DIOCESAN POLICY FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE LIGHT OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING (GOALS/OBJECTIVES)
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether and to what extent the texts of selected diocesan policies for Catholic schools corresponded to selected concepts in contemporary Catholic social documents. It compared the policies of seven diocesan policy manuals for elementary and secondary schools as regards mission and objectives, community relations, diocesan and local administrators, personnel (principals, teachers, and local support staff), and students. It examined these policies in accord with three categories drawn from Catholic social teaching: person as subject, integral human development, and responsible participation. Relative to person, the study examined whether and to what extent the policies recognized and fostered persons as subjects acting on their own behalf and not as objects acted upon by others. As regards integral human development, it examined the policies for expression of those human rights and duties charted in Pacem in Terris (1963, nos. 11-27). And for responsible participation, the study analyzed the policy text for evidence that persons were expected to participate responsibly in the decisions that affect lives and not be merely compliant and passive. The study found that (a) the policies were not wholly comparable from manual to manual nor fully equitable among personnel groups within a manual and (b) the policies on the whole did not significantly correspond to the categories drawn from Catholic social teaching. It therefore recommended that diocesan educational communities assess the stated mission and objectives of their institutions in the light of the teaching on person, integral human development, and responsible participation and reformulate inclusive and equitable, though differentiated, policies for all groups of persons in the educational community. This study is significant because it seeks to initiate a discussion of the complex issues of structural justice in diocesan policy. By probing the social teaching in relation to policy, it has provided some insight into diocesan policy as social policy and into the school community as social institution.
Subject Area
School administration
Recommended Citation
MORAN, MARY LOUISE, "DIOCESAN POLICY FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE LIGHT OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING (GOALS/OBJECTIVES)" (1986). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8624496.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8624496
