1. Effective Catholic Schools
1.1. 15 000 hours of children's lives spent at school from Year 1-12.
1.2. Dr Marcellin Flynn identified that schools do have an impact on children's achievement outcomes. Research published in 1985, 1993 & 2000
1.3. Educate Students
1.3.1. Transmission
1.3.1.1. Emphasis on mastery of a subject or skill.
1.3.1.2. 'Back to Basics' approach
1.3.1.3. Only now part of what we do as teachers
1.3.2. Transaction
1.3.2.1. Emphasises the interaction between teacher, curriculum and learner
1.3.2.2. Learning by doing/working together
1.3.2.3. Effective and rewarding approach
1.3.3. Transformation
1.3.3.1. Involves the development of the whole person/learner
1.3.3.2. Person centred education
1.4. Catholic Vision
1.4.1. Committed to the development of the whole person
1.4.2. .
1.4.3. Being good role models and offering experiences. Nothing is forced.
1.4.4. Development of the spirit. As well as head, hearts and hands.
1.4.5. Relationships: Ourselves, all of life, others and God.
1.5. Process
1.5.1. All the experiences and opportunities for learning
1.5.1.1. Formal Curriculum
1.5.1.1.1. Program of lessons
1.5.1.2. Informal curriculum
1.5.1.2.1. Out of school activities eg. Camps, excursions, liturgies.
1.5.1.2.2. Climate/Ethos
1.6. Outcomes
1.6.1. Religious Development
1.6.1.1. 'Religion arises from people in their attempt to give meaning and significance to their lives and hopes by referring them to the divine' (Flynn, 1985 p. 199)
1.6.1.2. 'Religion is the reaching out of men and women towards God in oder to provide meaning to the most fundamental questions they face in life' (Flynn, 1985 p. 199)
1.6.1.3. Practice
1.6.1.3.1. Developed in the home, strongest influence on students' religious practice. Parents set example.
1.6.1.4. Commitment
1.6.1.4.1. School has strongest influence, through RE curriculum
1.6.1.5. Church
1.6.1.5.1. RE curriculum has strongest influence on attitudes towards the church
1.6.1.5.2. Also associated with experiences in the home and parish.
1.6.1.6. Morality
1.6.1.6.1. Home is where values are learnt
1.6.1.6.2. RE curriculum has secondary effect on the development of values.
1.6.2. Academic Achievement
1.6.2.1. Schools INFORMAL CURRICULUM expressed through climate/ethos has the strongest influence of students' level of achievement.
1.6.3. Personal Faith Journey
1.6.3.1. RE curriculum/school has highest influence
1.6.3.2. Home environment has second major influence
2. Influences on Parents Choice of a Catholic School
2.1. Around half of families at Government and Catholic schools have middle levels of occupational status (Beavis, 2004)
2.2. About 20 per cent of families at Catholic schools have both parents with a degree (Beavis, 2004)
2.3. 21.6 per cent of Catholic school families with an annual income of $ 100 000 or more (Beavis, 2004)
2.4. Parents with students in a Catholic school, discipline, the religious values of the school, the traditions of the school and the requirement of wearing a school uniform were considered important (Beavis, 2004).
3. Accreditation
3.1. Need to present, explain and justify the christian message from the Catholic POV.
3.2. All teaching staff at Catholic school in WA are required to attain one of two levels of accreditation within the first 5 years of employment.
3.3. Must follow RE program mandated by the Diocesan Bishop.
3.4. Must be baptised to the Catholic Church to teach RE.
4. Catholic Language
4.1. 1.2 Billion members of the Catholic Church
4.2. Structure of the Church
4.2.1. Diocese – geographical or organisational unit under the pastoral care of a bishop.
4.2.1.1. 28 dioceses in Australia
4.2.1.2. 4 dioceses in WA
4.2.1.2.1. Archdioceses of Perth
4.2.1.2.2. This is the Dioceses I grew up in. Father Michael was my parish priest, prior to becoming Bishop. Father Michael baptised me.
4.2.1.2.3. Dioceses of Geraldton
4.2.1.2.4. Dioceses of Broome
4.2.1.2.5. Dioceses of Bunbury
4.2.2. Bishop– the leader of a ‘diocese’
4.2.3. Parish – a local church/ community within a ‘diocese’
4.2.3.1. Lead by a preist
5. Catholic Schools
5.1. Funding
5.1.1. 25% Parents
5.1.2. 25% State
5.1.3. 50% Commonwealth
5.1.4. Catholic Schools spend $11 079 per child
5.2. Gonski Report
5.2.1. Increase in funding needed. Funding should go to Government Schools as they have the most disadvantaged students.
5.2.2. 27 Different agreements made nation wide