By Alan Murphy
Introduction - setting the context
It is a privilege to be among so many members of the world wide Lasallian community of Christian educators and to have an opportunity to speak to you. I owe a great deal to the De La Salle brothers whom I have known and worked with. I thank them for teaching me about the importance of community, for the inspiration of their educational commitment to the poor and the underprivileged and for the example of their witness as Christians in an ever more secular world. I have also valued their friendship - so generously given. In return for being privileged members of this wonderful community we have the responsibility to carry forward the vision of St John Baptist De La Salle.
"Take much more care of the young people entrusted to you than if they were the children of a king." St. John Baptist De La Salle
It is our responsibility to carry forward the Lasallian values and the values of the gospel which have been handed down to us. We need to take these values as seeds into the school and college communities that we are associated with and to ensure they germinate, take root and grow to support the personal and spiritual development of further generations of young people.
What we write down in our school documents and how we translate our values into school policies is only the start. We could have the most wonderful policies in the world but not be a truly Lasallian school or college. The only thing that really matters is what the young people experience in our schools every day of the school year ñ inside the classrooms and in the corridors and on the playgrounds. If the students do not actually experience the core values ñ for example, the values of love, trust, justice, freedom and hope - then our written policies are meaningless pieces of paper.
What young people, and the adults, who form the school community, experience of this rich mix of values, being put into practice within the community, is usually known as the ethos of the school.
Defining Ethos
It is the quality of the ethos of church schools that often attracts parents to entrust their children to these schools and which attracts teachers to teach in them. A former education minister in this country, David Blunkett, once stated that he would like to find a way of ëbottling the ethos of church schoolsí.
The Catholic school is as good as its ethosÖ..individual schools revitalize themselves and heighten their effectiveness when they regularly revisit their underlying ethos. (John Brick, in Conroy, 1999}
This quote reminds us that the quality of the ethos of a school has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the school as a learning and achieving community. Work to build and develop the ethos thus contributes significantly to the core purpose of the school.
You cannot measure ethos with a ruler or with an examination paper. You can only evaluate the quality of the ethos by using your eyes and your ears. In this paper I will suggest what our eyes should look for and what our ears should listen for, if we are serious about evaluating the ethos of our Lasallian school communities.
The ethos of every school is unique and distinctive ñ no two schools share the same ethos. The ethos of a school is formed from a mix of the past with the present. To create an ethos your require two main ingredients in your recipe.
The first ingredient is ëtraditioní. Telling and retelling the story is one of the main responsibilities of school leaders. How can new generations of pupils or newly appointed teachers or support staff know of the tradition if they do have the ëstoryí passed down to them?
The second ingredient is ëinterpretationí. How is the ëstoryí or the ëtraditioní interpreted to offer an appropriate and relevant framework that will support new people in new times.
To take the ëcooking metaphorí one step further, the visionary school leader allows others to join in the stirring of the mixture of ingredients! In this way the ethos develops a dynamism and all involved ñ students and staff ñ feel a sense of ownership of and responsibility for the ethos. The ethos is therefore not static, but it is dynamic ñ it changes and it develops; rooted in tradition, but responsive to the times and to the needs of that particular community.
Leaders of Lasallian school communities are particularly fortunate. They inherit a wonderful and rich tradition that goes all the way back to the teachings of John Baptist De la Salle. You have a wonderful story to tell. Your responsibility, a very challenging one, is to interpret this tradition and make it meaningful for this new millennium.
Sometimes it is necessary to leave certain aspects of tradition behind.
The ethos within which this vision of education [one which engages with the secular society] is able to live clearly rejects certain past principles which were evident in some Catholic schools that would be hard-pressed to demonstrate a commitment to a belief in the dignity and innate goodness of their students. (Brick, in Conroy 1999)
As a result of this work to create and continually develop the ethos of the school, others will then have a new story to tell and be able to take the mission forward for new generations of Lasallian students and educators.
From theory to practice
It is now time to move from reflecting upon the theory to considering how we might in practical terms help develop the ethos of our schools and colleges and to also consider how we might evaluate any progress that we make.
A good starting point for this process is to reflect upon the set of FIVE AXIOMS OF LASALIAN EDUCATION. Using each as a heading, I will pose questions to enable us to reflect where are schools are now. What aspects of our ethos are strong and vibrant and contributing to school effectiveness and what aspects are in need of retuning? I will share a few thoughts which can be further developed in the workshops.
Axiom I - Gospel Values
ìMy commandment is this ñ Love one another just as I love you.î John 15:12. This is surely the supreme gospel value. Is love at the heart of your Christ-centred community? Does the community discuss what we mean by love in the context of a school community? When we move about the school community, looking and listening, is love for one another clearly evident in the relationships we observe? In the relationships between students? Between staff and students? Between all staff ñ from the headteacher across the school (not down the school!) to those who clean and maintain the premises?
Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its hope and patience never fail. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
If we read the above ñ but, substitute the phrase ëour teachersí for the word ëloveí would this be a true reflection of the way these key members of our school community relate to and work with the young people entrusted to them?
Our teachers are patient and kind; they are not jealous or conceited or proud; our teachers are not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; our teachers do not keep a record of wrongs; our teachers are not happy with evil but are happy with the truth. Our teachers never give up; and their hope and patience never fail.
As well as challenging teachers, the gospel also challenges school leaders. Who do they take as their model of good leadership? The autocratic domineering style of a business leader driving profits up in a competitive world? Or is the predominant leadership style based on the example given to us by Jesus Christ?
