National Catholic Convention 2024

Kia ora e te whānau

I am currently at the National Catholic Convention in Wellington. What a privilege to be here after a hiatus of six years due to the disruption of the pandemic. Our team of five staff with the addition of Head Student, Isaac Tili, and Special Character Prefect, Beatrice Schonwald, are enjoying the opportunity to reflect, learn, and network - all under the conference theme of Tūhono Whakapono, Together One Faith Community. Our Dunedin Diocese delegation of about sixty educators, as well as Bishop Michael, clergy and the Diocesan Catholic Education Office staff, is contributing to the approximately 700 delegates from around New Zealand.

We have been treated to some excellent keynote speakers. Dr Sandra Cullen (Dublin City University, Ireland) reminded us in her keynote speech of the importance of curriculum delivery in our Catholic schools that goes well beyond the words and unit plans and delivery of content. The richness of storytelling, the linking of content with experience, story, and often a pastoral, gospel values response, is what real learning is made of; and I am sure you will not be surprised to read that I absolutely agree with this, and consider that this is something our Catholic school educators do so well.

I was reflecting on a piece of writing during the weekend that talked about the world we are now living in, where having an opinion and voicing it, is no longer respectfully accepted. Social media, journalism, and the backlash from various groups in society, has caused people to shy away from voicing opinions. ‘Cancel culture’ and anonymous trolling on social media have stopped many from sharing their views – even in ‘real life’ in case they are quoted online - in order to encourage discourse. In having respectful discussions and debate where there doesn’t have to be a right and wrong at the end of it, is becoming a lost art.  We are in danger of becoming a very narrow minded and divided society – we don’t want that for our children, so our role in curriculum and in the general school environment is to ensure we bring pastoral, tolerance, and values based conversations strongly into all aspects of learning. It was refreshing to have Dr Sandra Cullen remind us of the following:

Education invites people into a conversation with differing viewpoints, differing truth claims and differing versions of what it means to be religious, to be educated, and to be human

I think Catholic schools do this well. Critical analysis and debate within a respectful values-based foundation is surely the way we want to develop young minds. I am grateful to all our teachers who continue to ‘do the extra’ expected by teaching in a Catholic school, and I am grateful to our parent community who support us to continue this important work.

Ngā mihi nui