A Big Step Forward in Catholic education

The structure of Catholic education has changed with the setting-up of the Catholic Board of Education. FR HUGH O’CONNOR explains why this is a good thing.

Catholic education is the remaining major institutional footprint of the Church in Southern Africa. And if there is value in the Church’s presence at the margins of society — “getting the smell of the sheep”, as Pope Francis is often quoted as saying — then the vital importance of the continued mission of the Church in education needs to be recognised and supported.

This mission is not just for Catholics or the good of the Church but for the good of the wider society.

Over the many years since the first Catholic schools were founded in South Africa, great sacrifices have been made for Catholic education, especially by countless sisters and brothers who taught in them and supported the work done.

Today that work continues through the commitment of many who give of their time and talent for the education of children because they believe in the value of Catholic education for today, for the children and for the country.

In recent years the owners of Catholic schools, and people involved in educational leadership, have recognised the need to streamline the various bodies involved in the provision and service of Catholic education.

Over the past two years, especially, there has been a concerted effort to make this a reality. Many meetings have been held and much time has been spent thinking and planning the best way forward, taking into account the people and resources at hand.

This journey of discernment has led to the formation of the Catholic Board of Education, as a result of which the Catholic Schools’ Proprietors Association (CaSPA) and the Board of the Catholic Institute of Education fall away.

The vision statement of the new board expresses the breadth of its work: “Rooted in the Good News of Jesus Christ, the members honour and develop our Catholic education heritage. In recognition of the critical role of education in South Africa, they respond to our evolving society.

“The members reflect on, discern and engage with their responsibility to serve generously, and to be the voice of Catholic education. As stewards, they are committed to promoting the common good, giving particular attention to sharing of resources more equitably, and to an ethic of care. They will support our places of learning in their mission to be communities of excellence and hope.”

The board exists to nurture alive the Gospel values in the broad Catholic tradition, and to seek greater equity within the schools network. It is a given that striving for educational excellence, as well as support for schools and children in need, remain priorities.

In honouring the heritage of Catholic education the new board owes a debt of gratitude to the pioneers of Catholic education — those courageous women and men who saw education as important and who founded and sustained schools in times of plenty and in times of difficulty. They will also build on the work of the parents of children in the schools who supported the schools and who continue to make a meaningful contribution to their ongoing success.

Over the years work in the schools has been sustained also by the governors, the administrative staff, the support staff along, with the ground staff, who are a valuable part of the team that makes a school successful.

The teachers in Catholic schools are a vital resource helping to keep the Catholic ethos alive into the future: and the board will seek to provide the necessary support to help them with their mission.

Times have changed and new realities and challenges face Catholic education. These challenges need to be met and overcome. In order to fulfil its vision and mandate, the Catholic Board of Education needs the support of the whole Church community in order for it to support the continued provision of services for children in the schools.

It is critical that the long view be taken, considering the crisis that currently affects South African education.

Catholic education does matter, and the Catholic Board of Education will strive to serve both the needs of the Church and Catholic community as well as the wider society by seeking to support education of excellence, and by providing spaces for the grace of God to be active.