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Lebanon is currently trapped in a full-scale emergency. Apart from the Syrian refugee mass influx of 2011, which had led the country to severe social and economic constraints, a civic uprising ignited in October 2019 against an incompetent government accused of sectarianism and corruption by the Lebanese people. Thousands of peaceful protesters from different religions and social classes assembled in cities across the country calling for social and economic reforms. Frustration and public anger have escalated in recent years over government's failure to manage the country's waste and economic crisis. Lebanon currently confronts a debt, fiscal, currency and banking crisis which inevitably impacted its educational sector. Unlike many countries where public schools are most commonly frequented, Lebanon relies on its private schools including Catholic Schools to educate two-third of students. The current crises are forcing working class families to pull their children out of private schools into the state system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Congregation of Holy Cross has been working on evangelisation and education in Bangladesh for more than 170 years. This study examines the educational mission of the Congregation in Bangladesh. The study is conducted from a historical perspective. The paper is based primarily on the examination of written documents – primary and secondary – and field work involving oral history interviews. The study identifies four primary aims of Holy Cross education in Bangladesh. The paper argues that they have distinctive educational aims at the nation's elite education both through English and Bengali medium, and villages' primary and secondary level education. The study illustrates that there has been a shift of emphasis on the educational mission over the years. A significant contribution to the changing mission of Holy Cross education has been the independence of Bangladesh. Another factor that contributed significantly to changes in Holy Cross education has been the Catholic Church itself and the structure of Catholic life, as a result of Vatican II. Mission models that emerged after the Council emphasised social justice and religious pluralism. Those teachings of the Church brought changes to the educational missions of Holy Cross in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Church statistics, 6.9 million children were enrolled in Catholic primary and secondary schools in Europe. Enrolment has remained relatively stable over the last 40 years in comparison to other regions of the world, contributing to education pluralism. This may be in part because in many countries, Catholic and private schools benefit from state funding, which helps in reducing out-of-pocket costs for parents to send their children to the schools. At the same time, public funding for private schools, including Catholic schools, often remains below the level of funding for public schools. This paper discusses enrolment trends in Catholic schools over time, compares the level of public funding for private and public schools, and looks at the relationships (or lack thereof) between such funding and enrolment in Catholic and private schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on two major issues in contemporary Catholic social justice: care for the poor and the inclusion of migrants and refugees. The care for the poor is examined in the gospels and in the contemporary articulation of the preferential option for the poor, drawing on the theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez and Jon Sobrino. Pope Francis and his 'preferential option for the migrants, refugees and asylum seekers' is examined in some depth through some key writings and homilies. Care for the poor and the inclusion of migrants and refugees are explored in relation to Catholic education, primarily in relation to Catholic schools and Catholic support for other schools. Some key historical and contemporary figures who intervened in their local context and established schools for the poor and marginalised are identified and discussed. The article provides some concrete examples of the Catholic church providing educational support for migrant and refugee children and young people in contemporary Bulgaria and Hungary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the historical context of the growth and development of Catholic education in the United States, and the commitment of Catholic colleges and universities – viewed primarily through the lens of Jesuit Colleges and Universities – to the professional formation of educators for service in Catholic schools. It is a story of the careful navigation by strangers in a strange land to create an unparalleled system of educational institutions, securing academic recognition through accreditation, and providing service to the K-12 Catholic educational system through the delivery of distinctive professional formation programmes for Catholic school educators. These historical challenges continue to the present day and represent a particular mission-driven service of Catholic higher education to the Catholic Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the historical role of the Catholic Church of Ruteng Diocese in Manggarai, Indonesia, in developing educational services to accelerate the development of an educated society. Theoretically, this article refers briefly to the discussion around the knowledge society and looks at the role of the Catholic Church in this context. The qualitative methodology based on data collection techniques, one of which is archival studies, is used in the elaboration process of this study. This article presents several significant findings, including the historical role of the Diocese of Ruteng in pastoral education through the construction of schools, challenges in education management, and current strategies for pastoral education development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability of leadership in Catholic education at the (arch)diocesan level is essential for achieving school system wide goals. This study investigated turnover and retention of Catholic school superintendents in the USA. Ten former superintendents were interviewed. The interview findings revealed that