Introducing Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care

• reflects what we believe about the human person
• involves everyone
• is about creating a network of care which pervades every facet of school life
• responds to the developmental needs of people in the school community
• is about relating to one another more creatively
• is not satisfied with the mere outward niceties of social etiquette, but goes beyond these to the substance
of a spirituality of communion amongst members of the school community
• is about bringing “abundance of life” to fruition
• embraces an attitude that says “we are a school where everybody is helped to grow”
• requires of teachers not simply the teaching of a school subject, but also a commitment to travel the second mile of “making a difference” in the lives of children
• begins with everybody agreeing on principles which underpin Pastoral Care, such as, “Every individual is made in the image of God and will be treated as such,” “We strive for the common good,” or, “We are a caring community”
• emphasises quality relationships
• transforms whatever is found to dehumanise people or break them down
• is experienced when members of the school community interact positively to make positive choices about life
• directs the energies of the school towards unlocking people’s giftedness and becoming all that they can be

Pastoral care requires support structures for people who have particular needs. Some learners may be victims of bullying; others may be failing all their subjects; while others may be struggling to make friends. Outside school learners may have been victims of crime, their family life may be shattered, or they may be suffering from the impact of HIV/AIDS.

The staff may be divided into factions. In class teachers may have to deal with disruptive and deviant behaviour, and they can be overwhelmed by the demands of their stressful jobs.

Realities like these, if left unattended, can make a school dysfunctional. Pastoral Care puts systems and programmes in place which take in hand these issues.

Pastoral Care is integral to the ethos of a Catholic school. Pastoral Care is the face of ethos.

Pastoral Care programmes

Direction Statement 4 of the National Catholic Schools Congress, and the Policy Document on HIV/AIDS and Life Skills Education of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, stress the need for all Catholic schools to implement Pastoral Care programmes. We can assist your school in putting such programmes in place - contact us today!