Catholic schools play an integral role in the saving mission of the Church as centres of evangelisation as evangelisation is “the mission of the Church” (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1977, para. 7). Pope Paul IV in Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975, para. 18) states that "Evangelising means to bring the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new, 'Now I am making the whole of creation new' (Revelation 21:5). But there is no new humanity if there are not first of all new persons renewed by baptism, and by lives lived according to the Gospel." As leaders of catholic schools principals play an integral role in not only the organisational and instructional leadership …show more content…
This has brought about challenges to the purpose of Catholic schools. The Catholic Bishops of NSW and ACT addressed some of the major challenges in their Pastoral Letter, Catholic Schools at a Crossroads (2007). They found that one of the major challenges for Catholic schools today is that of identity. The Bishops of NSW & ACT (2007) state that “the Catholic school is the principal educational arm of Catholic families, parishes and the wider Church”. To ensure that Catholic schools continue to have a strong Catholic identity it is important that: schools continue to have a strong Catholic enrolment, leaders and staff have a strong commitment to the Catholic identity of the school, the Religious Education program is sound, other subject areas consider the Catholic worldview, schools are Eucharistic communities, schools continue to be places of prayer, and that schools are connected to their local parish (The Bishops of NSW & ACT, 2007). The redefining of the Catholic schools’ identity is a crucial undertaking. Modern-day educators have a renewed mission. Catholic schools must have leaders and staff that “are inspired by the Gospel, who have been formed in Christian pedagogy, in tune with Catholic schools’ educational project” (Congregation for Catholic Education, 2014, …show more content…
Catholic schools are now facing a situation where there is a fall in the number of Catholic students attending our schools, with those students that are Catholic there is a greater proportion who are non-practicing, there are more other-than-Catholic enrolments and the poorer Catholic families are increasingly choosing State schools (The Bishops of NSW & ACT, 2007). With the trend of non-practicing Catholics rising in our schools it goes to assert that the number of teachers who do not witness their faith is also rising. I believe that this is one of the greatest challenges facing leaders of Catholic schools today. If we are to have a strong Catholic identity, we need to have staff in our Catholic schools who give witness to this identity. They need to live their faith. The Catholic school “is convincing only if carried out by people who are deeply motivated, because they witness to a living encounter with Christ” (Congregation for Catholic Education, 2007). If we are to evangelise our students and families then we also need to evangelise our teachers. We can’t ask teachers to pass on what they don’t have themselves. The Catholic school is now faced with students who lack authentic models to guide them (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1997). The Congregation for Catholic Education (1997, p. 3) states that “the Catholic school should be able to offer young people the means
The goal of this book review on Engaging God’s World written by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. is to examine his ideas on redemption, vocation in the Kingdom of God, and to explore his thoughts on Christian education as described in the book’s epilogue. Cornelius Plantinga Jr. discusses several key notes regarding redemption, such as salvation. Vocation in the Kingdom of God is another subject he touches on in relation to the way God works within His Kingdom connecting us to the ‘King of Kings’ as his ambassadors on earth. Lastly, Plantinga explains his view on how Christian education is important to sustain ourselves, earth now, and the New Earth.
Schultz also stressed the importance of a biblical worldview in the teacher. As the leader in each classroom the students will adapt their teacher’s beliefs, values and finally actions. If they are taught by a teacher who holds a dualistic view of dividing the sacred and the secular, or a postmodern or modern worldview, it will adversely affect the ability of that child to develop Christ centered wisdom based upon the Word of God. Schultz, in referring to the education of children, stated “anything that hinders their moral and spiritual development is the epitome of child abuse.” (2006, p. 163). As such, our curriculum, teaching methods, and moral example, must all reflect a biblical worldview that will evangelize and discipline each student to know and love Jesus Christ.
This essay intends to compare the author’s disparaging slur of Goody Cloyse, Puritan catechism teacher, Deacon Gookin and the minister – all of whom are catechists - in “Young Goodman Brown,” with “In Support of Catechetical Ministry - A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops” from June of 2000.
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].
After reviewing all the issues studied in this course, the one area where I feel most confident, and would therefore call the "easiest issue" is in the area of Catholic identity. Studying at Marymount has allowed me to deepen my understanding of Catholic identity, and that understanding conforms to the discussion of Catholic identity found in the Handbook of Research on Catholic Education (Hunt, Joseph & Nuzzi, 2004), where identity is included in the theology that makes Catholic schools Catholic (p.31). Simply put, Catholic identity emerges from the theology of Catholicism and the truths taught by the church. Moreover, in an age when Catholic school enrollment is on the decline, successful schools are those who have remained true to their
An interview took place on November 30, 2016 with Mr. Bloom, a teacher to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade religion and science classes. We covered teacher’s expectations of students, students’ expectations of the teacher, relationships: students-teachers-parents, the teaching-learning environment, and professionalism. All of these topics contribute to Mr. Bloom’s teaching style, classroom management, and how overall successful he is with his methods.
Their dedicated staff and numerous volunteer and mentors from St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, McMaster University, and Mohawk College add to the enjoyment environment students experience and also add to the development of spirituality, communally, physically and academically (Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School, 2015). The students and their families represent diverse cultural backgrounds and carry pride in their heritage; this is displayed through their pledge and mission statement where they pray that they will work toward building God’s kingdom (Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School,
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.
Catholic schools in Ontario started in the 1600s but was legalized in 1841 under the Scott Act. This act gave the Catholic community the right to operate their publicly funded schools. Due to the massive success, Ontario’s education ranks the best in the world. Yet today, the students have a number of achievements and students are taught their values and norms in their Catholic faith and also about how they just
There are several different cultures in the world today. Each culture has its own different traditions and values. One of the world’s most popular cultural differences has to deal with religion. Religion is defined as “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods” (Meriam). One popular religion is Roman Catholicism. Being a catholic means different things to different people but it usually revolves around one central theme; doing the right thing according to God. While I am not Catholic, I can certainly understand some of the values and beliefs they have.
Based on this foundation, I believe that Christ is the reason for my school and I am drawn to follow His example by striving to find ways to educate His children with their unique gifts, needs, and abilities. I am a firm supporter of Catholic education as I have experienced the benefits that only a Christ centered learning environment can provide as a student, teacher, and parent. I have come to strongly believe that Catholic schools must be able to provide an excellent foundation for all students. I believe that knowledge in God is critical to life on Earth and that God essentially gives all of that
The Catholic Church’s roles as a provider of many services all over Ireland provided for many families. The church was involved in the running of many institutions such as schools and hospitals. However, today it is indisputable that the status of what it once held has deteriorated because of the many falling vocations and the many abuse cases that have come to light in the past few years. What was once a strong community has been left betrayed by what was once seen as the pillar of society.
In the context of Christian education, the teacher performs his role by using lessons culled from the Bible and communicating them through lectures, seminars, or discussions. However, in order to be an effective teacher, I should expand on these lessons by providing real-life examples and hypothetical illustrations in order for the student to find relevance in the lessons taught. I should provide good models for the student to imitate, and in fact, I should also make sure that I am a good model myself by knowing and taking to heart all the lessons I teach. In other words, the instruction must be thorough. To ensure that I am fulfilling my role as teacher, I must provide an opportunity for the students to respond to the lesson. According to the Richards and Bredfeldt, when a student discovers a relationship between himself and the lesson, the “pathway to personal response stands open.” By making the lessons individually applied, decentralized and student-centered, but teacher-oriente...
Shortt. (1997, June). Christian Education Does Mean Something. Retrieved January 20, 2012, from Transforming Teachers: www.transformingteachers.org