all but one former superintendent had left their positions earlier than planned. Their major reason for leaving early was related to negative experiences with church bureaucracy and politics at the head offices of their respective (arch)dioceses. To increase retention, the authors recommend a two-year induction process that includes a well-thought-out orientation, mentoring, provision for spiritual support, and access to tailored professional development. The authors also recommend these system-level changes: an overhauled preparation programme for superintendents, new organisational practices in the diocesan main office (i.e. chancery), clear succession plan, and national standards to guide consistent implementation of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by Paul VI's Octogesima Adveniens regarding the Church's urgent response to social issues, in his speech to Jesuit alumni in Valencia in July 1973, Fr. Pedro Arrupe reflected on the concept of 'social justice' and its implications for Jesuit schools. He spoke about how Jesuit education could assist students to become 'men and women for others', men and women who can bring about change for the better in their societies. Since then, promoting 'social justice' has become one of the Jesuit educational priorities and has brought about significant reform within Jesuit educational institutions worldwide. This includes the newly established institution of a 'learning community' that addresses educational inequality for poor indigenous students in Thailand. This research paper reflects on how this institution can be a model that promotes justice in education and forms our students to become 'agents of change.' This paper begins by revisiting Fr. Arrupe's concept of 'social justice' and philosophically analyses the learning formation of a new Jesuit institution, called the Xavier Learning Community (XLC). Drawing from this analysis, I argue that the model of 'learning community' may also inspire other Catholic schools to address common social issues in Thailand based on the Christian values of continual conversion, fraternal and sororal relationship, and discernment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic education exists to attempt to transform people so that they become more responsible in their private and public life and as such the Church strives to build an education programme that enriches humanity through upholding Christian values. The investigation used in the study was based on the perceptions of school leaders and other education officials through the use of interviews in different Catholic secondary schools – a qualitative method. A number of issues emerged from the study such as the challenges in the shared meaning of Catholic education in different Catholic schools, the challenges in moral behaviours of students and the challenges in the multidimensionality ('Multidimensionality' in this study means people of different religious background in different Catholic schools) nature of Catholic education and what it teaches us. It has been found that despite these challenges Catholic schools in Zimbabwe remain focused on the Church's mission of teaching the Catholic faith in Jesus Christ, a question of evangelisation, as a priority objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education forms a very significant activity within the Roman Catholic Church. The cultural and ethical formation of young generations and thus the future of society and the Church depend largely on it. Catholic schools grant the opportunity to base formal education on Christian anthropology and to shape students' personality in the light of the Gospel. The pontificate of John Paul II made a significant contribution to the development of Catholic education, and its theoretical foundations in particular. Due to the importance of the Pope's teaching and its timeliness for contemporary Catholic education, we carried out scientific reflection devoted to it. This study is primarily of a source nature, based on an analysis of the statements of John Paul II and the dicasteries of the Roman Curia during his pontificate. It can certainly inspire Catholic educators throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the revitalisation of Catholic education in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet system and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's emergence from the underground. It speaks of the reinstitution and the 25 year work of the Ukrainian Catholic University – the easternmost Catholic university in Europe, and the only Catholic university in the territory of the former Soviet Union. The article provides brief historical information, an analysis of the general crisis, needs and problems of education in present-day Ukraine, and shows how a small academic institution, founded upon the principles of regard for human dignity, faithfulness to the Church, and a sense of social responsibility, can be an agent for positive change in society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews and updates a previous work published in 2007 as a chapter in the International Handbook of Catholic Education (Aristimuño, A. 2007. "Challenges for Catholic Schools in Uruguay." In International Handbook of Catholic Education: Challenges for School Systems in the21st Century. Part One, edited by Gerald Grace and S. J. Joseph O'Keefe, 149–163, Dordrecht: Springer). Its purpose is to review and analyze the transformations Catholic education has experienced since then in the small and secularised country of Uruguay, and by doing so, to identify its main contemporary challenges. It incorporates new literature and findings related to Catholic education globally (Grace, G. 2016. Faith, Mission and Challenge in Catholic Education. The Selected Works of Gerald Grace. London: Routledge; Lydon, J. 2009. "Transmission of the Charism: A Major Challenge for Catholic Education." International Studies in Catholic Education 1 (1): 42–58), to new ways of religion that are growing in Latin America (Da Costa, N. 2017. "Creencias y descreencias desde las experiencias cotidianas. Una mirada desde Uruguay." Estudos de Religiao 31 (3): 1–21; Morello, G. et al. 2017. "Lived Religion in Latin America and Europe. The Roman-Catholic Experience in Everyday Life." Quaderni del Csal-4, Centro Studi per l'America Latina, IX (17). Trieste: Edizione Universita di Trieste), new empirical research about the current situation of Catholic education in the country (Census AUDEC, 2016 and 2017), and the voice of several new Catholic education leaders who run influential educational organisations in the country. These new sources and findings show that in spite of some demanding social and global changes, what sustains and inspires the work of the protagonists at the heart of Catholic education in Uruguay continues to be its 'spiritual capital', defined as 'resources of faith and values derived from commitment to a religious tradition' (Grace, G. 2002. Catholic Schools: Mission, Markets and Morality. London: Routledge Falmer, p. 236). