catholic schools in mission - acu (australian … · 2010-04-19 · about the value of science and...

A HEARTTHAT SEES

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN MISSION

Copyright © Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, Australian Catholic University and Kate Howard Consulting. All Rights Reserved. 2010.

MODULE 2

KATE HOWARD

CONSULTING

A HEART THAT SEES

MODULE 2: CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN MISSION2

A Heart That SeesModule 2: Catholic Schools in Mission Copyright © Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, Australian Catholic University and Kate Howard Consulting. All Rights Reserved. 2010. Australian EditionFirst published 2010 Published by:Australian Catholic University25A Barker RoadStrathfield NSW 2135www.acu.edu.auwww.iace.acu.edu.auandKate Howard ConsultingPhone: 02 9360 7250Mobile: 0413 768 718Email: [email protected] Many thanks to our contributing authors:Anthony Steel, Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, Australian Catholic UniversityKate Howard, Kate Howard Consulting

A HEART THAT SEES


PURPOSE

‘A Heart that Sees’ assists school communities to: • proclaim the Good News within their own and the wider community;• take up the challenge of ‘passing on the faith’;• explore the meaning of charity and justice in the Scriptures and Church teaching;• understand the new evangelisation and its place in education; and• develop a framework for living their mission.

The purpose of this module is to explore the principles and practice of service learning in Catholic education generally and schools specifically.

Additional Modules:Module 1: The Gospel Call to Service considers the concept of service within the context of the Gospels and Church teaching.Module 3: A Way of Living Our Mission considers service learning within the light of a school’s mission and to support each school in developing strategies for reciprocal service as part of this mission.

OUTCOMES

Through this module, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Understand the importance that Church places on education• Explore the meaning of service in Catholic schools• Develop insights into educating for justice and peace• Understand Catholic schools within the context of local and wider community• Consider the Values for Australian Schooling in the light of service

OVERVIEW

Identifying service learning within Catholic education:

• Does the Church call schools to engagement and service?• Does your system call you to engagement and service?

Recognising the place of the National Framework for Values Education in community engagement and service learning:

• How do the nine values set out in the National framework align with community engagement?

A HEART THAT SEES


Following on from our reflections on the Gospel call to charity and justice and the Church’s call to the faithful to live the Gospel values, our attention now turns to the specific place of Catholic education in developing young believers who understand and commit to living these values in their lives.1

As we have already seen, the document Justice in our World from the World Synod of Bishops, 1971, clarifies for the believer the importance of living the Gospel values and giving expression to them through service. It does not however, only address these issues to individual believers and much emphasis is placed on the role of education in nurturing young believers to take up active and responsible citizenship in the tradition of the Gospels. Christians’ specific contribution to justice is the day-to-day life of individual believers acting like the leaven of the Gospel in their family, their school, their work and their social and civic life ..........Accordingly, educational method must be such as to teach people to live their lives in its entire reality and in accord with the evangelical principles of personal and social morality which are expressed in the vital Christian witness of one’s life.

This outline of an education method based on the principles of personal and social morality is seen as being under siege by a method of education that ‘encourages narrow individualism’ and materialism. The Bishops are almost chastising in their critique of schooling, seeing it as perpetuating a culture of developing oneself for one’s own gain with little regard for the rest of humanity.

The obstacles to the progress which we wish for ourselves and for humankind are obvious. The method of education very frequently still in use today encourages narrow individualism. Part of the human family lives immersed in a mentality which exalts possessions. The school and the communications media, which are often obstructed by the established order, allow the formation only of people desired by that order, that is to say, people in its image, not new people but a copy of people as they are.2

As so often in the Gospels and Church teaching, we find the use of the word, ‘heart’! Here we are challenged to reconsider education, not only as a means for individuals to succeed but also as an opportunity to learn how such success can benefit the community. The challenge for ‘renewal of heart’ calls schools to reflect on its mission and the expression this mission is given in every aspect of the school’s life. The context for this renewal is ‘justice for all people’. This should be overwhelming evident in what characterises a Catholic school.

