Faithful to uncertainty: Catholic schools and an evangelisation of hope for the poorest

Abstract

In this paper, the author continues an earlier exploration of the challenges facing Australian Catholic schools with regard to honouring the mandate to be ‘schools for all’ and to serve those who are poorest and most vulnerable in society. She reports on statistics which indicate that the poorest Catholics do not choose Catholic schools, despite the strong discourse around having a priority for the poor. This is not new. Previous writers have researched and explored this issue over at least 30 years. The author maintains that because of the strong position and status which Australian Catholic schools presently enjoy, this is an appropriate time for Catholic education leaders in that country to reconsider in more radical ways how the invitation to the poor might be enhanced.

Keywords:

• Australia
• Catholic schools
• access
• poor

Notes

1. Some of the increase in enrolments into Catholic secondary schools can be attributed to the isolation of some families who prefer their children not to travel long distances while they are in primary school. Other reasons include the attractiveness of a Catholic secondary school as a ‘safe’ and disciplined environment for young people. Yet other reasons include the perception of Catholic secondary schools as having the allure of affordable ‘private’ schooling.

2. These and subsequent statistics, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the National Catholic Education Commission ACES cited previously.

3. Australian Catholic University has worked proactively with Diocesan systems of schools in offering Masters degree programmes to system personnel, especially in Educational Leadership, Religious Education and Curriculum, and in a way which is flexible and meets the system's particular requirements. For nearly 20 years, up to 500 students nationally could, on average, be involved in a completing a Masters’ degree in any one year. In addition, system personnel enrol in doctoral programmes, especially in educational leadership.

4. These figures have been drawn from a series of reports prepared by the Australian Catholic Education Statistics Working Group of the National Catholic Education Commission and available on the NCEC website, http://www.ncec.catholic.edu.au. In exploring this topic over a number of years, I have been assisted with advice from Crichton Smith, from the NSW Catholic Education Commission and colleagues at Australian Catholic University.

5. The growth in the ‘Catholic share’ of Aboriginal enrolments is pleasing and can possible be attributed to the increased employment of Aboriginal staff in specialist Aboriginal educational roles in schools. On the other hand, the low enrolment of Aboriginal students in Catholic schools challenges the absence of Aboriginal staff, by and large, in mainstream teaching roles, as well as less defined cultural factors which inhibit their enrolment.