British schools are a laboratory ” “of multicultural integration, but also beset by ” “the disaffection of teachers who ” “urge a radical shake-up” “
“Basic primary and secondary education available for everyone; the inclusion of all the religions and nationalities”: these are, according to Father Peter Humfrey , national adviser for education and catechesis of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, some of the peculiarities of the British educational system. But in recent weeks the system has been rocked by crisis: most recently lecturers and personnel at 40 further education colleges held a strike on 5 November to press for higher salaries. We put some questions to Father Humfrey. What are the assets of the British educational system? “Basic primary and secondary education available for everyone; the inclusion of all religions and nationalities; a coherent nation-wide system of education based on the national curriculum; wide opportunities for the enrichment of school curricula with extracurricular activities, such as sport, culture, community service and travel”. Are there proposals for reform? “The reform of the educational system is a continuous process. The most burning issues concern inclusion: the objective is to succeed, by 2010, in sending to university 50 % of the students who complete secondary schooling, and a general improvement of schooling and literacy”. What’s the contribution of the Catholic schools? “There are some 2500 Catholic schools in the UK, most of them secondary schools. Many of our pupils are also Moslems. In north London, for instance, there’s a Catholic school where Moslems now form 47 % of pupils. People appreciate the efforts being made by our schools to guarantee inclusion, equality, multiculturalism… In any case, in the English educational system the teaching of religion must be non-confessional; it must cover all the religions and is obligatory to the age of 16”. How are schools and universities funded? “Catholic schools are funded by the government and by the local authorities. We enjoy a certain independence thanks to the Education Act of 1944, through which we pay 10% of the main costs. There are no Catholic universities in the UK. We have five Catholic colleges, each affiliated with a secular university and financed by the government. The Catholic schools, like those of the other confessions, are free and hence ‘public’ and enjoy almost total independence in appointing teachers who are technically ‘employed’ by the bishops and are usually Catholics or close to the Church”.