But education demands a renewal of heart, a renewal based on the recognition of sin in its individual and social manifestations. It will also inculcate a truly and entirely human way of life in justice, love and simplicity. It will likewise awaken a critical sense, which will lead us to reflect on the society in which we live and on its values; it will make people ready to renounce these values when they cease to promote justice for all people. In the developing countries, the principal aim of this education for justice consists in an attempt to awaken consciences to a knowledge of the concrete situation and in a call to secure a total improvement; by these means the transformation of the world has already begun.3

Being involved in an education that leads to ‘the transformation of the world’ is certainly a much broader concept than that which requires schools to cover specifics of curriculum. There is no suggestion that such specifics are not fundamentally important to the role and nature of schools however they are characteristic of

CATHOLIC TEACHING AND EDUCATION

“Those who teachjustice shall be like the stars forever”

Daniel 12:3

1 Justice in our World; World Synod of Bishops; 1971; #492 Ibid; #503 ibid; #51

A HEART THAT SEES


all schools. What makes Catholic schools different? The way we educate young people to live all that they learn in such a way that it not only beneficial to them individually, but is also beneficial to the wider community. The result is young people who have a ‘heart that sees’ and in seeing seek opportunities to work towards transformation towards a more just world.

Since this education makes people decidedly more human, it will help them to be no longer the object of manipulation by communications media or political forces. It will instead enable them to take in hand their own destinies and bring about communities which are truly human.4

As educators, teachers are also learners in this ongoing process of giving expression to faith through action. Involving students in meaningful learning about service that gives them the opportunity to practice their skills in listening and responding enables teachers to reflect on their own commitment to seeking justice. And schools are not alone in this endeavour, for it is in families that children learn first the importance of ‘who is my neighbour?’ It is the privilege of schools to build on and nurture what families begin and to work with them to give their children the chance to explore what it means to be Catholic in our world.

Accordingly, this education is deservedly called a continuing education, for it concerns every person and every age. It is also a practical education: it comes through action, participation and vital contact with the reality of injustice. Education for justice is imparted first in the family. We are well aware that not only Church institutions but also other schools, trade unions and political parties are collaborating in this.5

And educating for justice is not about teaching students just to give people or communities with little or no regard for what these people or communities believe they need. ‘Respect for the person and for his or her dignity’ are fundamental to any form of service and such respect requires dialogue and time. This is probably the most important aspect of service, to be so in tune with the other that there is a willingness to put aside preconceived ideas and come to consensus through talking with and listening to each other.

The content of this education necessarily involves respect for the person and for his or her dignity. Since it is world justice which is in question here, the unity of the human family within which, according to God’s plan, a human being is born must first of all be seriously affirmed. Christians find a sign of this solidarity in the fact that all human beings are destined to become in Christ sharers in the divine nature.6

DISCUSSION POINT

How do the passages from Justice in our World, resonate with what you believe to be your role as an educator in a Catholic school? How could you continue to develop your students’ skills as young people who are ready to renounce these values when they cease to promote justice for all people?

The struggle to harmonise the spiritual with the material is revisited in the statement by the Congregation for Catholic Education, ‘The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School’. It takes up the message of Justice in our World, to educate not only for personal gain but also for the benefit of others:

4 ibid; #525 ibid; #53 & #546 Ibid; #55

A HEART THAT SEES


The religious questioning of young people today needs to be better understood. Many of them are asking about the value of science and technology when everything could end in a nuclear holocaust; they look at how modern civilisation floods the world with material goods, beautiful and useful as these may be, and they wonder whether the purpose of life is really to possess many “things” or whether there may not be something far more valuable; they are deeply disturbed by the injustice which divides the free and the rich from the poor and the oppressed.

For many young people, a critical look at the world they are living in leads to crucial questions on the religious plane. They ask whether religion can provide any answers to the pressing problems afflicting humanity. Large numbers of them sincerely want to know how to deepen their faith and live a meaningful life. …. They want to be active - to do something worthwhile for themselves and for others.7

These words and sentiments are echoed again in ‘The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium’,

…. recognising, as John Paul II has written, that ‘the future of the world and of the Church belongs to the younger generation, to those who, born in this century, will reach maturity in the next, the first century of the new millennium’. Thus the Catholic school should be able to offer young people the means to acquire the knowledge they need in order to find a place in a society which is strongly characterised by technical and scientific skill. But at the same time, it should be able, above all, to impart a solid Christian formation. …….. The Catholic school participates in the evangelising mission of the Church and is the privileged environment in which Christian education is carried out. In this way ‘Catholic schools are at once places of evangelisation, of complete formation, of inculturation, of apprenticeship in a lively dialogue between young people of different religions and social backgrounds’.8 The Bishops of Australia further develop this notion of giving expression to faith through action in their 2009 statement, ‘And you will be my witnesses’:

