furthers her analysis by examining the paramount challenges that Catholic immigrants subsisted as they transitioned to the New World. Dr. Byrne feels the challenges that Catholic immigrants encountered in America during the 19th century were due to “demographic” confrontations. Dr. Byrne also believes the 20th century Catholic immigrants largely suffered ...
The myth that Australia is a classless society is still, till this day, circulating. With education opportunities differing, depending on your status in society and socioeconomic background, not all Australians share the same opportunity of education. Whether being a middle class citizen or an “elite” or from working class, all education opportunities offered, will be influenced by your financial status and hierarchy in society.
Roles of the Catholic Church in Western civilization has been scrambled with the times past and development of Western society. Regardless of the fact that the West is no longer entirely Catholic, the Catholic tradition is still strong in Western countries. The church has been a very important foundation of public facilities like schooling, Western art, culture and philosophy; and influential player in religion. In many ways it has wanted to have an impact on Western approaches to pros and cons in numerous areas. It has over many periods of time, spread the teachings of Jesus within the Western World and remains a foundation of continuousness connecting recent Western culture to old Western culture.-
Webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk, (2014). [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Key stage 2 | Religious education | Subjects | Key stages 1 & 2 | National Curriculum. [online] Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100202100434/http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/religious-education/keystage2/index.aspx [Accessed 22 Apr. 2014].
Elmore, R. E. & Co. (2000) Building a New Structure for School Leadership. Albert Shanker Institute. Gandini, L., Hill, L., Cadwell, L., and Schwall, C. (2005). In the spirit of the studio: Learning from the atelier of Reggio Emilia. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Q1. Outline the changing patterns of religious adherence in Australia from 1945 to the present.
"Salford City Council." Why Is Religious Education (RE) Important? -. N.p., 13 May 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 21, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org
Keating, J. 1998. Australian Training Reform: Implications for Schools (Revised Edition). Curriculum Corporation, Melbourne, Victoria.
In the 19th Century, the Catholic Church’s survival depended, in part, on its success in developing a powerful role as a social provider. Catholic schools, hospitals, orphanages and other similar services increased and multiplied in the course of the 19th century. Overall, the Catholic Church’s role as a service provider was an extraordinary organisational achievement and exceeded anything that had been provided by any other non-state organisation.