Education-in-faith: a lifelong journey

Catholic education is committed to the ideal of furnishing minds...the paramount concern of the Catholic teacher is not just the transmission of facts, but the formation of persons: formation, not just information.

- Cardinal Thomas Williams, Archbishop of Wellington

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The formation of conscience and values begins in early childhood and continues for a lifetime. The church community supports education for all levels and all ages.

Primary / Secondary Catholic Schools

Catholic schools aim to teach children how to live in the best way possible rather than just how to earn a living.

The Mission of the School

All aspects of a Catholic school, the academic work, the relationships, the priorities, the aims and objectives, the pastoral care and disciplinehave the potential to speak of God's loving care for each person involved in the school's life. - NZ Catholic Education Office

Where is Catholic Education going?

National Strategic Plan 2006-2010

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Young Catholic Students

"We young Catholic New Zealanders should take an almighty pride in our kiwi family, in our Maori and Pacific Island heritage, and latterly our new immigrants from Asia. Because we live in such a new and democratic society we should be open, trusting, friendly, welcoming and faithful. All of this being the common denominator, along with the Catholic character, taught in our Catholic schools."

- Student, St Bede's College, Christchurch

"At my college, St Catherine's, we are taught what it means to live by Christian values. We are given a history of the Catholic Church and the religious communities that have helped to form our school. This knowledge helps us to understand and appreciate why it is important to practise our faith, and to be people of evangelisation.

There is a very strong emphasis on social justice. We are encouraged to participate in various special character events. Two of the events that involve the whole school are Mercy Day and Mission Day. These days encourage us to look to the needs of others in our community. For example, we have students visiting local retirement homes, cleaning up headstones at the cemetery and participating in social justice workshops. Respect for each other is a cornerstone of our Catholic College. The small size of our college helps in creating a family-like atmosphere. Barriers between year levels are broken down through vertical forms and because the seniors look out for the Year Nines, in particular. This helps to create a culture of care for each person.

I know that I am going to leave the school having a deeper appreciation of what it means to be Catholic, and the values that have been instilled in me will be a contributing factor in the decisions I make throughout my life.

- Student, St Catherine's College, Wellington.

The Catholic School in the Third Millennium

"The future of the world and of the Church belongs to the younger generation. Thus the Catholic school aims to offer young people the means to acquire the knowledge they need in order to find a place in a society which is strongly characterised by technical and scientific skill. But at the same time, it aims, above all, to impart a solid Christian formation."

- Congregation for Catholic Education 1997:
The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium

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