CATHOLIC EDUCATION – EXAM QUESTIONS

**2 hours and 10 mins

Part A – 2 short answers, ABC, paragraph format – 20 marks
Part B – 3 essays, choose 2, essay format – 30 marks

1. The foundational aims of Catholic education compared to today

The catholic school was set up because:

 They wanted a system that educated the poor.
 Originally education was for wealthy and elite- parents responsibility to educate children
 Boys were educated
 Teaching was a lowly occupation

Early aims of establishing catholic education:

 To teach the Catholic Faith (Religious Education)
 Develop a Catholic culture and identity (Religious identity)
 To help students rise from material and spiritual poverty
 To make a contribution to society
 Read write and have faith
 Accessible

They were more respected and successful for public schools and then rapid expansion of Catholic schools
lead to todays’ aims:

Aims of Catholic schools today:

 Due to signs of the times- the mandate has revaluated the vision of catholic schools today
 Because everyone has to go to school, its an alternative option (independent, state, catholic)
 Teachers are seen as professionals now
o Catering for children of all social classes, racial and ethnic backgrounds and geographical
locations- not just practicing Catholics
o Evangelisation
o Developing the holistic student
o Christ is the foundation of teaching
o A good school/ education
o Informal curriculum
o Gospel Values

Reasons for mandating catholic schools

 Catholic schools are important means through which the Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ
or evangelises, in the world today
 Catholic school assist parents who wish to develop their children as Christian men and women
  Through catholic schools, we seek to foster a Christian mentality in our society and to encourage
young people to contribute more broadly to the development of the kind of word envisaged by Christ
 Catholic schools offer a genuine educational choice in our pluralist society
 Catholic schools can serve as models for all with Western Australia who seek to create genuine
communities

2. Life and history of Jesus Christ

Why is this important for Catholic schools?

WHO
Who was Jesus?
 Son of God – carpenters son
 Son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon
 Jewish
 Messiah – the anointed one
Who did Jesus serve
 Humanity
 Kingdom of god

WHAT
What was Jesus’ Mission
 He went around the whole of galilee
o Teaching in their synagogues
o Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom
o Curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people
o He delivered his message through witness and word
What did Jesus teach about the Kingdom
 Kingdom of God; Turn your back on sin and return to god
 Kindness, Faith, Forgiveness
 Love God, promises Gods forgiveness (showing compassion for sin)
 Taught through parables – “word and witness”

WHERE
Where did Jesus carry out his ministry?
 Begins with his baptism in the country side of the Roman Juden and Transjordan near the river, but
ends in Jerusalem
Where did the apostles continue Jesus’ work?
 Creation new testament (Mathew, Mark, Luke and John)
 Through the church
  50 days after he was raised Jesus met with all his apostles and sent them into the world to spread
the good news of the kingdom

WHEN
When was Jesus active in his ministry?
 3yrs
 According to Luke – Jesus began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign
 According to John’s gospel - Jesus attended at least three annual Feasts of Passover through the
course of his ministry
When did the apostles receive the mission to continue Jesus’s work?
 Mark – first gospel – 60’s-70’s
 Mathew – 70’s-80’s, Luke – 80’s, John – 90’s

WHY
Why did Jesus try to change the way people thought about God?
 Give new understandings
 Encourage a group undergoing difficult trials and persecutions
 Taught passion
When did the Jews reject Jesus’ teaching?
 Wasn’t a conqueror/ruler – no power
 Didn’t think he was the true messiah

HOW
How did Jesus show he was from God
 Word
 Witness (actions)
How did the apostles react to Jesus
 Followed him on his journey

3.Explain teaching as a job, a profession and a vocation and how they apply to a
catholic school

 To understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ passed on through the Catholic Church
 To build up and contribute to the culture of a Catholic school
 Up-to-date spiritual and religious formation
 To commit to the ideals and objectives of Catholic schools
 To appreciate and value the Catholic vision of the human person
 To work to integrate faith, culture and life in all they do

