Ahead of Education Sunday, 1 February, Martin Rainsford writes about the importance of outreach and social action in our schools.
Our Catholic schools are justifiably proud of their outreach to the community. This takes many forms both locally, nationally and internationally. We know how important our faith is to us and so understand how important belief is to people of other faiths. Visits to places of worship form a natural part of school life, as does participation in multi-faith conferences and taking part in events such as those organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Our schools have long been generous in their fundraising for Catholic charities such as CAFOD and the Catholic Children’s Society. Students’ imaginations know no bounds when it comes to ideas for this. Many students also express their faith through events such as distributing Christmas hampers, visiting elderly people in care homes, putting on music and drama concerts, acting as Red Caps on the Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes and so on.
What is less well known is how active our schools are working outside the Catholic community. Look at the membership of Citizens UK and London Citizens to see how many Catholic schools are involved in leading and supporting action within this campaigning organisation. Catholic students and teachers join with people of all faiths and none to campaign for good government, improved social care, a healthy start for every child, more permanently affordable housing, dignity for families seeking sanctuary, better employment and training opportunities, fair loans through credit unions and a fair living wage for all. Catholic schools excel at this because it is in the DNA of our Catholic Social Teaching.
Many Catholic schools have links with schools abroad through religious order connections or links they have made themselves. Teachers and students collaborate on educational development across international boundaries and such links are one of the joys of membership of the Universal Church.
Getting involved in community action projects is often the way in which many of our young people grow deeper in their faith. This sort of outreach taps into their hearts and minds giving them confidence. Our schools are very good at developing leadership potential in our young people and our outreach programmes form a crucial part of this experience.
We now benefit in this Diocese from the work of Caritas, our social action agency, which identifies poverty and exclusion and finds parish-based solutions to offer practical help. Is now the time for there to be a school-based Caritas network to complement the parish network? Our schools do so much individually, but much more could be possible within a network for sharing and developing our school outreach programmes. There is so much to celebrate and to thank God for.
Martin Rainsford is Headteacher of The Douay Martyrs School and a member of the Diocesan Education Commission.
Martin's is one of a number of articles written for the Education Sunday special in the Westminster Record. Other articles were written by Fr David Reilly on the importance of chaplains and JP Morrision, Director of Education.
