Courtney McGrailDr Daire Keogh sums up the vision of a ‘Catholic’ school
Dr Daire Keogh
Historically, schools operated in a relatively secure environment, where indicators of success, the literacies of the age, were easily identifiable and measureable.
We live in a period of unprecedented and exponential change.
The question for us today is not what we want our schools to do, but what do Catholics expect schools to be for our children.
Nothing is more important to the educational process than the quality of our teachers, but it is critical that they never become mechanical functionaries; we should aspire to the creation of a teaching profession animated by a philosophical vision and appropriately rewarded for their vital role in delivering the future. Remember, teaching is the profession of hope.
Two weeks ago, minister Richard Bruton published the State’s ‘Agenda for Change’, a 10-year plan to make Ireland’s education system the best in Europe. There is a focus on outputs and deliverables, but our society has shied away from a debate on the essential philosophical debate which should underpin such an ambitious programme.
Great moments
Curiously, at the great moments in Irish history we reflected on the importance and purpose of education: Newman wrote The Idea of a University in the aftermath of the Great Famine. In an essay which anticipated the knowledge revolution, he emphasised the critical influence of the animated teacher:
“With influence [of a teacher] there is life: without it there is none…An institution without the personal influence of teachers upon pupils is an Arctic winter; it will create and ice-bound, petrified, cast-iron university, nothing else…the detail, the colour, the tone, the air, the life which makes it live [can only be acquired from] those in whom it lives already.”
A century ago, too, on the eve of the Revolution which he believed would deliver the new Republic, Pearse spoke of the value of education which would “foster and inspire” – far from the grinding of The Murder Machine, Pearse’s school was characterised by “liberty and light, and the gladness of a ploughed field under the spring sunshine”.
Sentiments echoed in contemporary educationalist Sir Ken Robinson: “We have to go from what is essentially and industrial model of education, a manufacturing model, which is based on linearity and conformity and batching people. We have to move to a model that is based more on principles of agriculture. We have to recognise that human flourishing is not a mechanical process; it’s an organic process. And you cannot predict the outcome of human development. All you can do, like a farmer, is create the conditions under which they will begin to flourish.”
What binds, Newman, Pearse and Robinson?
- Clearly each one of them is reflecting on the challenges of their own time; relevance, employability, ambition, etc.
- These are universal issues for educators; in any context, century, continent, county, or classroom
- These issues are particularly relevant as we contemplate the unique contribution of Catholic schools in a pluralist society: how do we best prepare our students for lives as yet unimagined?
The challenge is for all of us as stakeholders and parents, but it is vital that school leaders, principals and boards have a clearly defined philosophy which animates and directs their actions in schools.
What are we about as Catholic schools? Where is our treasure? What do we hope for? What sets us apart? There is no doubt that many of us shy away from defining our schools as ‘Catholic’ schools. Of course, we are happy to use the term loosely, but we are reluctant to pursue the implications of the name.
As a brand, Catholic schools in Ireland are challenged; it may not be in the same category as the Olympic Council, Irish Water or Galaxy Note, but I sense that for many of us, the name presents as many challenges as opportunities.
There is a danger that we see our current challenges as exceptional – they are the norm. Indeed, what we have traditionally called the Catholic school was framed not in any Golden Age or remote idyll, but rather within the context of the Protestant Reformation.
The Catholic school is a very particular institution, shaped by remarkable people not just with vision, but energy and enterprise, such as St Ignatius, Jean B. de la Salle, St Louis, convinced of the need to nurture faith in a time of upheaval.
All of these pioneers identified the importance of formation, as opposed to providing information.
Formation is a very Catholic word – it is about nurturing, it is about caring, it is about hope. It resonates with the philosophies of Newman, Pearse and Robinson. It is not a mechanical process – it is much more than that – it is about seeing seeds grow and blossom.
Our task is to see the child reach their potential as children of God. But the emphasis is not just on the individual child in isolation; Catholic schools have an ambitious sense of community.
The critical point is that authentic Catholic schools are rooted in our experience of Christ and his promise. This is what makes Catholic schools different: they have Christ at the centre and as their model.
Dr Daire Keogh is President of St Patrick’s College Drumcondra and Deputy President of Dublin City University.