Abstract

HAMBULO, Farrelli  and  HIGGS, Leonie. Catholic secondary education and identity reformation in Zambia's Southern Province: an outcome of a conflict of educational policy values or not?. Koers (Online) [online]. 2017, vol.82, n.1, pp.1-12. ISSN 2304-8557.  http://dx.doi.org/10.19108/koers.82.1.2279.

This article sets out to reflect critically on the causes of undesired identity reformation that has occurred in Catholic secondary schools in Zambia's Southern Province since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964. This critical reflection is necessitated by the fact that although scholars in the field of Catholic education and the Zambian people acknowledge the presence of undesired identity reformation in Catholic schools, this issue is presented in brief, speculative and indefinite terms. This is against a background where such schools have earned themselves a good reputation due to their provision of quality education to the Zambian people since independence. Catholics and other people concerned with the welfare of Catholic education have started to express their discontent with the identity reformation experienced by Catholic schools. This article, therefore, critically engages with Carmody's (2007) contentions regarding the causes of undesired identity reformation in Catholic schools and relates them specifically to Catholic secondary schools in Zambia's Southern Province in order to verify them it is shown in this article that Carmody's contentions are not relevant in explaining the causes of undesired identity reformation in Catholic secondary schools in Zambia's Southern Province As such, in stating the nature and the scope of the undesired identity reformation in Catholic secondary schools in Zambia's Southern Province, the article highlights four genuine causes of undesired identity reformation. These four genuine causes are linked to a weakening of the "academic" and "religious" missions of Catholic schools, which contributes to their loss of Catholic education identity as recommended in Catholic education policy.

Keywords : Identity; Catholic; academic; religious.

        · abstract in Afrikaans     · text in English     · English ( pdf )