The special character of Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand became a key feature of Catholic education at the time of Private School Conditional Integration Act 1975. At that time Catholic schools and other private schools who chose to integrate could become part of the State education system, while having the assurance that its Special Character, reflected through its teaching and conduct, would be protected and safeguarded.
Catholic educators need to continually ask how is the vision of Catholic education handed on through tradition, being upheld within the reality of church and school life today. Above all Catholic schools must be excellent schools, providing highly effective teaching and learning where young people come to know about the teachings of Jesus Christ and are inspired and challenged to practise their Catholic faith on a daily basis.
The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education in the document The Catholic School (1977)1 emphasises that teaching and learning in a Catholic school means meeting the total educational needs of all students. Susan O'Donnell (2001)2 states that to ensure that Catholic school culture preserves its special character, it is essential that the content of its founding tradition is fully integrated with the daily life and activity of the school. The Catholic school must be more than an educational institution - it is a community of faith.
In 2003 the New Catholic Bishops' Conference developed and introduced a process for the Review and Development of Catholic Special Character of Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. This process is based primarily on the schools' self-review systems validated by an external audit every three or four years. As this has been implemented across the country, the focus has gradually moved from an earlier summative 'check list' model to an increasing formative approach based on a self-review cycle i.e. gathering data, identifying areas for development, implanting an annual action plan, monitoring and evaluating the improved outcomes, and the next steps for development.
The present system is based on a high trust methodology. Surveys and interviews for both internal and external reviews predominantly provide positive feedback, acknowledging and valuing the great things happening within the Catholic school community. While this type of affirmative feedback is usually well deserved, it can be argued it is largely subjective and does not always provide useful factual information for the continuous improvement of the organisation. For authentic self-review to occur there also needs to be a mechanism, anonymous if necessary, to allow all stakeholders including staff, parents and students to express their personal voice confidentially, without fear of identification or recrimination.
This next level of the self-review process is intended to build on the existing system by providing a more objective approach to data gathering. Genuinely seeking answers to key questions and engaging in open professional dialogue is the foundation of a quality self-review process. School leaders must be open minded and discerning, determining what is worthwhile information and acting on it, to help grow the organisation and improve the quality of teaching and learning and Catholic education for all young people in their schools.