Teaching as a job

 Demonstrate commitment to an “Attentiveness to the Life-Giving Presence of God” through:

 o Nurturing actively his/her own faith commitment and personal development
o Contributing to the on-going formation of the school as a faith centred community with the
Eucharist as its centre and Christ as its model
o Helping students to integrate faith and culture in their daily lives in the light of the Gospel
message
o Participating actively in the development and realization of the school’s own vision and
mission
o Being sensitive to each student’s religious, social and cultural background and affirming the
richness of this diversity
 Demonstrate commitment to Ministry within the Church through:
o Teaching the Word in scripture and tradition
o Witnessing as part of a community of faith, hope and love
o Worshipping through prayer and liturgy
 Demonstrate commitment to a “Place of Learning” through:
o Educating the whole person
o Recognising developmental stages and individual differences
o Providing a relevant curriculum within a Catholic context
 Demonstrate commitment to a community of care through
o Facilitating their personal growth within a holistic approach to education
o Developing and promoting cross cultural awareness to improve educational outcomes for all
students
o Involving all members of the school community in educational decision making
o Nurturing, through positive relationships, the values of compassion, respect, forgiveness and
reconciliation
 Demonstrate commitment to an “Inclusive and Outreaching Culture” through:
o Building partnerships with students, parents and the school community in an effort to
enhance an inclusive, outreaching and multicultural community
o Infusing multiculturalism, diversity and inclusiveness throughout the schools mission, values,
goals and culture
o Supporting students and their families in the creating of opportunities for cross cultural
exchanges and expression
 Demonstrate commitment to Continuous Improvement through:
o Responding to the contemporary demands of a changing world
o Participating in action and reflection to inform educational priorities and processes
o Contributing to life-giving relationships

Teaching as a profession
 Specialised knowledge and skills (Degrees, Doctorates, etc) not an amateur
 Quality pre-service education
  A career path with identifiable steps along the way
 Appropriate and equitable salary for high-quality service
 Opportunities for professional development
 Collaboration with colleagues
 A degree of autonomy and accountability
 Ongoing professional learning
 Within the Catholic tradition, a professional teacher is one who helps to form human persons

Teaching as a vocation – vocation – to call

 Teachers in Catholic schools are called to perform a specific service (‘ministry’) within the Church
and that is – to educate young people.
 Teachers in Catholic schools are called to be good news (‘evangelise’) through our behaviour and
relationships within the school.
 Teachers in Catholic schools are called to nurture their students in discovering their life-calling
(‘vocation’) from God, the source of their deepest happiness.
 Your vocation is an integral part of how God is redeeming the world. One lesson plan or school yard
conversation at a time.
 Your vocation draws out of you the skills and talents that God wants you to use. It also allows you to
‘draw forth’ the goodness and possibilities inside your students.

4. How do you get across the gospel values/ religious dimension in to your teaching
area

What features are evident in an effective Catholic school

Physical education is an integral part of the education process. Its primary concern is the physical
development (basic motor development, physical fitness and sport-skill development) of all the students. It
promotes this development through the use of well-planned physical and classroom activities. Elementary
physical education programs incorporate activities deigned to facilitate and enhance the basic physical
development of the child. The teaching of physical education in the Christian school has a strong biblical
foundation. God is interested in the body as well as the soul. He himself indwelt a human body in order to
reveal himself to and redeem mankind.

Through a carefully planned and supervised program of physical education, the Christian student can grow
in godliness. He/she can become more like god in his moral and spiritual character and more useful to God
as a result of improved physical habits and skills. Regardless of his physical abilities, he can learn to excel
in stewardship, sportsmanship, friendship and leadership – qualities that reflect the character of Gods and
enhance the service of God

Including physical education into education imparts more than academic knowledge, it promotes wellness,
and provides a portal through which students see a clear picture of Christ, his love for them, and and his
plan for optimum living. It fosters a balanced development of the whole person to prepare them for earthly
service and heavenly citizenship. These carefully developed physical education standards are a practical
tool to assist teachers in focusing their instruction so that all students embrace the biblical-based
understanding of the body and soul as one—the temple of God, explore the connection between physical
activity and optimum mental health that leads to analysis and application of lifetime habits of fitness, well-
being, and moral power of choice.

 Sportsmanship – Caring for others and taking care of your self.

