CECV Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project: Visit of Professor Didier Pollefeyt and Mr. Jan Bouwens
During the week of 23 August – 27 August Professor Didier Pollefeyt vice Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven) and Mr Jan Bouwens visited Melbourne to report on the progress of the Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ECSIP). Reports were presented to the Victorian Bishops, to the CECV Board, to the Project Steering Committee and to Victorian Parish Priests, Canonical Administrators and Principals.
The reports focussed on the results of the latest surveys, undertaken in May 2010 with 72 schools involved and which provided representative data on Catholic schools in Victoria. Professor Pollefeyt also reported that:
Support for Catholic schools is very high compared to other results overseas
About 10% of students surveyed strongly supported a “traditional” view of a Catholic school identity while about one third no longer support their school’s Catholic identity.
At least 40% of students surveyed are looking for their schools to enter into dialogue with them about Catholic identity.
Professor Pollefeyt also reported that:
The research instruments have been reworked, shortened and refined; testing indicated that they are robust.
The ECSIP Research Platform is operational and will be read to use independently by July 2011, when it will be able to be used by individuals and schools, providing individual and group research results.
An article on the basis of the research will appear in International Studies in Catholic Education (Oct 2010) and a major final report is being prepared for the end of July 2011.