Catholic colleges urged to preserve identity

By a Staff Reporter
The Catholic Teachers' Federation, at its autumn meeting has urged that the identity of Catholic colleges of education should be preserved.
In a statement this week the CTE says that the colleges should retain their autonomy "in the appointment of staff. selection of students and design of curricula . . .,so that they can continue to supply Catholic teachers, as many have done for a hundred years, even though
they may diversify their interests."
They ask the Catholic Colleges Planning Group to take eight factors into account in any reorganisation needed to meet the Department of Educetiou and Science's decision to reduce the number of teachertraining places, in line with the falling school population. • "The overriding consideration," says the ,CTF, "must be to provide an ade quate supply of teachers of high quality to meet the needs of the Catholic schools in England and Wales. Piecemeal solutions may militate against this.
"Many of our schools, particularly in the secondary sec tor, employ non-Catholic teachers, and in accordance with the hierarchy's recently published Memorandum on Appointments, they will need to be replaced gradually by Catholic teachers.
"When colleges are obliged to accept federation, safeguards
to ensure the autonomy of the Catholic body in such matters as the appointment of principal and staff, selection of students
and construction and status of courses within the college should be explicitly written into any agreed constitution.
to property and sites, held by Catholic Providing Bodies, should not be surrentiered to any newly-formed institute. Care should be taken to ensure that schemes for diversification of courses should not mean that the main purpose for the existence of our colleges — the training of Catholic teachers — becomes of secondary importance.
"Sympathetic consideration and support should be given to members of the staffs of colleges who may be displaced as a result of reorganisation, and priority should be given to these when vacancies occur in other colleges.
"A reduction in intake could mean higher standards being required of students seeking entry. Absolute priority should be given to Catholic students.