If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Romans 12:6-8
Luke also helps us understand Christís philosophy of leadership. Jesus criticises the way the kings of the pagans wield power over their people. He tells the disciples:
But this is not the way it is with you; rather the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down of course. But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 21:24-27
Leaders of Lasallian schools ñ listen to your colleagues! The teachers in our schools working in the classrooms with the children are like those who sit down to eat ñ they are the ëgreatestí members of our school community. Do they recognise Christís model of servant leadership in your day-to-day dealings with them as fellow professionals? Do you offer the support that they need to achieve excellence in the classroom?
Axiom II - Human and Christian Education
Every learner:
If the young people are offered an inappropriate curriculum that is not ëadapted to the needs of studentsí it will be difficult to create the quality of ethos we aim for.
Indicators that the curriculum is not relevant and/or appropriate include an increase in disruptive behaviour. When visiting classrooms look at the expressions on the faces of the children and listen to the responses they give to the teacher. Are they enthusiastic? Do they appear to be happy and to be enjoying their work? Are there opportunities for the young people to take responsibility for their own learning? Is this enthusiasm for learning seen in some classrooms but not in others? Do you ask the children why they enjoy some lessons more than others or why they learn better in some classrooms than in others? Education ministers in this country argue that there is more variation in the quality of teaching and learning within schools than between schools. Do we work hard to encourage the sharing of good practice? Does our training programme include attention being given to the basics. De La Salle recognised the importance of a consistency of approach by finding time to write books of guidelines for teachers:
ëWhen you talk you should try to have a gentle, controlled voice, loud enough to be heard by those whom you wish to speak, since we speak only to be understood. One thing that you must be specially carefully about is to ensure there is nothing in your voice that is rough or sharp or arrogant, no matter who you are talking to.í (The Rules of Good Manners and Christian Civility, John Baptist De La Salle, 1694)
It is as true in the 21st century as it was in the 17th century that a voice raised inappropriately can undermine a carefully constructed ethos of civility.
Are the needs of children with learning difficulties catered for in a way that builds their self-esteem? We are challenged to see the image of Christ in every child we teach. This can sometimes be very difficult but with patience and love even the most challenging children can make progress.
The stone the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. 1 Peter 2:7
Axiom III Teaching as a Vocation
Maintaining the ethos of the school is the responsibility of every member of the school community - school leaders, teachers, support staff and very importantly the students. When new teachers join the school, is the tradition of the school shared with them? Are they ëtold the storyí as part of their induction?
The Director of the US International Centre for Leadership in Education suggests that ëThe world is changing four times faster than our schoolsí. Schools and teachers in all countries are under constant pressure to absorb change and to become ever more effective (and what do we define as effective?). Increased paperwork, greater emphasis on testing and reaching targets can run counter to the professional ethic.
When their professionalism is under threat, it becomes more difficult for teachers to see their work as a vocation. It is often the work that teachers do outside the main professional task that helps to build the ethos of a school. Do teachers see their pastoral role as a rewarding feature of their work, rather than a chore which must be added to the many responsibilities they carry? In the language that is used in the classroom and on the corridor, is there evidence of respect for the individual child? Do all teachers willingly take part in liturgy and in communal prayer, or is this left to the teachers of religious education? Do the staff gather for prayer on a regular basis? Are teachers willing to be witnesses to their own Christian faith ñ for example, by praying with the children in assemblies?
"Today, young people do not listen seriously to teachers, but to witnesses; and if they do listen to teachers it is because they are witnesses." Pope Paul VI, Evangelii nuntiandi, 1976:464
Axiom IV - In and By Association
I found a statement included within this axiom to be particularly powerful:
"Everyone involved in a Lasallian school has a part to play in forming a living educational community based on mutual respect and acceptance of one another."
Do headteachers involve their teachers in decision making and take advice from the experienced teachers? Collaborative leadership is not a new concept:
The work took shape as a result of a lot of careful consideration on the part of the Brothers, especially the more experienced teachers. It was the outcome of experience and consensus reached after weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of years of practice. (La Conduite des Ecoles Chretiennes, Avignon,1720, in Lombaerts, 1998)
We still have much to learn from the example given by John Baptist De la Salle as to how schools should be managed. Indicators of a healthy collaborative approach will include: (a) The presence of an active student council ñ a place where the studentsí views are listened to, respected and acted upon. (b) Parents genuinely accepted as the primary educators, warmly welcomed into the school and actively involved in decision making. (c) An inclusive governing body that is totally committed to the mission of the school.
Axiom V - For the Mission
An impressive feature of Lasallian schools across the world is the time and energy given in the service of others, not only within their own society but through involvement in projects supporting the poor and marginalised in other parts of the world. When there is pressure from government or society to ëimprove resultsí it is easy to neglect this vital work. Yet, involvement of teachers and students in projects which demonstrate practical care and compassion for others is a vital component of the ethos of the Christian school. Is your school still active in this form of work or have the pressures to ëperform academicallyí led to a reduction in attention to this form of vital ethos building work?
In Conclusion
A school can be defined ëby what it teaches, by how it teaches and by the kind of place it isí. The ethos of a school is built upon its tradition, the decisions made about the formal curriculum, the approaches to teaching and learning, and the informal curriculum which helps the school develop as a Christian learning community.
FOLLOW UP IN WORKSHOPS
In the workshops that follow time is dedicated for discussions related to each of the Axioms. You will have the opportunity to discuss the strengths of, and any challenges to, the ethos of the schools and colleges you are associated with.
Addressing the axioms
Action plans
The time we have together is precious. It will be critical for group leaders to ensure each of the questions is responded to in the light of guidance given during the presentations.