Catholic schooling - a crisis revisited: a discussion of the key challenges confronting catholic schools today in the light of their history with particular reference to county Durham

Since the Second relief Act of 1791 the Catholic Church in England has placed exceptional reliance upon its schools to ensure the continuation of the faith. Throughout this period the Church hasdisplayed an extraordinary ability to adapt to, and equal, the external challenges that have consistently confronted its schooling policy. The various manoeuvres that it has been forced to make over the past 200 years provide testament to its resolute resistance to the potential loss of control of its schools; Without doubt the manner by which the Church has responded to past challenges has had a profound effect upon the nature of Catholic schooling today. Under close examination it becomes evident that many of the issues that currently dominate today's education debate have existed throughout the last two centuries and remarkably, while the Church has persevered with its schools policy, it has failed to determine any real schooling philosophy. The Church authorities at both national and local level have been so engrossed with meeting the demands of external threats that no clear vision or coherent policy has emerged and consequently much confusion remains as to the purpose and nature of Catholic schooling today. Despite all the sacrifices and advances made, recent government legislation bears the potential to provide the greatest challenge yet to the Church's policy while raising a serious questionmark against the very continuation of Catholic schooling. In this study I shall attempt to explore the key influences that have shaped the development of Catholic schooling and to examine today's crisis in an historical perspective as illuminated by the educational advances made by the Catholic community within Durham county