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents Catholic Schools as an outcome of the partnership that exists between the government of Kenya and the Catholic Church which makes the Church very instrumental in the provision of education in the country. It is in such a context that the historical perspective of the Catholic schools is expounded, highlighting the contribution of Religious Congregations and respective dioceses in the establishment and management of the schools. Further, the article underscores the uniqueness and scope of the Catholic Schools and later enumerates the successes and challenges of Catholic Sponsored Schools. The article makes recommendations and concludes that the Catholic Schools will continue to contribute to improved access to quality and Catholic Education in Kenya as long as the Catholic Church exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual State-Catholic education model that secured the existence of many Catholic schools, especially after the Second Vatican Council, has made the role of principals more complex as they endeavour to balance their religious and educational leadership responsibilities. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the provisions of the Private Schools Conditional Integration (PSCI) Act of 1975, safeguarded Catholic schools from an imminent financial collapse in the early 1970s. This Act however requires that the Catholic schools' must be preserved in return for financial state-aid. This has made the role of the principal increasingly complex as it endeavours to balance the tension between the neoliberal, secular education agenda of the state and the aims of Catholic education. This article posits that distributive leadership is imperative in harmonising the demands of one of the most secular societies in the world and the requirements imposed by the PSCI 1975 Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on two major aspects of Jesuit pedagogy in Spain that should be held in mind in order to understand Jesuit educational transformations after the Second Vatican Council: Firstly (A), the theological renewal undertaken since the end of the 1960s, mainly by the Jesuit institute Fe y Secularidad founded in 1967 and the drive towards pedagogical innovation articulated especially in the Jesuit journal Razón y Fe. Secondly (B), the continuity of a process of philanthropic adaptation of Jesuit educational institutions in Spain after 1965. Before analysing these two main aspects, a brief introduction is given to the question how Spanish Jesuits have participated in the theological avant-garde during the 1940s and 1950s. In a final part of the paper, the present study summarises the key aspects of this analysis and highlights the character of Jesuit educational innovations after Second Vatican Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broader theoretical frameworks of both Bourdieu (and his concepts of habitus, field, doxa, collusio and capital) and Bernstein (and his concepts of classification, framing and ritual) provide a deeper understanding of the distinctiveness of Catholic schooling. This article presents a model for theorising Catholic schooling in which levels of action can be seen to be at work in Catholic schools whereby the habitus of the participants can be closely aligned with the framing of a school’s values through consensual rituals and other leadership practices. The stronger the alignment between these levels generates an experience of collusio and the greater the extent that agents within a Catholic school generate practices towards preserving Catholic spiritual capital, the more strongly that school is classified from other types of schools with its own distinct voice and identity. We conclude by demonstrating how this model was applied in researching Catholic schooling in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The much documented sociological and cultural developments which offered significant challenges to Catholic education in recent decades have played no small part in changing the composition of the Catholic teaching force. A weakening of religious practices and an increase in more personalised understandings of spirituality are now especially prominent in the younger generations of Catholics. As this is the pool from which Catholic teachers of the future will come, it is vital to look afresh at the way we offer support and faith formation. More formal Catholic teacher education processes have to address these challenges by making a commitment to thorough theological education in a range of institutions which are both academically rigorous and pastorally supportive. