How to avoid ghetto mentality in schools

THIS WEEK parishes throughout the Westminster Archdiocese are getting to grips with the problem of how best to set about tackling the financial crisis faced by the Westminster Schools' Commission. a crisis which has its counterpart in other diocese of England and Wales. Experts have estimated that in Westminster parish contributions will have to show an overall increase of 60 per cent if the entire Catholic schools' programme is not to be allowed to grind to a standstill. Letters have been sent out to the parishes, to governors of schools. and to other interested parties, setting out the hard facts. Westminster Schools Commission is responsible for some 87,000 children at present. Current collections from the parishes are only just enough to service the existing debt. As it is, only about 60 per cent of Catholic children in the Archdiocese are being educated in Catholic schools, but unless additional funds can be raised, and raised quickly, plans now being made for futurs development and expansion will have to be abandoned.
Father Herbert Veal, Chairman of the Commission, says: "There has been plenty of warning that a financial crisis was coming in Catholic education, but it has come sooner than expected, because of inflation and especially th:e soaring cost of land.
"Parishes have their own commitments, of course. and a great deal of money goes out of them to other good causes.
"However, unless there is a 60 per cent increase over current assessments, we shall not he able to have any new schools in the 1975/6 starts list, which is being planned now. Once we refuse starts that are offered to U.S. we drop out of the system, because our schools would fall below the standard of the rest."
Extensive consultation has taken place, with governors, managers, heads. parents, deaneries, deanery councils, sub-commissions and anyone who wanted consultation. Parish priests have reported back to the Commission.
What does the Commission actually do? I talked to Father Veal and Mr. Walter Eller, the Secretary, to find out.
Basically, they told me, their task is to provide schools for all Catholic children whose parents wish them to attend Catholic schools.
"Planning ahead is our first task," Mr, Elfer explained. "Population trends must be forecast, and then we have' to begin negotiations with various authorities. negotiations which often have to be carried on for many years."
Iii order to form a Catholic school, the first necessity is for the Commission to demonstrate that a need exists for a school in the particular area under consideration. It then has to be additionally proved that this need is for a Catholic school.
"Quite often it is more difficult to prove the first. In order to do it, we have to rely on information obtained from the authorities. But from this process flows a stream of goodwill and co-operation with local authorities, local politicians and so on."
Mr. Elfer feels that this effectively disproves the accusation of "separatism" sometime made against those who advocate Catholic education. More ecumenical goodwill flowers from our work than from practically any other work done in the Church," But do all Catholic parents—or even most of them—in fact want Catholic education for their children? Father Veal's answer is emphatic: "Wherever we have been, we have found almost unanimous support for the schools programme to continue."
It is sometimes said that the Commission's concern is only for the concrete—"bricks and mortar". Nothing could be further from Father Veal's thinking: "We are most anxious to build up relations with parents. PTAs and Friends of Schools associations aim at involving Catholic people at large, not just in the building, but in the actual running of the schools.
"More needs to be done about improving the effectiveness,
of our schools and deepening the children's faith. We have a part to play, in that we appoint the governors, who appoint the teachers. The whole character of a school depends upon those who manage or govern it.
"It is, in short, up to us to see how Catholic the schools are. This is the third part of the Commission's task."
But does Catholic education encourage a ghetto mentality? Only, Father Veal believes. when the word "Catholic" is misinterpreted.
"We must be open to outside influences. Catholics do not live in an enclosed community, and we must share our schools and their fiacilities with the local communities in which we live.
"Predictably, the Catholic people who have contributed to the cost of building have thought that they ought to have preference when it comes to the use of premises outside school hours, but I am happy to say that there is a new spirit emerging."
Exemplifying this new spirit is the new school being built in Upper Holloway on the firm understanding with the local borough that the building is to be free for use by all the community. Then there is the old school building in Camden Town, where St. Michael's Church of England school has been joined by Our Lady's Catholic school, Complete with its own Head Teacher and staff. an experiment which is proving an unqualified success. Another school is being used on Sundays by the local Jewish community,
"We are no longer inward looking in the bad sense," explains Father Veal. "We are simply being realistic in preparing children for the life they will have to lead after leaving school, While still maintaining a solid foundation of the faith."
ft has been thought by some people in the past that the Schools Commission did not make sufficient information available about its activities. But when you realise that at Westminster the Commission covers 268 schools, and that it took its present form only eight years ago, its achievements have been considerable.
The Commission is composed of 26people, including three HMIs, parents, head teachers of secondary and primary schools, and members of teachers' associations; in fact, a crosssection of the community.
"The real reason for any lack of communication." says Mr. Elfer, "is that we are the equivalent of an education authority, but we do not have the equivalent staff. Even a small authority would have about 150 personnel."
During the past few years, however, nine sub-commissions have been established within the Archdiocese. These are run by local people—governors, teachers. parents, delegates from the deanery councils, even non-Catholic local authority officers.
Mr. Etter adds: "I have been in Church work for many years. and I can't think of any activity which generates so much goodwill. Catholic schools are not just Catholic children, but they are teachers, governors, ,parents' associations, all the people connected with the school.
"The creation of a schoal is the creation of a new cell of the Church and of the local community, not just a certain number of children gathered together in some box to be taught."
All this having been said, we still come back to the bugbear of finance. What will the extra 60 per cent mean in real terms?
"If an extra 25p. could be contributed each week for every Catholic family in the diocese we should be in the clear,"
says Father Veal. "That does not mean, of course. that we
expect every family to make this increased contribution. Those who are better off might like to increase their contribution by a little more. We are also very much hoping that organisations like the Catenians might consider contributing more. But the overall increase must be of that order."
Perhaps we might finish with a thought from Mr. Eller; "A school can be built only when it is needed, neither before nor after. if we miss it, we miss it."
Maureen Vincent