1. Catholic School Ethos Today By Joseph McCann
‘Improving our Aim’
Catholic School Ethos Today
By Joseph McCann

2. Leadership and ethos
“… without energetic, focused and wide-ranging engagement by leadership, ethos cannot be initiated nor continued.”

3. 3. Schools Compared Four points of comparison Leading to Ideal Types
Reference
Relationship
Purpose
Product
Leading to Ideal Types

4. Ideal Types of Max Weber
“Ideal Type” is meant to clarify concepts
It is not an “ideal” meaning “unreal perfection”
But “idea-al” meaning “embodying an idea”

5. The Religious School Religions establish schools for religious reasons
Religious reasons lead to educational reasons.
Different religions have different reasons.

6. Educational approaches of the major religious traditions…

7. Educational approaches of the major Christian traditions…

8. Catholic Education The Word and the World reveal God
Faith and works redeem Christians
Church and School are linked closely

9. The Christian School Reference: Church Relationship: Communal
Purpose: Redemption
Product: Disciple

10. 4. Christian Schools Compared
Five Christ-Culture Relationships (Richard Nieburh)
Four Modes of Religious Presence (Hartford Research)

11. Five Relationships of Christ with Culture
Against Culture
Within Culture
Above Culture
Paradox with Culture
Transforming Culture

12. Christ Against Culture

13. Christ Within Culture

14. Christ Above Culture

15. Christ in Paradox with Culture

16. Christ Transforming Culture

17. Four Modes of Religious Presence
Activist Presence
Evangelist Presence
Sanctuary Presence
Civic Presence

18. Activist Presence

19. Evangelist Presence

20. Sanctuary Presence

21. Civic Presence

22. Activist -Service - Diakonia

23. Evangelizing- Proclaiming - Kerygma

24. Sanctuary- Worship – Leiturgia

25. Civic - Celebrating Community - Koinonia

26. Five Types of Christian School Ethos
Fundamentalist School
Serving School
Proclaiming School
Worshipping School
Community School

27. Fundamentalist School
Christ Against Culture
Discourage media values
Little ecumenism or collaboration
Religious lessons drawn from secular subjects

28. Serving School Christ transforming Culture
Stress on justice and equality issues
Social outreach for school and pupils
Critical interest in politics and history
The Serving School reads the signs of the times and seeks to transform policies and structures from the social justice perspective. The aim is to show the face of Jesus the Good Shepherd within the school community, reaching out especially to those in greatest need.

29. Proclaiming School Christ in Paradox to Culture
Explicit Witness in public
Stress on religious formation
Emphasis on explicit voluntarism
The Proclaiming School will be very clear about its counter-cultural nature. Students and staff will be in no doubt about the challenge presented to their assumptions and ideas by the values of the Gospel. The school will be very upfront about its religious distinctiveness and the practical implications of maintaining such as stance.

30. Worshipping School Christ Above Culture Place and time for liturgies
Sacred art and music stressed
Retreats and reflection / prayer promoted
The Worshipping School is typified by the Catholic school with a strong emphasis on liturgies and para- liturgies, other rituals and symbols. Acknowledging and honouring God in a variety of ways in an underlying theology.

31. Community School Christ within Culture Acceptance of cultural values
Ease with national politics
Stress on school climate and pupil development
The Community School exists in reasonable harmony with its surrounding society and sets a high priority on a strong sense of community. An underlying philosophy is a reinforcement of the status quo, and Catholic values are seen as an enhancement of good human relationships

32. 5. Exploring your School Ethos
Proclaiming?
Worshipping?
Serving?
Community?