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article is based on the analysis of the responses to the questionnaires submitted for the Instrumentum Laboris ‘Educating today and tomorrow. A renewing passion’ and sets out to offer a synthesis of the main challenges facing Catholic education around the world, key criticalities as well as more positive aspects and the strategic and operational areas foreseen for the future. The questionnaires were analysed using a mixed quantitative and qualitative method, supported by the use of a semantic language analysis software (T-LAB). The results of the study led to the conclusion that many of the challenges outlined by the Instrumentum Laboris can be traced to a single matrix: to make an integral model of youth education sustainable, preserving the institutional identity of Catholic schools and universities as educational communities of evangelisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of secularisation on society demand a rethinking of the identity and mission of Catholic schools in France. In 2013, the French bishops published a new directory which offers new approaches, described here, based on the three challenges facing Catholic education in France: linking social responsibility and evangelisation, setting up educational communities to carry out the Church’s mission and forming teachers. These challenges can be summed up in just one: working out new educational practices which will transform schools into social models of charity in the name of the Kingdom of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discipline of economics, as it is generally understood, taught, and practised today, is in various ways clearly at odds with authentic Catholic values. Therefore, where economics is taught in Catholic schools, colleges and universities, students should not only become acquainted with orthodox economic ideas; they should also learn how, from a Catholic standpoint, some of these ideas are gravely faulty, and how these faults underlie many of the economic, social and ecological problems that afflict us. Catholic education needs to foster a critical engagement with orthodox economics, and a continuing search for a more enlightened understanding of economics than has been prevalent in recent times. A form of Catholic economics syllabus is needed in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a historical narrative about the contribution the Holy Ghost Congregation made in the educational development of Nigeria. It is narrative because it highlights the events and the work of the early Spiritan missionaries that brought education and its benefits to Nigerians. It is pedagogic because it describes the methods these Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers employed to create an awareness of the importance of education to the people of Nigeria. When the local people became aware of the importance of Western education brought by the early Spiritan missionaries, they became partners with the missionaries in this social and community development. Education, therefore, became an instrument of evangelisation as well as a ladder to social status. The Nigerian Spiritans have always remained grateful to their founders and to their missionary predecessors. To make this gratitude concrete and visible, the Nigerian Spiritans have embraced this educational programme with new determination and zeal. The social, educational and spiritual benefits and results of this endeavour are evident in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to consider how a small Catholic institute of higher education (HE) attempts to balance the broad demands of globalisation with the need to adhere to, promote and develop its foundation as a Catholic college. The paper begins with a consideration of the changes which have taken place in HE in the UK over the past 50 years and goes on to consider the response of the Church to this with regard toEx Corde Ecclesiae.Using an interpretive research paradigm, a threefold data collection was conducted in the case study institution. Data emerged from: observation; documentary analysis; and interviews. Despite the obvious limitations of the study, the data indicated that the Catholic ethos is clearly evident in the day-to-day practice of the college and is central to its success both as a Catholic institution and as a key provider of higher learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the nature of leadership as expressed in literature and workshop commentary on the identity of the Catholic school within an Australian context. Employing a qualitative methodology, data from workshops designed around school mission were compared and integrated with data from texts of selected Post Conciliar documents on the Catholic school for the purpose of gaining insights on identity. Within the identified theme of ‘school’ in the two bodies of narrative, the dimension of leadership was explored in its practical nature. The discussion of findings identifies the diversity of leadership practice, its dynamic relationship with the ecclesial community of the school and the desirability of an integrative image to capture this diversity and relationship. The article concludes that leadership within the Catholic school can be imagined as a response to Baptism and as such be sacramental in nature as it manifests itself as sign and instrument of the life of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores Giovanni Franzoni's understanding of the Liberation Christ brought to our world, focusing on how this understanding was incarnated in his pastoral-educational initiatives with adults. In particular, it highlights some aspects of the pedagogy he used in these projects, showing how these pedagogical techniques were part and parcel of the ideals he wished the communities of which he was a member to incarnate. The paper highlights aspects of this pedagogy which may be pertinent to Catholic educators elsewhere, particularly those who are involved in educational initiatives with adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the extent to which the charism and the philosophy of education of Venerable Cornelia Connelly founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus are being maintained in the twenty-first century in West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana). Using data gathered from Sisters and former students of Holy Child schools as evidence it seeks to discover to what extent Cornelia Connelly's educational vision is indeed alive and flourishing today in the light of contemporary challenges for leadership in Catholic schools and the many threats posed by modern secular and materialistic society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Henry Newman was one of the most outstanding figures of the social and religious panorama in the nineteenth century in Great Britain. His educational approaches framed in the movement of Catholic education and his influence on the Oxford Movement, his intellectualism and reflections on faith, reason and education, and participation and planning of the Catholic University of Ireland, make him very interesting. We are going to approach John Henry Newman's educational thought