Catholic School Research Paper

The Catholic school has been a staple in the Australian education system for over 175 years (NCEC, 2016). During this time we have not only seen a change in Australia’s society and views but also the way in which Catholic schools conduct themselves. At its core, a Catholic school will uphold the values and lessons taught in the bible but with ever changing times the way in which they teach these lessons will change. This essay will explore the aims of a Catholic school and the role of a teacher in these schools, it will address the real life challenges face by Catholic schools and potential solutions to these challenges and finally it will explore the notion of Children’s spirituality and how we, as future educators, can nurture that spirituality

A Catholic school will “seek to provide a high-quality academic and vocational education for all their students, challenge students to discover God, emphasize personal and social development as fundamental enduring values and requirements in an ever-changing world and will utilize students’ experience as the basis for developing a synthesis of faith and culture, and of faith and life.” (NCEC, 2016). Furthermore many parents choose Catholic schools for particular reasons in a video clip, parents discuss why they chose the Catholic education for their children, these reasons

As stated in the Vatican document The religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School “Future teachers should be helped to realize that any genuine educational philosophy has to be based on the nature of the human person, and therefore must take into account all of the physical and spiritual powers of each individual, along with the call of each one to be an active and creative agent in service to society.” (Baum, 2017). A teacher should not shy away from the difficult lessons, or from students who may struggle with their faith as it is part of an adolescent’s development, it is also these struggles that promote intellectual and personal development as supported with the following: “Intellectual development and growth as a Christian go forward hand in hand. As students move up from one class into the next it becomes increasingly imperative that a Catholic school help them become aware that a relationship exists between faith and human culture.” (Baum, 2017) Essentially, the role of the teacher in a Catholic School is to guide their students in their own spiritual journey, making sure not to impose their own views and beliefs onto those students. While all teaching methods are important and contribute to the development of students, it is the religion teacher that plays