A ‘tale of two cultures’—reflections on a dialogical study of a Jewish and a Catholic secondary school

Abstract

Drawing on material gathered during case studies of a Jewish and a Catholic secondary school, I introduce a number of different stories from the staff, and students in the schools and from myself as the researcher. I argue that these can be understood as forms of dialogue in which voices can be heard in some detail. They throw light on various, sometimes conflicting, views within two particular faith‐based schools and on the wider educational dialogue.

Keywords:

• Dialogue
• Story
• ‘Insider and outsider views’
• Jewish and Catholic secondary schools

Notes

* St Mary's College, Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, London, TW1 4SX, UK. Email: [email protected]

1. The verbatim quotations are from transcripts of recorded interviews.

2. Leo Rosten (1968, p. 94) defines chutzpah as ‘gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible “guts”; presumption‐plus‐arrogance such as no other word, and no other language, can do justice to. The classic definition of chutzpah is, of course, this: chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan’.

3. In several subjects, standards of achievement at GCSE (age 16 +) are close to, or above, national averages but overall results are below national norms for maintained secondary schools.

4. For fuller discussion of this see Scholefield (2005, pp. 21–27).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lynne Scholefield*

* St Mary's College, Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, London, TW1 4SX, UK. Email: [email protected]