 Inclusion – getting everyone involved
 Its about being a good sportsman for all (the team) and not the individual
 Physical activity for good health
o Nourishing and cherishing the body consists of providing it with proper food, rest and exercise
 Gospel values – fairness, rules, respect, sportsmanship, knowledge
 Taking care of yourself as an individual
 Community involvement and clubs

5. Pastoral care in a Catholic schools – how is it incorporated

Meaning of Pastoral
 Emotional and spiritual support described in our modern context as support for the needs of others
in life’s journey of pain, loss and anxiety, and their triumphs, joys and victories.
 Pastoral care in a catholic school Means enhancing the dignity of each person within a Catholic faith
community.
 Latin 'pastor' means 'shepherd‘
 Throughout the Bible, the word shepherd is used to describe the relationship between God and
people
Where it is applied
 From the moment they join a Catholic school community, students should learn of their value as
human persons.
 Every aspect of the school’s life should reflect a Christian pastoral dimension.
 The pastoral care and attention students receive from all within the school community should help
students to realise that they exist ‘for God to love’ and that they will deepen in their experiences of
God’s love as they love God in return.
 The pastoral dimension of a Catholic school needs to include the mutual care and support staffs
demonstrate both towards each other and for their students.

Why we need pastoral care

 The pastoral relationships established with students, especially with those who have little other
experience of the Church community, is a sign of God’s presence and purpose in Catholic Schools
 The health and wellbeing of students is increasingly being attributed to school conditions, school
relationships, means of fulfilment, and health status (Konu, Alanen, Lintonen & Rimpela, 2002).
 Direct Link between health and wellbeing and positive learning and life outcomes.
  Emotions can facilitate or impede children’s; Academic Engagement, Work Engagement,
Commitment and ultimately school success.
 Effective mastery of social and emotional competencies is associated with greater wellbeing and
better school performance

Who is responsible for pastoral care

 Everyone involved in Catholic Education.
 Pastoral Care Policies needs to be developed considering the unique needs of it’s own students
and community.
 Pastoral care needs to be infused into every aspect of the school’s ministry.
 Quality leadership underpins Pastoral Care Policies & Programs, which need to be regularly
monitored and reviewed
 All members of the school community must understand their role in Pastoral Care and commit to
ongoing professional development and training for the whole school community.

6. Why is the Mandate Letter from the Bishops of Western Australia considered an
important document that should be understood by all tea chers in the WA Catholic
education system?

What is in the Mandate:

 Sets out how the Catholic Education Commission, Catholic Education Office and Catholic school
communities are to operate.
 Provides a vision of how Catholic education is to be implemented in WA.
 Uses theological and educational documents from the Vatican to outline and justify the vision of
Catholic education in WA.
 Outlines the roles and responsibilities of all people involved in Catholic schools.
 Highlights challenges to be faced and overcome for the next 6 years.

Meaning of the mandate

 Missioning – the washing of the feet the “mandatum”
 The great commission coming from the command to love and serve one another.
 The Mandate shares our vision for Catholic schools in our dioceses with all who serve the Church
within the Catholic school system.
Why is it an important document?
 Values the work of catholic schools
 Connects catholic schools to the to the life of the church and belief in Christ
 Outlines the roles of all involved in catholic education
 Explains that catholic schools and all who work in them are signs of ‘gods presence and purpose’

What does the Mandate say about the Bishop’s reasons for Catholic schools?
 Support parishes in their responsibilities towards these parents
  Offer a genuine educational choice in our pluralistic society
 Encourage young people to contribute to …a Christian mentality within society
 Promote justice, particularly towards those who are disadvantaged
 Demonstrate the Church’s commitment to the dignity of the individual
 Serve as models for all within WA who seek to create genuine communities, based upon shared
commitment to the common good

What do the bishops say about teaching in Catholic schools?

 Are important means through which the Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or
evangelises
 Contribute to the development of our young through education
 Assist parents who wish to develop their children as Christian men and women

7. Challenges for Catholic schools and possible responses

What are the 5 key challenges?

 Intersection points between compliance issues and authentic Catholic identity
 The relationship between the Catholic school community and the ‘birth-to-death’ tradition of Catholic
education
 The theological and philosophical underpinnings of curriculum in Catholic schools
 Promotion of the concept and experience of work as vocation
 Self-care for leadership and staff
How is the sector responding to these challenges? What else could the sector do to respond?