‘We share in the ministry of Jesus because we too have been anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit and are called to be his witnesses. We are all really responsible for each other and must work for social conditions that allow individuals and families to meet their needs and realise their full potential.Like many in the Catholic community we Bishops are encouraged by how young people – and their parents, teachers and mentors take up justice issues. Many participate in social justice groups; some school communities generously give money and time to the appeals of Caritas, Catholic Social Services, Catholic Mission and St Vincent de Paul. We see the effects on teenage Christians when they take up opportunities to be immersed in the live and experiences of the disadvantaged and poor in our country and overseas. Some schools promote alternative ‘schoolies weeks’ where young people are offered immersions experiences with vulnerable communities in Australia and overseas. Environment groups and community service placements enhance the justice dimensions of Catholic education as students ask the critical questions: Why is this so? Why are people disadvantaged? Why do some have fewer opportunities?.......In these and many other initiatives we see young people taking up and sharing in the ministry of Christ.’9

These initiatives do not just happen, but grow out of families and school communities that are willing to teach the Gospel message of charity and justice through action either in the local or wider community. We will explore in Module 3 how this willingness can be embedded in the life and culture of the school without requiring major change. We will explore how learning to serve gives students the opportunity to use their skills and knowledge in such a way that they can contribute meaningfully to the ‘transformation of the world’.

7 The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School; The Congregation for Catholic Education; 1988; # 20 and 218 The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millenium; The Congregation for Catholic Education; 1997; # 8 and 119 And you will be my witnesses: young people and justice; Social Justice Sunday Statement Australian Bishops Conference; 2009.

TASK 1 - JUSTICE IN OUR WORLD

A HEART THAT SEES


CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

IN THE BEGINNING

Every Catholic diocese and archdiocese in Australia has a governing body responsible for the organisation and management of the parish primary and regional secondary schools. These devolved in the latter part of the 20th Century as the number of Religious declined and enrolments increased as a result of the ‘baby boom’ and the immigration program post WWII. In the early years of Catholic education in Australia, Religious Congregations bought to each of their school’s their own defined charism. All the schools under the patronage of a particular Order shared the same mission based on this charism.

Following the advent of the Catholic Building and Finance Commission by Cardinal Gilroy in 1965, came the systemisation of congregational schools. At this same time school systems were created across the twenty-eight dioceses. Lay leadership in Catholic schools increased significantly between the mid-1970s and the present time alongside increasing numbers of lay teachers. These brought a new dimension of lay spirituality and mission. Faced with the challenge of bringing together numerous schools entities with varying histories, each diocesan system defined its own mission which recognised the past and set direction for the future.

In recent years and in areas of population growth, Catholic schools have been established under the auspices of Diocesan education bodies and in which the foundational leadership is Lay rather than Religious. In such schools, the charism is uniquely connected to the mission and vision of the Diocese and is formed through lay spirituality.

‘ANOINTED AND SENT’

In our time, Catholic education is being called to renewal in the Spirit. The document, ‘Anointed and Sent’, An Australian Vision for Youth Ministry prepared by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, 2009, forms a basis for such renewal giving schools direction for developing in Catholic children and youth a understanding of their call to service, a service based in faith and built on justice and charity.

The document names three goals:

• To foster the personal and spiritual growth of each young person• To draw young people into responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith

community• To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.

IN OUR TIME

“The spirit of the lord is on me, because he has sent me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”

Luke 4:18-19

TASK 2 - CHARISM

A HEART THAT SEES


10 Anointed and Sent’, An Australian Vision for Youth Ministry; Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, 2009; P 11

It sees these being advanced through eight focus areas:

• Prayer and Worship• Evangelisation• Catechesis• Pastoral Care• Community Life• Justice and Service• Leadership Development• Advocacy

‘The eight focus areas provide a lens through which we can view our work towards achieving the goals of youth ministry, as well as a measure of how we live our daily lives as Christian witnesses.’10

Of the eight focus areas named in the document, three enable schools to develop youth ministry in the area of service to others:

1. EVANGELISATION

Young people are called to become the agents for the new evangelisation, working in collaboration with their local community, to reach out and witness to Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. JUSTICE AND SERVICE

Young people’s...... desire to make a difference in the world can be developed through direct service opportunities and a commitment to justice and service in their daily...lives.

3. ADVOCACY

Good youth ministry advocacy ultimately empowers young people to become advocates in Christ for themselves and others and encourages young people themselves to advocate for equality......

In its statement on educating for justice and peace, Edmund Rice Education Australia names six behaviours that it believes should be developed in students in Catholic schools in order for them to share in the mission of Jesus.

Students should:

• Be ENGAGED in service and solidarity with others, especially those on the margins• Be CONSCIENTISED to the reality of the world and the root causes of injustice• Have a deep sense of the SPIRITUAL in their life• Relate to others in a COMPASSIONATE way• Take ETHICAL stances in all their endeavours• Be HOPEFUL that a better world is possible and that they can actively contribute to it realisation

EDUCATING FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

TASK 3 - ANOINTED AND SENT

A HEART THAT SEES


The statement outlines broad strategies for developing young people who have a sense of justice and a willingness to pursue it through action.