in this work by analysing three fundamental points of view: the Oxford Movement and its tracts, his intellectualism and the relationship between faith and reason, and the idea of university. These points of view allow us to establish the foundations of a Catholic pedagogy, which is the most neglected in the work dedicated to the English cardinal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Congregation for Catholic Education is a part of the government of the Holy See. The genesis of this Dicastery can be traced to special commissions created by the Roman Pontiffs for maintaining vigilance over the universities in Rome and other educational institutions in the Papal States. A general overview of the history of the Congregation for Catholic Education will help the reader understand the service it offers to the Church, within the different levels of Catholic teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on an innovative empirical research project, using a quasi-experimental trial, in which 9–11-year-olds learned about character and virtues through the exploration of four classic stories. The overall aim of the programme was to enhance virtue literacy. Virtue literacy is defined as the knowledge, understanding and application of virtue language and is viewed as being integral to the development of character. The research assessed the impact of the programme on pupils attending faith and non-faith1schools across England. The research findings provide substantial empirical evidence for the effectiveness of using stories to develop moral character. Children attending Catholic schools had significantly higher scores in the trials pre-test indicating that they had a better developed initial grasp of virtue language and concepts, and therefore virtue literacy, compared to the pupils from non-faith and Church of England schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper considers the challenges faced by contemporary Catholic Education systems with particular reference to the contrast between the prevailing neo-liberal agenda and gospel values. It explicates this contrast from the perspectives of current critiques of the influence of the new manageralism in education and relevant literature on Catholic Education including successive documents originating from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education. The challenge for Catholic Education is examined from the perspectives of curriculum policy and practice and the preferential option for the poor. The paper considers the possibility of integrating a Catholic perspective across the formal curriculum and outlines the approach adopted by the Ontario Institute for Catholic Education. Concerns regarding elitism in Catholic Education are examined from Australian and Irish viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The main contribution that Catholic schools can make towards the elimination of world hunger is to help their students understand the problem and then motivate them to assist as best they can once they are out of school. The basic cause of the problem is poverty. The ultimate solution is production of food in the food-deficit nations, or where production is not possible, establishing trade and import links whereby food can be made available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article employs Catholic social thought as a lens to situate the work of Sister Cyril Mooney, Principal emerita at Loreto Day School Sealdah in Kolkata, India. Drawing on the Canadian authors’ personal experiences of the school over several years, supplemented by a two day in-depth interview conducted at Loreto Convent in Altrincham, England (October 2013), it will illustrate how Sister Cyril's educational ministry incarnates principles sourced in Catholic Social Teaching. The conclusion will comment on the potential of Loreto Sealdah's example to inform both Catholic social thought and Catholic educational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This case study account reviews issues related to seminary formation and education at the Beda College, Rome, including Fundamentals of Formation, Community Life, Organizing Formation, Intellectual Formation, Spiritual Formation, Pastoral Formation, and the challenges arising in these fields. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Paulo Freire's educational theory is world widely acclaimed and recognised for its intrinsic humanism. Here I will present a lesser known face of Freire that I claim is as important as his humanist inspiration: his Catholic background. As a first step, I will present some aspects of Freire's religious experience. Then, I will highlight two aspects of his educational theory showing the connections with his Christian background: the theology of communion in relation to his concept of humanity and the application of the theological virtues as the basis for his concept of dialogue, which, as was shown, are the bases of his educational theory. Finally, I will explore some aspects of the ecclesiology that he was taught and which he later criticised. This research fills not only a gap in Freire's interpretation, but it is also a source of motivation for Catholic educators; those who educate from their beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Catholic schools have an important role in helping cultivate the future adult laity, especially given the continuing numerical decline and ageing of clergy and vowed religious persons. As there is demonstrable plurality among the laity on some issues that are controversial within the Church, however, and receiving and responding to controversy is an inherent feature of participation and leadership in the Church, it stands that the way in which Catholic schools frame the discussion of controversial issues will have some influence upon the way in which today's students imagine their future participation as adults in the Church. This paper demonstrates how Catholic students in a private Catholic high school perceive its role in discussing issues such as contraception, same-sex marriage, and abortion. The findings reveal a variety of perspectives on what students think a Catholic school should emphasise, and the discussion explores their implications for Catholic educational theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article sketches the history of the Catholic school in Zambia over a 50-year period noting how for reasons of political acceptability it increasingly became less at home with its religious mission thereby finding itself with an unclear sense of purpose. In order to redeem its identity, this article argues that there is need for the school to adopt a more dialogical framework, so that it continues to be both Catholic and catholic. