Because it has experienced a process of secularisation for more than three centuries, France can be considered as a laboratory of the relevance of faith in a society for which it is no longer the cultural matrix. By showing how the central question of secularisation is in fact that of the relationship between faith and culture, this article…

According to Church statistics, 6.9 million children were enrolled in Catholic primary and secondary schools in Europe. Enrolment has remained relatively stable over the last 40 years in comparison to other regions of the world, contributing to education pluralism. This may be in part because in many countries, Catholic and private schools benefit…

Jesuit schools, in particular, have been known for a long time to be centres of learning in Chotanagpur area, India, where tremendous efforts were made to achieve a high level of academic excellence; yet it appears that this legacy is not being sustained among rural, tribal, vernacular schools of Chotanagpur these days because of varied reasons.…

The Congregation for Catholic Education is a part of the government of the Holy See. The genesis of this Dicastery can be traced to special commissions created by the Roman Pontiffs for maintaining vigilance over the universities in Rome and other educational institutions in the Papal States. A general overview of the history of the Congregation…

This paper explores some of the ideas expressed in or associated with the work of Don Lorenzo Milani and the School of Barbiana and discusses them in the light of the teachings of the gospels. It draws out the implications of these ideas for a critical education in the Christian spirit. The focus throughout is on Christian education for social…

Pedro Arrupe was concerned about the growing attitude in which the vocation of humankind is understood as making oneself the centre of the universe, fearing that it has infiltrated into education and schools. Consequently, he set out to counteract this egoistic mindset by propounding an approach to education rooted in justice tempered with faith,…

The Church brings us an encounter with Jesus and offers us an invitation to faith. It proclaims Christ's words of truth and life. This article seeks to explore the depths of these realities in the context of our culture, our society--a world not always prepared to hear and accept the message. It is precisely this context that has evoked the call…

The current development of national curriculum in Australia provides significant opportunities and challenges for the country's 1700 Catholic schools. This article considers the growing interest in the nature of Catholic curriculum from an Australian perspective, at a time of national debate about curriculum. It also offers a case study of the…

This article is an attempt to highlight some main themes in the "International Handbook of Jewish Education", which may resonate with themes that are pre-occupying Catholic educators, and which may help Catholic educators understand some of the pressing issues and concerns of Jewish educators and Jewish education. Its intention is to…

Catholic educationalists frequently have to wrestle institutionally and personally with the dilemmas posed by competing theological positions expressed by the magisterium and professional theologians. Many are left bewildered about what to teach and communicate on important matters. This article deals with the characteristic emphases expressed by…