EDUCATING TODAY AND TOMORROW: A RENEWING PASSION CENTRO MARIAPOLI CASTELGANDOLFO FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2015 Dr John Lydon KCHS FHEA Programme Director MA in Catholic School Leadership St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London UK John.Lydon@stmarys.ac.uk
‘INITIAL AND ON-GOING FORMATION: THE MA IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE UK’ Before outlining my presentation I would like to thank most sincerely Cardinal Grocholewski the former Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Archbishop Zani Secretary of the Congregation for inviting me to present a paper at this World Congress celebrating the 50 th Anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis the foundational document on Christian education of the Second Vatican Council.
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
To explore the nature of the MA in Catholic School Leadership Programme at St Mary’s Catholic University London
To highlight the demonstrable focus on Formation
To underline contemporary challenges and suggest ways in which Catholic school leaders may respond to the challenges
THE NATURE OF THE MA IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME AT ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY LONDON
EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT
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‘….a particular attention must be devoted to the formation and selection of school heads. They are not only in charge of their respective schools, but are also Bishops’ reference persons inside schools in matters of pastoral care. School heads must be leaders who make sure that education is a shared and living mission, who support and organize teachers, who promote mutual encouragement and assistance’ (III: 18).
In 1997 the MA programme was introduced in St Mary’s RESPONDING TO A NEED
Within the context of a national shortage of high quality applicants for senior leadership posts in schools, there is a need to nurture future leaders in Catholic primary and secondary schools and to promote their professional development
Many including Prof. Gerald Grace who instituted the Centre for Research and Development in Catholic Education in spiritual that same year, felt that the spiritual capital which had been developed as aresult of the influence of religious orders since the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850 was in danger of ebbing away following the decline in number of teaching religious, signposted 20 years earlier by the Congregation
This programme sets out to combine a Catholic philosophy of education with the principles and practice of effective school leadership.
THE MA in CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME The core elements of the programme adopt a holistic approach to formation canonised in the documents of the Congregation for Catholic Education
Module 1 - Catholic Education – ‘the conceptual tool kit’
Know the history to build for the future. We explore the development of Catholic education from the early contributions of the religious orders, through Vatican II, to the issues facing contemporary Catholic education. We also explore the importance of community and community building in Catholic education.
Module 2 - Leadership and Management
An in-depth exploration of current leadership and management theories with a particular emphasis on theories which are compatible with the gospel values we promote. This module 2
will be of real practical value to colleagues in middle and senior leadership positions. It will also be invaluable to colleagues who aspire to such positions
Module 3 - Spiritual & Theological Foundations
Builds upon the content of module 1 to ensure Catholic school leaders can clearly articulate the case for our distinctive learning communities. The theological foundations underpinning the reasons for the Catholic Church’s educational mission are discussed. Spirituality and the significance of spiritual leadership in our schools and colleges are explored in depth. Module 4 - Leadership for Learning. How distinctive should the Catholic school curriculum be? How do we define ‘excellence’ in the context of the Catholic learning community? What is the role of the holders of teaching and learning responsibilities in the Catholic school? How do we respond to the challenges of inspection and self-evaluation?
KEY CONCEPTS EXPLORED WITHIN THE PROGRAMME
COMMUNITY CATHOLIC IDENTITY MISSION VISION LEADERSHIP MODELS SACRAMENTAL PERSPECTIVE CREATING A HOSPITABLE SPACE FOR LEARNING
Identity, mission and vision were explored extensively yesterday. This presentation will focus on FORMATION
BUILDING COMMUNITY BUILDING A COMMUNITY IS KEY ‘Prime responsibility for creating the unique school climate rests with the teachers as individuals and as a community. The religious dimension of the school climate is expressed through the celebration of Christian values in Word and Sacrament, in individual behaviour, in friendly and harmonious personal relationships, and in a ready availability. Through this daily witness, the students will come to appreciate the uniqueness of the environment to which their youth has been entrusted’ (RDECS, 1988:26). 3
BUILDING COMMUNITY – A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS APPROACH ‘all members of the institution have…spaces and opportunities to debate policies and practice and are freed as much as possible from the communication impediments of hierarchy, formality and status consciousness. The educative leader attempts to establish the conditions for dialogue, participation and respect for persons and their ideas’ (Grace G 1995:55).
