The relationship between the Catholic school and the parish in the diocese of Rockhampton: A case study

The research project sought to gain initial information about the perceived purpose of Catholic schools from the perspectives of the administration teams in the diocese of Rockhampton.

Catholic schools were first established ever one hundred years ago; society, Catholicism and parental expectations have changed over time. This study aims to inform future planning by the major stakeholders in Catholic education in the diocese of Rockhampton, to attempt to provide the most suitable educational structures to meet the demands of contemporary society. “It seems reasonable to suggest that the resolutions to some of these third millennium challenges confronting those with the responsibility of leading Catholic schools is unlikely to be found within a nineteenth century paradigm” (Leavey, 1993, p. 9).

As the study is concerned with the perceptions of Catholic school administration teams, case study was selected. The research focussed on three areas: - The perceived purposes of the Catholic school.
- The changing role of the Catholic school today and it’s relationship to the parish.
- The changing roles of the parish and school.

The study concluded that families are not as closely associated with parish structures as they were in the past, and that many families are becoming more involved in school activities and rejecting those offered by parishes.

Staffs of schools are increasingly being expected to perform in roles for which they are not trained – counselling is the most predominant activity. The only experience of church for a large percentage of school families is the school.

If you are the author of this work and have concerns regarding the content. Please contact [mailto:LibResearch@acu.edu.au] Library Research Services.