CRONEMCRONEMUniversity of RoehamptonUniversity of Roehampton

June 2006June 2006

Catholic Schools in ScotlandReligious, cultural and social identifiers for a minority community

Stephen J. McKinney

Faculty of Education

University of Glasgow

IntroductionIntroduction

This paper presents a strand of the findings of Research for a PhD

The focus of PhD research is the debate concerning the contemporary position and the continued existence of Catholic schools in Scotland

MethodologyMethodology

Review of Literature

Expert Interviews

Review of LiteratureReview of Literature

The stated rationale and purpose of Catholic schools

The wider debate concerning Catholic schools and faith-based schools in England and Wales

The inter-related histories of the Catholic community and Catholic schools in Scotland – including the issue of sectarianism.

Expert InterviewsExpert Interviews

Sixteen experts interviewed: Reflecting focus of study Using semi-structured interviews Locations throughout Scotland All interviews full transcribed Now in process of being presented and

analysed

IntervieweesInterviewees

2 academics in Sociology 2 academics in Theology 1 academic in Scottish History 1 academic in Philosophy 2 academics in Education 1 anonymous academic 2 academics in Catholic Education 2 senior Catholic clergymen 2 Catholic Educationalists 1 prominent Catholic layperson

Context Context

Public and academic debate concerning faith-based schools in England and Wales has intensified in the last five years.

Prompted by a number of key factors:

Labour government support for the continuation and extension of faith-based schooling,

Increase in popularity of faith-based schools Variety of religious groups seeking new faith-based schooling

(including Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and Greek Orthodox).

Faith-Based School DebateFaith-Based School Debate

  Labour Government Support for Labour Government Support for Faith-Based SchoolingFaith-Based Schooling

Roots in Thatcherism - part of market economy model that began to drive education.

Labour government – motivated by ideologies of social capitol and promotion of academic excellence.

Facilitated parental choice. Appeared to be successful in school league tables.   Major change: Labour traditionally opposed to faith-based

schooling.

(Parker Jones et al, 2005, Gardner, 2005)

  Labour Government Support for Labour Government Support for Faith-Based SchoolingFaith-Based Schooling

Contested by many, including labour back benchers.Claims that faith-based schools are:

selective divisive anti-rational antithetical to social cohesion. (Gardner, 2005) 

Some opponents, question the legitimacy of state funding for this form of ‘mission’ based schooling and call for a truly ‘secularised’ society. (Brighouse, 2005)

 

Faith-Based SchoolingFaith-Based Schooling

Key Questions in England and Wales:

Should the state fund faith-based schools? Are faith-based schools divisive? Are faith-based schools selective (and on grounds

other than religion)? Do faith-based schools impede social cohesion? Do faith-based Schools preclude the growth and

development of rational autonomy in children?

Deeper QuestionsDeeper Questions

• In what sense is ‘selective’ being used?• What is meant by ‘divisive’• What is meant by ‘rational’?• How is ‘social cohesion’ perceived?• Why does the government fund this type of

schooling?• What are the limits? (McKinney, 2006)

And Deeper!And Deeper!

Faith based schools for some religious minorities (especially more recent minorities):

Opportunity to express and celebrate cultural religious identity?

Minority can be free from debilitating effects of prejudice?

Key to economic and social mobility?

(McKinney, 2006)

Catholic Schools in ScotlandCatholic Schools in Scotland

Ultimately only form of faith-based schooling (Kelly, 2004)

Origins and growth as result of Irish Catholic immigration in 19th century (O’Hagan, 2006)

Impoverished Immigrants to dangerously over crowded industrial cities and towns (O’Tuathaigh, 1985)

Colonial immigrants – culture of blame towards colonists (Foster, 1988)

Catholic Schools in ScotlandCatholic Schools in Scotland

Immigrants to ‘Presbyterian’ country that identified Presbyterian Christianity as surrogate for lost national identity (Robbins, 2000)

Irish Catholics an ‘affront’ to ‘self image of Scots as Protestant people’ (Gallagher, 1991, Robbins, 2000)

Catholic schools established to preserve Catholic identity and culture. (Handley, 1945, Kenneth, 1972)

Catholic Schools in ScotlandCatholic Schools in Scotland

Perceived to be route to social mobility Other routes denied due to discrimination and

sectarianism (perceived and real?) Post WW II years bring enormous changes Multinationals; Shortage of tradesmen;

opportunities in Higher education(Devine, 1999, Gallagher, 1987, Maver, 1996)

Late 20th century dramatic fall in practice rate in Scottish Catholic community (Brown, 1997)

Faith-based schools/ Catholic Faith-based schools/ Catholic schools in Scotlandschools in Scotland

Opportunity to express and celebrate cultural religious identity

Minority can be free from debilitating effects of prejudice

Key to economic and social mobility?

Catholic schools established to preserve Catholic identity and culture.

Perceived to be route to social mobility

Other routes denied due to discrimination and sectarianism

2121stst Century Catholic community Century Catholic community

Catholic community in Scotland –three strand categorisation.

1. Practicing Catholics2. Some residue of belief and practice3. Un-churched

(adapted from Bradley, 2005)

2121stst century Catholic schools century Catholic schools

Vast majority of Catholics in all three categories send their children to Catholic schools.

Why and what do they hope to gain? Themes concerning types of Catholic

identity emerge from Engagement with these questions

Catholic SchoolCatholic School

Part of mission of Catholic Church Partnership and collaboration with parents Discipleship and faith formation Christ centred Christian community Successful school

(Christian Education, 1965, Catholic Schools, 1977, Catechesis in our Time, 1979)

Group 1Group 1

Partnership and collaboration Support in faith formation Support in identification in Christian

community Successful education

Group 2Group 2

Less confident in partnership Less confident in faith formation Less confident in support in identification in Christian

community Look more to school to provide these three Other forms of Catholic identity can be more prominent Successful education

Group 3Group 3

Interest in partnership? Interest in faith formation? Interest in Christian community? Look to school to provide these? Other forms of Catholic identity are prominent Do these draw them to Catholic school rather

then other schools? Successful education

Emergent ThemeEmergent Theme

Catholic identity?

Spectrums: Religious to secular Community to tribalism Catholic Christian to ‘not Protestant’

Catholic IdentityCatholic Identity Identity of alienation?

Irish-ness? Immigrant? Outsider?

History interpreted through these lenses Are these aspects of this identity of alienation

real or perceived? Are they sociological or psychological?(Bruce, 2004, McKinney, 2005)

Catholic Identity and Catholic Catholic Identity and Catholic schoolschool

Catholic school is only real focus for all forms of Catholic identity

Advantages: Able to share religious values and vision? These values can counter some darker aspects

of other forms of identity (eg sectarianism)?

Catholic Identity and Catholic Catholic Identity and Catholic schoolschool

Disadvantages: Catholic school sometimes struggles, and will

further struggle, to retain religious integrity in face of competing Catholic identities?

Catholic schools seen as focus and attempts to rationalise schools can be perceived to be attack on Catholic community?