Children as spiritual beings or future contributors to the market economy? Challenges and dilemmas for Catholic education

This article explores a challenge faced by contemporary Catholic Education systems. On the one hand is the necessity of educating and preparing students for a globalised twenty-first Century society, and on the other, the importance of recognising children and young people as spiritual ‘beings’ who show adults the moral and spiritual conditions that are essential for entering into the Kingdom of God. Noting that Catholic education is concerned fundamentally with a synthesis of culture and faith, and a synthesis of faith and life, this article proposes and explicates a conceptual model comprising the elements of ethos, environment and curriculum that may assist Catholic schools in addressing this challenge.