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study sought to construct rich accounts of the remembrances of Catholic grade school and high school graduates in the USA related to their school experiences and the continuing impacts of these experiences on their lives. Ten former students (comprised of five males and five females) who graduated from Catholic schools in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 2000s were purposely selected using criterion sampling in order to gain an understanding of their perceptions and experiences as well as to compare and contrast these perceptions and experiences across decades and generations. Although not strictly based on a phenomenological approach, this study did try to elicit the lived experiences of these graduates in order to identify compelling concepts and themes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article considers the ways through which the Marists in Australia are enhancing their charismic vitality and the structural viability as a movement of Christian educators within the Church. A theoretical context is described, focusing on the nature of the concepts of charism,communio, discipleship, the spiritual families of the Church andMissio Dei. The strategic initiatives that have been taken in formation and organisation over the past two decades are discussed and the priorities for the immediate future are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the development of quality assurance approaches in South Africa, with particular reference to Catholic schools. It also addresses questions of why whole school evaluation in general has failed to play any meaningful role in improving the quality of schools in South Africa. Reference is also made to specific school cases. The article considers the role of both pressure and support in the education system and ends with some recommendations on how to ensure that school evaluation impacts on school improvement. Catholic education authorities are asked to take note. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In October 2012 John Sullivan published an article in this journal entitled ‘Catholic Education as Ongoing Translation’ (2012,International Studies in Catholic Education4 (2): 200–207). In it, he argued that the tradition of the Church needs to be kept alive by an ongoing process which matches ‘the logos of the message … and the pathos of the recipients’ (203). He referred to the ‘endlessly unfinished nature of translation’ (204) that adapts to contemporary culture and in turn is acted upon by that culture. My research project among head teachers of Catholic secondary schools in one diocese indicates that translating the Catholic tradition for young people is a central challenge for Catholic educators. What emerges from the research is that Catholic head teachers are at a threshold where the tradition of the Church meets the culture of contemporary youth. In the process of translating, Catholic head teachers are inevitably engaged in interpretation, trying to fuse the past and the present in ways which are of necessity both creative and pragmatic, drawing on their own spiritual capital to ensure that the Church maintains its links with young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedro Arrupe was concerned about the growing attitude in which the vocation of humankind is understood as making oneself the centre of the universe, fearing that it has infiltrated into education and schools. Consequently, he set out to counteract this egoistic mindset by propounding an approach to education rooted in justice tempered with faith, in a bid to form fully human persons who are men and women for others. In this endeavour, Arrupe sought to realise the principles of Vatican II, which also advocated in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World the urgent need to form human persons who are both learned and benevolent. This article explores how Arrupe's educational ideas can aid in correcting education systems given to economic and industrial imperatives as a main objective and which focus on examination results at the expense of well-rounded formation of the person. In short, the goal of education is here understood as forming people who are committed to respecting and caring for one another's well-being, lives and human dignity as persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic education arises from the deep structures and earliest traditions of Christian faith. Its commitments throughout the centuries have been to educate bothfromandforfaith. It educatesfroma faith perspective by drawing upon the universal values of Catholicism to provide a distinctive philosophy, perhaps even more so a spirituality, for its curriculum, purpose and ethos. It educatesforfaith by proposing Christian faith in ways that all students, regardless of their traditions, can learn from it for their lives. These symbiotic purposes face new challenges in our ‘secular age’ (Taylor, 2007.A Secular Age. Harvard University Press). However, by drawing upon its deepest faith-based convictions, Catholic education can continue to educate effectivelyfromandforfaith, and is all the more needed ‘for the life of the world’ (John 6:51). