The catholic school as a safe harbour

The catholic school as a safe harbour

In Flanders more than 70 % of the children follow their lessons in catholic schools. This arouses some envy with the non-confessional institutions, who do not hesitate to mention the contrast with only 10% church attendance.
People seem to trust catholic schools. They refer to the quality of education and the high level of formation.
I myself have been thoroughly formed in catholic schools, and I am very happy about it. Nevertheless I cannot deny the great difference between my days and nowadays.
Therefore it is of great importance to think about this question: how can we stay a school with a catholic-christian character?
The catholic school as a safe harbour
Boys and girls lead a life full of attractions, with plenty of chances and challenges. This makes it difficult for them to find any stability, to make correct choices.
There is lots of confusion in these young minds. Add to this stress in families, broken families, new family combinations.
Consequently the school may offer a safe harbour and a context of stability. Stability which is given by correct and just rules. It is clear what is possible and what isn’t. Structure.
Stability which is given by a consistent pedagogical and educational practice. Guidance.
Stability which is given by the quality of the teachers, the ideas they pronounce, the coaching they offer. Content.
For some pupils living in precarious situations the school may be a place of protection.
Structure, guidance, content. We expect teachers in a catholic school to be coaches of the youngsters that are trusted to them. Learning them a lot, obviously, but respecting them in the first place.
The catholic school as a space for spiritual growth
In our schools we not only want to communicate knowledge, though this the main goal. Teachers have a growing feeling for spiritual growth for themselves and by all means for their pupils. The school and the catholic school for that matter is for many of them the only place where spirituality is an item. This is all the more true for Christian spirituality.
It is our duty to speak about Christ, to let the young know and understand Gods message as is becomes clear in the gospel. This is a special challenge for those who are not teachers of religion.
Our mission statement speaks about growing in inner life: realizing one does not only live from bread alone and learning the art of cherishing spiritual hunger.
It also mentions preparedness: developing the power to say yes or no and living up to it. In a society that invites us to immediate gratification it is valuable to be able to wait and desire.
The catholic school as a room for ethical consciousness
A school is a place where lots of people live together for an important part of the day. Young people, older people, all with different characters, backgrounds.
This may create difficulties, but foremost it offers challenges. Our mission statement mentions 4 domains: growing in morality and honesty, growing in respect and modesty, growing in relationship, responsibility.
Growing in morality means knowing the difference between good and bad an living up to it.
Respect and modesty: respecting oneself and others, respecting the work and the goods of others, respecting nature. Tolerance and respect for people of other cultures
School may help young people grow in relationships; teachers may learn patience, learn to listen attentively and speak respectfully, learn to solve conflicts in a human way.
Of foremost importance is promoting responsibility. Responsibility for one’s own behaviour, of course, but also learning responsibility for what happens in the world. Developing solidarity with people who are poor and downtrodden, developing responsibility in calamities that happen all over the world.
The catholic school as communio
As much as local communities disintegrate, due to the mobility of the people, schools are being challenged to become ‘temporal communities’. For many youngsters it is the place where they meet and exchange with friends and people of the same age. It is the environment where the exchanges their sorrows and joys, their confidentialities.
In moments of great joy, of deep distress the school may offer a pastoral environment. In this pastoral environment there is room for celebration, there is room for mourning. In this way a catholic school may create a kind of parish.
The catholic school as a passage way
Nevertheless, a school is a passage. Young people are there for a limited number of years.
Through what they learn, through their experiences with each other they discover a good way of life, they exercise attitudes, they experience forms of spiritual life, they feel human kindness and care. And hopefully they are inspired by their teachers who practice the spiritualty of Jesus Christ.
I want to conclude with some words from our mission statement.
In our school we want to live up to the Christian faith and tell about it.
The consequence of the Christian faith is that we want to become sources of joy and hope for other people. . We want the word of God to happen, we want to honour his Name.
The realization of God’s realm means doing well for one another, free and cordially. The Christian way of living requires doing more than is asked of us, aspire a great form of servitude. The radicality of the gospel stimulates us to be critical as well as constructive in society.
Our school wants to contribute to the education of present day Christian people: people who behave as Christians in a pluralistic world, conscious of their qualities and respectful towards others.
For those who do not share our belief, we think we can offer a sensible contribution: educating them to people-of-good-will, who can think and speak about the world of the Christian with insight and knowledge of Christianity and are prepared to work together to realize a just and good world.

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