BUILDING COMMUNITY – ADULT SOLIDARITY AROUND THE SCHOOL MISSION ‘Collegiality among teachers represents another important structural component in a communal school organisation. Catholic school faculty spend time with one another both inside and outside of school. Social interactions serve as a resource for problem solving and contribute to adult solidarity around the school mission. In such contexts school decisionmaking is less conflictual and more often characterised by mutual trust and respect’ (Bryk et al., 1993: 299). Interestingly In a later publication Anthony Bryk insists that trust is the key to sustaining collegiality.
THE MA IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MODELS BUILDING COMMUNITY
The online discussion forum facility within the VLE is used to offer up to 15 learning activities for each module. All students, whatever their mode of study or wherever they are based, engage with these activities in one online learning community per module.
This means that the ‘lone’ Full Distance Learning student is able to join in discussions about aspects of leadership theory and practice and to share their critical analysis of literature sources and on current challenges being faced within schools nationally and internationally.
ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY – EVALUATION
Feedback received from students indicates that, through a blended learning experience, they enjoy not only conventional aspects of academic study, but also online learning activities, which afford them the opportunity to share experiences asynchronously with others both in the UK and abroad. 4
Thus, the learning experience of students on the programme is enhanced by their engagement with other students online in a virtual learning environment.
In terms of formational input and impact the sacramental perspective, which can be summed up as modelling ministry on that of Christ, forms a key element of the programme, an aspect which has been commended from the inception of the programme by its four external examiners
THE SACRAMENTAL PERSPECTIVE Learning Outcomes – Module 3
Students should be able to display greater theological sophistication in articulating for parents, staff, pupils, governors and local church communities how Catholic theology can inform policy, priorities and practice in schools
Students will become more confident spiritual leaders within their Christ-centred learning communities.
Cardinal Nichols, Chancellor of St Mary’s University, emphasises the centrality of Christ in all aspects of leadership: Therefore we say that at the centre of true human ecology is the person of Christ. He then must be at the centre of our school. He then must be at the centre of the task of school leadership. He then must be at the centre of the life of the leader. Faith in Jesus and faith in the outflow of that presence of Christ into the Church is the key component to effective leadership in a Catholic school.
Bishop Stock in answer to the question: Why does the Catholic Church provide schools? The first key reason why Catholic schools are established, then, is to be part of the Church’s mission in education, to place Christ and the teaching of the Catholic Church at the centre of people’s lives (Christ at the Centre, 2012: 7). Bishop Stock’s answer constitutes a restatement of the iconic pronouncement by the Congregation in 1977: ‘Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps man to direct his thought, action and will according to the Gospel, making the beatitudes his norm of life. The fact that in their own individual ways all members of the school community share this Christian vision, makes 5
the school ‘Catholic’; principles of the Gospel in this manner become the educational norms since the school then has them as its internal motivation and final goal’(The Catholic School, 1977, n. 34).
EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT At the heart of Catholic education there is always Jesus Christ: everything that happens in Catholic schools and universities should lead to an encounter with the living Christ. If we look at the great educational challenges that we will face soon, we must keep the memory of God made flesh in the history of mankind – in our history – alive (III: 1). EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT Schools and universities are also living environments, where an integral education is provided, that includes religious formation. The challenge will be to make young people realize the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ and of religious freedom in a multi-religious universe. In every environment, whether it is favourable or not, Catholic educators will have to be credible witnesses (III: 4). THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION
This is a perennial theme in the seminars and in the online forum
The iconic statement of Pope Paul VI “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” is quoted consistently and its implications for practice reflected upon.
THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION - POPE FRANCIS ‘we need to remember that all ….teaching ultimately has to be reflected in the teacher’s way of life, which awakens the assent of the heart by its nearness, love and witness’ (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: 42).
THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION - RESEARCH EVDIENCE
This evidence relates to in-depth interviews with a range of teachers about their experience of school and University. The purpose of this section of the interview 6
concerned the extent to which the individual had been influenced in their call journey. At this early stage also there will be straightforward descriptive questions focusing on the individual’s experience as a student, hopefully eliciting key influences on their formation, particularly religious formation. Responses may indicate that, at an early age, individuals felt called to be a teacher or, at least, were attracted to the profession by the way in which an individual teacher influenced them.
Several teachers, in a more general context of teaching as a vocation, insisted that they had been inspired by the witness of teachers while at school
There is a particular emphasis on inclusion and concern for the individual, reflecting key characteristics of Catholic distinctiveness.
THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION - RESEARCH EVDIENCE
The perception of passion and enthusiasm for teaching in general is evidenced and constructive engagement in the form of extra-curricular activities permeates the accounts.
The fact that teachers made sacrifices, particularly in terms of time, is recognised explicitly.
(Lydon, J., 2011 The Contemporary Catholic Teacher: A Reappraisal of the Concept of Teaching as a Vocation in the Catholic Christian Context, Saarbrucken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing). My earlier research on the Salesian charism demonstrates the value of the witness of school leaders in the context of maintaining distinctive religious charisms. The majority of the Headteachers surveyed suggested that t modelling on what it meant to be “Salesian” was far more effective than the range of Conferences and meetings they had engaged in as the first lay headteachers of Salesian Schools in the UK. THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS IN LEADERSHIP FORMATION – INSPECTION EVIDENCE
Catholic Schools in England and Wales are inspected under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 7
There are three key judgements:
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The Catholic life of the school The quality of Collective Worship The quality of Religious Education.
THE CATHOLIC LIFE OF THE SCHOOL The depth of the commitment of leaders and managers to the Catholic Life of the school How well pupils, parents, governors and other stakeholders understand and are committed to the mission of the school – evaluating the extent to which leaders promote solidarity around the school’s mission The school’s leadership is deeply committed to the Church’s mission in education. Leaders are energised by the task and are a source of inspiration for the whole community. The development and sustenance of an authentic Catholic ethos is viewed as a core leadership responsibility. THE QUALITY OF COLLECTIVE WORSHIP Liturgical and spiritual development is seen as a priority in the professional development of school leaders and quality time is devoted to it. Leaders also ensure that all staff in the school receive formation in the development of spiritual and liturgical understanding as a staff training priority. Due to the culture of receptivity that leaders have created, response to this training is wholehearted and enthusiastic. THE QUALITY OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The leadership of Religious Education inspires confidence and whole-hearted commitment from pupils and colleagues. As a consequence, Religious Education has a very high profile in the life of the school and is actively involved in initiatives within the school, having a profound impact on the moral and spiritual development of pupils and on their ability to discern their own unique vocations. Leaders and managers demonstrate a public commitment to the mission of the Church, particularly in the context of Religious Education. They are well regarded as models of Catholic leadership by both staff and pupils.
THE CENTRALITY OF WITNESS – INSPECTION EVIDENCE – GRADUATE OF THE MA 8
‘The headteacher is an outstanding leader who has an affirmative presence around the school, and the leadership team have a clear vision for the development of the school as a Catholic learning community created and supported by students, parents, staff and governors’.
CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES Everyone in this room is aware of a range of contemporary challenges. Navigating a balance between school improvement and Catholic distinctiveness has become a mantra for our programme. The hegemony of marketization and a total focus on measurable outcomes has become a seduction for some school leaders and was alluded to yesterday by more than one speaker so will instead share a brief word about secularisation. SECULARISATION Ours is a secular age (Taylor)
a separating of religion from life a falling off of religious practice (from 2 to 1 million in the UK between 1980and 2000) that postmodern cultural conditions marginalizes faith or offer alternatives (e.g., ‘exclusive humanism’).