It concludes with ten initiatives for school communities:

1. Form collaborative partnerships2. Nurture spirituality3. Mentor students4. Celebrate past and present endeavours5. Invest in formation and professional development of staff6. Promote a learning culture that nurtures wisdom7. Embrace being part of a movement – shaping history8. Promote the two feet of justice – charity and systemic change9. Embrace both the local and global world10. Cultivate hope11

Catholic schools do not exist in isolation of the local and wider community and it is often the needs of these communities that give Catholic schools the opportunity to express their faith through action. Each community within the growing circles of community enables students to learn progressively about service. While younger students should not be restricted to service within the school or parish communities, these provide nurturing environments within which they can learn about meaningful service and apply them. Similarly it should not be assumed that all meaningful service undertaken by older students needs to be within the local and wider communities although at this stage of their learning about service, students should be well equipped to work in partnership with communities and organisations beyond their school or parish.

Figure 1.1 Catholic schools in community

11 Educating For A Better World For All; Edmund Rice Education Australia; 2009

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN A LOCAL AND WIDER COMMUNITY

TASK 4 - EDUCATING FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

Catholic School

Catholic Community

Local Community

Wider Community

A HEART THAT SEES


Developing an understanding of the place that community has in their lives is progressive. Students’ initial experience of community is family. This expands to their class, their school, their parish and often sporting or cultural organisations as they move through their primary years. At the same time, during these formative years, they should be given the opportunity to learn about the needs of people within their local community as well as being exposed to social and humanitarian needs in other parts of the world. This knowing requires different responses appropriate to the age of the students. By the time students are in secondary school their experience of community is varied and growing. During these years, students should be given the opportunity to consolidate their understanding of service and to apply it more meaningfully through reciprocal engagement.

DISCUSSION POINT

How do you see your school in the context of community? How does your school involve itself in the parish, local, wider and global communities?

Finally, consider the words of the prophet Daniel (12:3): ‘Those who teach justice will be like stars forever.’ In schools today, where staffs nurture in their students the desire to seek a more just world, they are not only reaching back into an ancient past but also, and more importantly, continuing the work of all those who have preceded them.

TASK 5 - WITHIN COMMUNITY

A HEART THAT SEES


TASKS

TASK 1 - JUSTICE IN OUR WORLD

INDIVIDUAL

Refer to the extracts from Justice in our World #49 – 55. Reflect on these statements in light of your own teaching practice and consider how you could work more closely with your students to nurture their understanding and practice of justice.

TASK 2 - CHARISM

INDIVIDUAL

Reflect on the charism / mission of the Founder or the founding Diocesan education body of your school and answer these questions:

• What values are key to the charism / mission?• How did the Founder or founding body see these being expressed?• What evidence is there of this charism / mission in your school today?• Where could there be stronger links to the charism / mission?

WHOLE STAFF

Discuss the responses as a whole staff and consider if and where greater emphasis could be given to the original intent of the Founder or founding Diocesan education body.

TASK 3 - ANOINTED AND SENT

SMALL GROUP

Work in three groups, each taking one of the focus areas:

• Evangelisation• Justice and Service• Advocacy

Take ten minutes to read through the three focus areas named above in ‘Anointed and Sent’, An Australian Vision for Catholic Youth Ministry

With particular attention on your group’s focus area:

1. Summarise the main points from the focus area2. Identify evidence of the focus area in the school3. Name additional ways in which the school could implement the focus area

WHOLE STAFF

Give time for each group to report back to the whole staff on the focus areas.

A HEART THAT SEES


Fill in the table below based on discussion generated from the small group feedback

TASK 4 - EDUCATING FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE

SMALL GROUP

Work in four groups, each taking one of the key elements of the Framework for Educating for Justice and Peace:

• Engaged Spirituality• Inclusive School Community• Transformational Curriculum• Social Action and Solidarity

Reflect on the characteristics set out for each of these areas and discuss their relevance to your current practice.

WHOLE STAFF

Discuss the reflections of each of the groups in the wider forum.

Focus Area Current Evidence Possible Evidence

Evangelisation

Justice and Service

Advocacy

A HEART THAT SEES


TASK 5 - WITHIN COMMUNITY

SMALL GROUP

In small groups, record next to each of the community groups, how the school engages meaningfully with each.

Catholic School

Catholic Community

Local Community

Wider Community

catholic schools in mission - acu (australian … · 2010-04-19 · about the value of science and...

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