Back to School 2012

Across the world, schools, colleges and universities are returning to their mission of teaching and scholarship. The sense of renewal which affects educators at this time reminds us that good education is itself a process of on-going renewal of the human person in the light of the wisdom and traditions which we have been privileged to receive. As educators, despite the often dazzling mountains of forward-planning documents around us, we do not yet know what this academic year will bring: education, thankfully, is full of surprises. What we can do, however, is to constantly seek excellence in our profession, both in the 'grand' schemes and in the minutiae of daily life. Most of all, let us treasure the opportunity we have been given to help young (and not so young) people in their integral formation. This is how we can  - and should - make a difference.

'Taking Education Seriously' has not published over the summer months. Normal service is now resuming. Many heartfelt thanks to all who consult this blog and send me their comments and thoughts. I wish you all a good 'academic' new year.

Pope Benedict XVI: Education as the Shaping of Hearts

In the seven years of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has offered to all people the fruits of his lifetime’s scholarship in areas such as liturgy and the relationship between faith and reason. He has travelled widely and spoken to diverse audiences about the role of religion and belief in a plural society. For this he has been both applauded and contradicted.

What is less apparent is his growing engagement with educational matters. Indeed, of all recent Popes he is the one who shown the greatest solicitude for the welfare of both schools and institutions of higher learning. (See this blog’s post of January 2, 2012). This should not surprise us as his interest in philosophy leads naturally to an interest in education - itself a branch of philosophy. As has been noted previously, Pope Benedict’s interest is not limited to the affairs and workings of Catholic schools but extends to all modes of education.

His recent address to some American bishops is a case in point. There is much here which, unsurprisingly, refers to expressions of Catholic identity in education. Within these wider thoughts, we catch once again rich and valuable glimpses of his broader educational philosophy emerging from comments which are rooted in the context of the Catholic mission of education:

‘… the essential task of authentic education at every level is not simply that of passing on knowledge, essential as this is, but also of shaping hearts.’


The authentic secular educator recognises the truth of this statement. It is a safeguard against expressions of schooling which have an inordinate focus on preparation for work, exam results, school league tables and the gaining of national and international awards. Pope Benedict reminds us all that education which is not heartfelt is no longer an education but has become a rude and mediocre system of human training for mechanistic ends.

Finally, I read into this extract the following message to Catholic schools: keep on reforming your ways of working, avoid the rush to seek approval from the agencies of the state and, most importantly, see your school as a ‘sign of contradiction’ to educational philosophies and practices which are not aligned to the Catholic worldview.

Do you believe in a tolerant society? I do!

One neuralgic issue for all schools today is how to address the question of  marriage in Religious Education lessons and other school activities. Certainly those in favour of changing the traditional understanding of marriage as between one man and one woman (henceforth ‘marriage’) have largely succeeded in fighting the battle on the territory they have chosen. Supporters of marriage have constantly to respond to accusations that they are promoting attitudes which promote backwardness, bigotry and intolerance. It is clear that the issue of marriage is becoming enmeshed in wider arguments about the role of religious ways of thinking in a secular society.

The UK press tends to give a reasonable hearing to both sides of the argument. A recent article and associated comments in the Guardian exemplifies the mindset of some of those who wish to redefine marriage. Another article in the Telegraph (written by an atheist) states the case for Catholic schools to teach from a Catholic position and explains why Catholic schools will always support and teach the value of marriage.

What is of concern is how the state will deal with schools which cannot assent to the proposed new definitions of marriage  - assuming it ever becomes law.  I refer here principally but not exclusively to Catholic schools. Although we are often told that we live in a plural society, the Guardian article above is testament to how far we have to go to achieve a genuine pluralism in the UK.

This issue will be in the news for a while and educators are once again in the front line.

