The de-Catholicising of the curriculum in English Catholic schools

Abstract

This article offers a critical policy analysis of the curriculum within English Catholic maintained schools. It highlights one of the policy challenges faced by the Catholic Church in England, that is to say, the reconstruction of a ‘Catholic’ curriculum. Drawing on the author's research it outlines the historical context of policy development in regard to the curriculum in Catholic schools, both in State legislation and Church policy, noting the contradictions and pragmatic difficulties in arriving at such policies. It proceeds to articulate a view of the assumptions and principles underlining what might represent the goals of a ‘Catholic curriculum’ based on Church teaching. This is contrasted with the secular context and liberal ideology that dominates modern schooling in England. The article reviews the realities of current practice in curriculum policy development in Catholic schools and contrasts these with some international examples of good practice. It argues that the curriculum in English Catholic schools has effectively been de-Catholicised through a process of internal secularisation. It concludes that today's typical English Catholic school curriculum is almost indistinguishable from its secular counterpart and that increasingly those who teach in and attend Catholic schools have no particular commitment to the official vision of Catholic education.