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IMPORTANT SURVEY
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND THEIR VALUE
In the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Education, Gravissimum Educationis, the Council Fathers asserted four rights :
- that of all persons, “since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, [who] have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal, their ability, their sex and the culture and traditions of their country, and also in harmony with their fraternal association with other peoples in the fostering of true unity and peace on earth” (GE 1, see also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations, December 1948);
- that of children and young people “ to be motivated to appraise moral values with a right conscience, to embrace them with a personal adherence, together with a deeper knowledge and love of God” (GE 1);
- that of parents “who have the inalienable right and duty to educate their children [to] enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools… according to their conscience” (GE 6);
- that of the Church “freely to establish and conduct schools of every type and level” (GE 8).
In accordance with the instructions of the Catholic bishops following the Restoration of the Hierarchy, the building of Catholic schools assumed the highest priority; these were built with conviction and considerable sacrifice by ordinary parishioners. Since the enactment of the 1944 Education Act, the Church in England and Wales has worked in collaboration with Government to provide Catholic education within the maintained sector precisely in accordance with these rights.
Members of the Association of Catholic Women have, among their founding, fundamental concerns, the Catholic formation of their children and grandchildren, in which Catholic schools, in partnership with families and parishes, play a key part. It was this concern that led us to establish our Primary School Essay Competition, now in its 8th year (this year sponsored for the first time by the Catholic Truth Society).
The recent publication by Bishop O’Donoghue of Lancaster of his diocesan plan for education, Fit for Mission? Schools together with the lively public interest it has aroused, provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the place of Catholic education in our national life. To that end, ACW have compiled the brief survey which follows, and we warmly invite all those in England and Wales with an interest in Catholic education to complete it. We hope that the results of this survey will help to inform the current debate.
Please help us by completing the survey — it should only take a few minutes.
Complete the Survey online click here http://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=932d6f71-30c5-4499-a9c2-1ad318aec652
The survey was created with eSurveysPro.com
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