Revisiting Jacques Maritain’s 'Education at the Crossroads'

A classic but often neglected work on education is the French philosopher Jacques Maritain’s Education at the Crossroads. This short and readable volume is based on a series of lectures given at Yale University during the Second Word War. Maritain made no attempt to disguise his attachment to Catholic philosophy and proposed a carefully nuanced vision of education based on Catholic anthropology which would be of value to all who have an interest in good education. As such, he is both a Catholic philosopher of education and a philosopher of Catholic education…

The book merits careful reading as a whole but some brief sketching of its lines of argument can be helpful. Maritain joins the philosopher Hannah Arendt and the historian Christopher Dawson in identifying a cultural crisis in education. For Maritain, education is the process which makes the person fully alive. Wisdom is the key to good life and, for Maritain, there is danger in reducing education to the teaching of sets of skills without a clear focus on the moral and human development of the human person. Maritain’s curriculum for a liberal education (Chapter III) is hence a plan for a study of the ‘great achievements of the human mind’: philosophy, theology, classical literature and poetry are all there - although he courts controversy by not including Latin, Greek and Hebrew in his proposals.


In modern times, Pope Benedict XVI has drawn on similar ideas to diagnose an ‘educational emergency’ in the west. For all of these profound thinkers, an education system which is not rooted in the fertile stream of tradition is one which lacks the vital resources needed in order to nourish the young generation. Education which does not look beyond the teaching of skills and aptitudes is no longer education but training.

A final thought: the authentic educator should be an agent of both conservation and change in education; the authentic educator does not simply ‘deliver’ a curriculum designed to meet the perceived needs of an economic system; the authentic educator simply educates.

What can we do to steer our education systems back on to the firm rock of tradition?

Palm Sunday 2012

As the Christian liturgical calendar journeys through the great ceremonies of Holy Week and  Easter, the educator does not and cannot stand by in disinterested observation. There are rich and profound educational lessons here which sit alongside the rich and profound theological mysteries of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The secular world celebrates the 'spring festival' and watches in wonder as nature comes alive and new life bursts into the gardens, fields and valleys of our land. The Christian too rejoices at these signs of  'new life' and uses these propitious moments to proclaim that the human spirit and body can be renewed no matter how tough life can be. This theme of renewal and hope should not, of course, be unique to the Christian. All of us can look beyond the confines of our own memories and experiences and find in education the key which unlocks the potential within us to live an authentically human life.

Good education offers a new life of hope for those who have been beaten down by the scourges of materialism and family breakdown.

Good education opens our mind to the great thinkers of the past and allows us to draw inspiration from their works and words.

Good education allows students and teachers to look to the future with a joyful hope which is not enclosed by the fear of failure and the search for an undefined 'relevance'.

Good education helps to break down the barriers of unjust discrimination, sectarianism and narrow-mindedness. These vices flourish in a sea of ignorance but cannot resist the light of wisdom.

The important role of the educator cannot be overestimated. Let us all truly take education seriously.

To read or not to read...

The Rev. Peter Mullen is one of my favourite commentators on the state of the Christian religion in the UK today. He often roams into other topically 'hot' issues and his latest blogpost on the teaching of reading in England is characteristically - and enjoyably - bombastic. The Rev. Mullen takes aim at a recent report by OFSTED (the Inspectors of Education in England) which seeks to lay much of the blame for the poor literacy standards in English schools at the door of inadequate use of phonics in the teaching of reading. Peter Mullen's argument (in brief) is that OFSTED’s attempt to improve the use of phonics will do little or indeed nothing to remedy this drastic situation.


The Rev. Mullen uses his blogpost to criticize fiercely the aggressive politically-correct ideology of modern state education.  He describes vividly his memories of education as a boy in post-War England. The model of literacy and schooling which the young Peter Mullen was fortunate to experience has fallen victim to the same ideology which has sought to rid our education system of the riches of the broader cultural inheritance of the west in its Christian-inspired literature, art and music.


OFSTED should be commended for its advocacy of phonics. If only OFSTED and other state agencies were to see that a return to the study of the ‘great books’ of the west would go someway to healing the wounds of modern education.

Lenten Thoughts

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.