The answer will be significantlyinfluenced by the awareness andpro-activity of present generationsof school and system leadership

Unless we plan for and actively work towards aPREFERRED FUTURE, we may drift into a---PROBABLE FUTURE

MYSTORY

Our Stories

Our Stories

Our Stories

Our Stories

The BIGStories

The BIGStories

The BIGStories

The BIGStories

LIFE IS AVOYAGE

ON A SEAOF STORIES

A COMMON THREAD IN OUR STORIES…..Our participation in the Patrician story in Catholic

school education ‘TSWS’

A ‘tribe’ to which we belong---STORY OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA

Brief snapshot only of phases

Phase 1 European Settlement up to 1880’sEmergence of a small number of 1-2 teacherCatholic schools. Localised, community supportedand autonomous. Modest government funding

Phase 2 1880’s to early 1960’sAfter Governor Sir Henry Parkes’ Public Instruction Act,Catholics decide to go it alone. No more governmentfunding. Expansion of a system of Catholic schools.Up to the 1950’s, staffed almost exclusively byunsalaried religious Sisters & Brothers, + some priests

19th Century: Springtime in the life of the church, witnessing thebirthday of a significant number of ReligiousCongregations devoted to Catholic school education

IRELAND1775 Presentation Sisters1802 Christian Brothers1807 Brigidine Sisters1808 Patrician Brothers1815 Sisters of Charity1831 Mercy Sisters1867 Holy Faith Sisters

FRANCE1817 Marist Brothers1818 Marist Sisters

AUSTRALIA1857 Good Samaritan Sisters1866 Sisters of St Joseph

From the 1880’s until the 1950’s,at least, Catholicschools in Australia were staffed almost exclusively by members of these Congregations.…UNSALARIED.Heroic support from Catholic communities

Other Religious prominent in Catholic schools from early times, De La Salle, Ursuline, Loreto, Jesuits, Salesian….

Large classes the norm in Catholic schools well into the 1960’s

77 students in one class in Yr 4 --Patrician Brothers, Liverpool 1964

Engaged Learning….Listen to Brother !...early 1960’s

Phase 111 From 1960’s to 1980’sContinued rapid expansion…close to breaking-point mid to late 1960’s…commencement of substantial laicisation of staff. First trickle of Government funding (1968). State only. Federal funding from early 1970’s onwards.

NSW Catholic schools’ staffing1965 Religious 69% Lay 31%1985 Religious 9% Lay 91%

Smooth transition from Religious to Lay

Phase 1V From 1980’s to NowCentralisation of administration. Restructuring of SydneyArchdiocese…Parramatta & Broken Bay Dioceses 1986.Formalisation of policies and structures. Emergence of ACU..Teacher & Leadership training and development

Professionalisation of staff. Expansion of non-teaching staff

Catholic Bishops of NSW & ACTPastoral Letter 2007

Catholic Schools At The Crossroads

“The Catholic school system is one of the‘jewels in the crown’ of the Catholic communityin our Region”

Widespread perception in the general community thatCatholic schools are a ‘good brand’ !In Australia in 2011:

1,704 Catholic schools 83,112 Staff723,472 Students

A proud story of Catholic school development fromthe days of ‘going it alone’ in the 1880’s, through over80 years without any Government funding, to NOW !

A rich legacy for present generation

The story of Catholic schools in Australia is a proud one. Present generations of Catholic educators are now the Bearers of the Flame

THE ICEBERG

What you see….roughly 10%, getsIts stability from what you don’t see..the 90%(approx)below the water

WHAT YOU SEE IN MOST SCHOOLS

Teaching& Learning

Assemblies& Rituals

Technology

Reports prep

Documentation

Meetings

Sport

StudentSupervision

Interactionwith parents

SUBSTANCE

Beliefs

Values

SOUL

Relationships

To ponder…How much energy& resources goto nurturingthe soul ?

Communications

THE X FACTOR UNDER THE WATER….DETERMININGTHE SCHOOLS UNIQUE CULTURE & IDENTITY…..ITS SOUL…….a blend which includes the following

* Vision * Mission * Values* Beliefs * Symbols *Stories* Assumptions * Ideology* Theory of action * PARADIGMS

etc…The ‘soft agenda’

To ponder: How much energy and resources goInto nurturing THE SOUL

* At school level ?* At system level ?

Short Buzz

CURRENT REALITY ?

1940’s

1960’s

1980’s

Ever widening gap

Religious culture...values & practice

Religious culture…values & practice

2000’s +

Challenge forour times…to bring the secularand the sacredinto conversation ?

EucharisticCommunity

‘Regulars’

DEGREES OF BELIEVING & BELONGING ??

Special FeastsChristmas & Easter etc.

Working in CatholicAgencies

Working in CatholicAgencies

NominalCatholics….Noaffiliation with church

Pivotal occasions…Baptisms, Weddings

Funerals…etc

Frontier Land ?

More Than 8O %

How is the Catholicschool an ‘experienceof church’ for‘nominals’ ?

Nominal only..little or noongoingaffiliation

Close fellow-travellers…‘believers’

but, not ‘regulars

EucharisticCommunity‘Regulars’

One perspective only…..Categories among those who tick‘Catholic’ at census time

Ballpark figures --* Regulars less than 15%* ‘Nominals’ over 70%

In Faith we believe that the GoodNews of Jesus is for all people, in alltimes

REFLECTION/DISCUSSIONFor the Church to be a more inclusive, more effective mission of Jesus in the world, whatchanges are needed:

i) In current Church policies and practices ?ii) In attitudes and behaviours of individual Catholics ?iii) How can we assure that school is sensed by staff and students as a Gospel Community ?