Catholic Schools Office
Archdiocese of Pretoria and 
Diocese of Johannesburg

 
Congress Statements

   Second National
 Catholic Schools
 Congress

Vision Statement

Gathered at the Second National Catholic Schools Congress, representing all those involved in our schools who faithfully carry out the call to educate, we rejoice in the great advances that our young democracy has made. However, we acknowledge with pain that the communities in which we minister remain in need of healing. Ours is a society where poverty and social pressures bring despair, family life is changing, HIV/AIDS ravages our children and adults, and disparity between rich and poor is increasing. Conscious that our schools also experience these realities, we are impelled to respond with urgency and compassion.

Jesus Christ has shown us the way to happiness and freedom from all that prevents us from being fully human. Catholic schools, as part of the Church’s evangelising mission, bring the gift of this wisdom to the world. We are called to share what we have been given, pointing prophetically to the need for justice, solidarity and the affirmation of the dignity of all, especially the "little ones". With boldness, we will continue to proclaim Jesus' way of love, compassion, solidarity, forgiveness and service. We will search together for truth and meaning, for clarity of purpose and responsibility, trying to live and teach Gospel values with faithfulness.

The primacy of the poor should be a particular concern. We will affirm and support our schools as communities of care where each person's worth is nurtured. Created in God's image, all people have a claim on the common good.

Reliant on God's providence, we reverence God's presence in us and among us. We give thanks for the contribution already made by our schools to the common good, and we greet the possibilities of the future with joy and hope.  

Direction Statements

Direction Statement 1

As Catholic Schools with Christ as our centre, we commit ourselves to continue his mission to build God’s Kingdom through:

   Nurturing the holistic development of each person

   Formation of the whole school community in the Catholic ethos

   Pastoral care within the school community and beyond

   Promoting closer collaboration between the school and the Church  
  (diocese and local)

   Welcoming all who are in harmony with our ethos

   Meaningful liturgical and para-liturgical celebrations

Direction Statement 2

Having been challenged prophetically by the social, economic and political situation in our country, we commit ourselves to:

   Solidarity with the materially poor

   Being present to and supporting the spiritually poor

   Sharing our material, spiritual and human resources

   Recognising the primacy of the poor through implementing
  empowerment initiatives

   Addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its consequences

   Describing, living, maintaining and evaluating our Catholic ethos on an
  ongoing basis

Direction Statement 3

Acknowledging that within our Catholic education network there are schools with an abundance of resources and those with limited resources – human and material – we commit ourselves to share our resources and put them at the service of those in need.

Direction Statement 4

Aware of the needs in RE and other curriculum programmes, including activities which reflect the ethos, we urge that:

   Pastoral care programmes, especially services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty, be developed in all Catholic schools

   Schools commit themselves to appropriate training of Religious Education teachers, and the involvement of the whole school community with regard to curriculum and pastoral care

    Religious Education not be compromised by the implementation of Life Orientation

   Religious Education activities and celebrations be relevant to their social context

Direction Statement 5

Desiring to ensure uniformity, quality assurance and maintenance of standards in the teaching of Religious Education, we recommend:

   The implementation of the National Religious Education Policy for Catholic
  Schools as approved by the SACBC

   The formation of a Professional Society of RE Teachers

   That links be made between all Catechetical structures

Direction Statement 6

Aware of the need for quality teaching and learning in Catholic schools, we urge schools to implement quality management systems with the assistance of the CIE and Umalusi through the provincial education departments where appropriate.

Direction Statement 7

The quality of Catholic schools is dependent on the awareness and internalisation of the Catholic ethos. Mindful of the need for transformation in many of our structures and the ongoing formation of all members of the school community, we recommend effective formation programmes for parents, educators, Schools Governing Bodies (SGBs), Boards of Governors (BOGs) and School Leadership/Management Teams.

Direction Statement 8

Conscious of the importance of a responsible implementation of the Deeds of Agreement for Catholic public schools on private property, we urgently request that owners, education department officials, School Governing Bodies, School Management Teams, educators, trade unions, parents and others involved in our schools, be aware of the requirements and provisions of the Deeds and the responsibilities of all stake holders.

Seeing that some Catholic schools on private property still have PTO (permission to occupy) status, and cannot sign the Deed of Agreement, we propose that affected schools receive assistance from the CIE and CSOs to have PTO status converted to Title Deeds.

Direction Statement 9

Aware that we need to speak with one voice, in order to avoid misunderstanding and confusion, we will:

   clarify the names, functions and responsibilities of all structures in the
  Catholic education network

   develop appropriate policies regarding ethos, roles and responsibilities
  and education department requirements

   clarify appropriate levels of accountability for Catholic education
  structures and schools

Direction Statement 10

Recognising that the State makes funding available for education, we call on the State to renew its funding policies and to make provision of State funding to ensure accessibility and sustainability of all Catholic independent and public schools.

Congress Plenary Session

The Pretoria Delegation

Cardinal Napier opens the Congress

Keynote Speaker Fr Roderick Salazar 
Chairperson of Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines spoke 
on "The Spirituality of Communion"

Bishop Dowling of Rustenburg speaks on the socio-economic situation in South Africa, using principles from Catholic Social Teaching to guide our vision and strategy

Attentive listeners

Voting on the Congress Statements

Closing Mass

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PRETORIA AND THE DIOCESE OF JOHANNESBURG
PRETORIA w Jolivet House, 140 Visagie Street w PO Box 8149 Pretoria 0001 w Tel 012 326 5311/365 3146 w Fax 012 325 3994 w E-mail  helenea@lantic.net
JOHANNESBURG w The Haven w St Vincent School for the Deaf w Jellicoe Avenue, Melrose w PO Box 2635 Saxonwold 2132 w Tel 011 447 9219/9211 w Fax 011 447 9129 w E-mail  neil@cso.za.org