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an account of the actions and achievements, i.e. the ‘contribution’, of the Ireland Province of the Vincentian Congregation, known officially as ‘the Congregation of the Mission’, in respect of Catholic education in Ireland and England. The approach is, first, to outline the motives and intentions of the Vincentian fathers, i.e. their practical understanding of their ‘mission’, especially in education. Given the title of the Congregation, the word ‘mission’ obviously plays a big part in their thinking. We will proceed by focussing on the three principal and longstanding kinds of Vincentian educational involvement: secondary education, priestly formation and teacher training. Finally, the article will further examine the mission intentions of the Vincentians and the consequences of their actions in order to discern what, in the end – and as lack of new vocations is obliging them to hand on their educational institutions to other agencies – may be their lasting contribution to Catholic education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The differing theological perspectives evident in the literature on Catholic schools and education suggest those who appoint headteachers in Catholic schools may need to know more about candidates than that they are practising Catholics. This paper summarises a doctoral research project aimed at identifying the dominant theological motifs that underpin how lay Catholic headteachers understand their faith. These dominant motifs are defined in terms of theological disposition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article returns to the debate that Carmody initiated in this journal in 2011 when he proposed that Bernard Lonergan's account of self-transcendence could provide the framework for a contemporary philosophy of Catholic education. Here the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal are scrutinised. Carmody's treatment brings into focus the need to clarify the relationship between theology and education. A taxonomy of this relationship is presented before moving onto consider the ways in which another leading Jesuit, Karl Rahner, is better able to frame and inspire a robust theory or philosophy of Catholic education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores some of the ideas expressed in or associated with the work of Don Lorenzo Milani and the School of Barbiana and discusses them in the light of the teachings of the gospels. It draws out the implications of these ideas for a critical education in the Christian spirit. The focus throughout is on Christian education for social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Catholic educationalists frequently have to wrestle institutionally and personally with the dilemmas posed by competing theological positions expressed by the magisterium and professional theologians. Many are left bewildered about what to teach and communicate on important matters. This article deals with the characteristic emphases expressed by these two constituencies concerning the means and meaning of ‘liberation’, with specific reference to liberation theology. I suggest that the problems which this issue has promoted are only partly assuaged by the recent publication of the International Theological Commission,Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria. While the document sets out some helpful criteria about the nature of contemporary Catholic theology, ambiguities and complexities remain. Nevertheless, what Catholic educationalists are left with after their involvement with this debate, is a healthy recognition of key hermeneutical issues that continue to reside at the heart of Catholicism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an attempt to highlight some main themes in theInternational Handbook of Jewish Education, which may resonate with themes that are pre-occupying Catholic educators, and which may help Catholic educators understand some of the pressing issues and concerns of Jewish educators and Jewish education. Its intention is to begin a process of dialogue between Jewish and Catholic educators internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe y Alegría (Faith and Joy) refers to the network of schools for the poor run by the Jesuits in Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded originally in 1955 in Venezuela by Father José María Vélaz,1by 2010 Fe y Alegría had spread to 17 countries in Latin America and now operates one in Chad. The Fe y Alegría schools are essentially convenant2schools based on an agreement between the church and the state. The Jesuits build the schools and the state agrees to pay the salaries of the teachers. The Jesuits reserve the right to name the teachers and the directors. The teachers are on the payroll of the state and the curriculum taught in the schools is the same as in all public or state schools. The agreement favours all sides. The Jesuits guarantee quality education for the poor and at the same time share the burden with the state of educating thousands (in Peru, 81,000 students are currently enrolled in Fe y Alegría schools) of poor children. The agreement allows the Jesuits to provide education for the poor on a wide scale that, through lack of financial support, they otherwise would not have been able to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic schools in the United States have been in a serious state of decline, with the closing of a rising number of Catholic elementary and secondary schools, a major drop in student enrolments, and a real shortage of clergy and religious brothers and sisters to work in these schools. The purpose of this research article is to analyse how this overall decline in Catholic schools (numbers and enrolments) – with concomitant losses in religious leaders, teachers, and chaplains – may be affecting a cohort of students completing their secondary school education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the many challenges that English Catholic secondary schools face in an increasingly secular and plural society is to maintain the Catholicity of their schools. The celebration of Mass in school may function as a means of maintaining the memory of the Catholic faith tradition. In this article the experience of Mass in school is examined through the lens of religious and spiritual capital; the data for analysis were generated in an in-depth ethnographic study of English Catholic secondary schools. The findings suggest that religious capital is diminishing within Catholic schools and the concept of spiritual capital is more relevant to an understanding of the experiences of the students and staff in these schools. There are implications here both for the connection between the Catholic Church and the Catholic school, and for the role of the Catholic school in generating, or maintaining the memory of the Catholic faith tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]