The first Sunday of Lent (February 26, 2012) is an opportunity for Christians to prepare for Easter by the traditional means of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This valuable tripartite approach keeps the 'whole person' focussed on the approaching celebration in a spirit of recollection and concern for the good of others. Christian schools will play their part in this mission by making special efforts to engage their pupils in the riches of the liturgical season and assist them to be ever more aware of the demands which Lent places on the Christian. It is right that this should be so. Children are fully part of the life of the Church and benefit from the challenges of a 'big project' like Lent.
While schools which are not rooted in the Christian tradition are less likely to highlight the importance of Lent as a liturgical season outwith any Religious Education lesson, I would suggest that all schools need a reflective space in which to re-evaluate their mission as a community of educators. While the term 'secular Lent' is an oxymoron, there remains a need for some form of retreat from the front line of teaching and the burden imposed by often pointless paperwork. While the Christian teachers return to their Scriptures and the wisdom of Tradition for inspiration, all teachers can return to the history and philosophy of education in order to evaluate contemporary policies and practices in the light of the shared intellectual streams of the past.
