Vision 08

Abstract

"Education and, in particular, the role of the Catholic Church in education at all levels, has recently become a topic of intense discussion and debate in our country, both north and south. The urgency of such a debate has been heightened by the growing cultural and religious pluralism in our society. It is in this complex and challenging context that schools must operate. The context prompts new questions and calls for new answers to old ones. Why Catholic schools in modern Ireland? What is the special character of such schools? How do they contribute to society and the educational system of which they form such a significant part? It is against this background that we wish to set out our understanding of the nature and purpose of the Catholic school in Ireland today. In presenting this vision of the Catholic school, we wish to invite a response from those engaged with us in education "(p.4)