GRACE DAVIE (1994) – BELIEVING WITHOUT BELONGING Grace Davie suggests that Europe is marked by a culture of “believing without belonging”, characterised by a profound mismatch between religious values that people profess (believing), and actual churchgoing and religious practice (belonging). (Davie, G., 1994, Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without Belonging Oxford: Blackwell).
LIEVEN BOEVE (2015) – THE SITUATION IN BELGIUM
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In a relatively short period of time, Belgium has evolved from a culture and society with a nearly total Catholic horizon of meaning to a situation where this horizon determines to a much smaller and lesser degree the identity construction of individuals and groups.
FORUM EDUCATING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW- UNESCO Paris June 2015
Cardinal Parolin spoke of living in the midst of an epochal transition These periods are marked by instability and disorientation Individual selfhood replacing the deep grammar of identity Religious aspect alongside other aspects Morality individually-focused.
FORUM EDUCATING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW- UNESCO Paris June 2015
‘Postmodernism of the streets’ – not a huge intellectual movement but instinctive responses and assumption – breakdown in transmitted values and codes of behaviour
There is a move away from religious practice but retaining of values that have come to have powerful expression e.g. compassion.
THE WAY IN WHICH LEADERS ARE CHALLENGED TO RESPOND – TO BE CREDIBLE WITNESSES
EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT ‘At the heart of Catholic education there is always Jesus Christ: everything that happens in Catholic schools and universities should lead to an encounter with the living Christ. If we look at the great educational challenges that we will face soon, we must keep the memory of God made flesh in the history of mankind – in our history – alive’ (III: 1). EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT ‘Schools and universities are also living environments, where an integral education is provided, that includes religious formation. The challenge will be to make young people realize the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ and of religious freedom in a multi-religious universe. In every environment, whether it is favourable or not, Catholic educators will have to be credible witnesses’ (III: 4). 10
EDUCATING TODAY & TOMORROW - PREPARATORY DOCUMENT Many Catholic school students belong to a multiplicity of cultures, therefore our institutions must proclaim the Gospel beyond believers, not only with words, but through the power of our educators’ lives, which must be consistent with the Gospel. Teachers, school heads, administrative staff: the whole professional and educational community is called upon to present faith as an attractive option, with a humble and supportive attitude. The model is provided by Jesus Christ and his disciples in Emmaus (III: 16).
THE OUTSTANDING CATHOLIC LEADER MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE VISION OF THE SCHOOL
The theme of educating to be more rather than to have more permeated the UNESCO Conference – focusing on values and virtues Cardinal Parolin spoke of empathy and teamwork as basic virtues Such basic virtues have enormous implications for staff and students.
THE OUTSTANDING CATHOLIC LEADER MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE VISION OF THE SCHOOL
Some might argue that the UNESCO Forum was articulating ideals from the comfort of a gathering inoculated from everyday challenges at the ‘chalk face’ The maintenance of the balance between school effectiveness and Catholic distinctiveness is easy to exhort in theological and pastoral reflections; it is not so easy to achieve in the daily business of running schools and meeting expectations of key stakeholders.
THE OUTSTANDING CATHOLIC LEADER MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE VISION OF THE SCHOOL
It is essential, however, to maintain such a balance in order to secure the future of Catholic schools In order to achieve this vision it will be important to share the vision and inspire solidarity around the mission This challenge encapsulates the reciprocity and mutuality inherent in discussions between tutors and students on the MA in Catholic School Leadership offered by St Mary’s University Twickenham.
I will end with the iconic swords of The Catholic School 11
‘In this setting [the Catholic school] the pupil experiences his dignity as a person before he knows its definition’ (The Catholic School, 1977: 55).
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