The Holy See’s Congregation for Catholic Education has recently issued a letter on Catholic education, examining the nature and role of religious education in Catholic schools.  This letter affirms and consolidates the values and practices already evident in Catholic schools in England and Wales. 

Oona Stannard, Chief Executive and Director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CESEW) said: “I welcome the opportunity to reiterate that Religious Education plays a central and vital part in the curriculum offered by Catholic schools.  This letter highlights the mission of the Catholic school to educate the whole person and we know from our experience that Catholic schools embed this principle throughout the life of the school community.” 

The Congregation identifies that Catholic families have a right to a Catholic education in accordance with parents’ convictions.  “Catholic schools work closely with parents as the first educators of their children, to ensure that the Christian ethos and distinctive identity of Catholic schools is promoted and protected at all times”, said Ms Stannard.  She also welcomed the acknowledgement in the letter that the Catholic school should be open to all who want to share its educational goal inspired by Christian principles, emphasising that, where spaces are available, families from other backgrounds already benefit from the specific ethos and values offered by Catholic schools to those who want a Catholic education for their children.

Ms Stannard welcomed the emphasis on the role of the teacher in the letter: “teachers in Catholic schools collaborate effectively with parents and wider community to promote community cohesion and to provide an education that prepares students for the fullness of life as well as academic study”, she said.

ENDS

To contact the CESEW please call 0207 901 1900.

Notes to Editors:

• Independent data from Ofsted shows that students in Catholic schools do better in terms of behaviour, social, moral and spiritual development and parental involvement in the school.  It also shows that Catholic schools are more ethnically diverse than other schools.   (See Quality and Performance: A Survey of Education in Catholic Schools, 2006 http://www.cesew.org.uk/temp/QualityspamspPerformancesp-spAspSurveyspofspCatholicspSchools.pdf ).
• Bishop Malcolm McMahon, Chairman of CESEW, recently commented on the letter from the Congregation in a pastoral letter to schools at the start of the academic year. His letter, and the letter from the Congregation, may be downloaded by clicking on the links below.