Pring@MDCCE
The Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education was honoured to host Professor Richard Pring (Emeritus Professor of Educational Studies, University of Oxford) on Monday 8th April for a public lecture on ‘Faith schools in a secular society’. The lecture was eagerly anticipated and much appreciated by around eighty people who joined us for the evening.
Prof Pring brought those who had gathered through the experience of faith schools in England, particularly Catholic schools, highlighting key issues reflected on in his recent very well received volume, The future of publically funded faith schools: A critical perspective (Routledge, 2018). Prof Pring sought primarily to engage his audience in a conversation about how the issues addressed might be similar or different in Ireland and contribute to the national conversation here.
After some reflection in twos and threes a wonderfully rich commentary emerged from the floor. Questions put to the speaker provided an opportunity for a sustained engagement around many of the issues concerning those involved in Catholic education in Ireland today. Prof Pring’s warm personality, his humour, the erudite nature of his commentary, and his experience in education over a lifetime, meant that in his responses he encouraged a full sense of what the faith school can seek to achieve and the inclusive nature, ideally, of its contribution in society. By the end of the evening there was a sense of optimism that the right questions are being asked, that faith schools have something special to contribute, and that Catholic education has within itself something significant it can continue to offer to the flourishing of the individual and the betterment of society.
Prof Pring commented on the quality of the conversation which he enjoyed thoroughly, saying he could have stayed all night talking to so many interesting people. He also noted the number of those attending who had completed or were working on doctorates in religious education and Catholic education and commended the work of MDCCE.
We were delighted to have been joined for the evening by the President of DCU, Prof Brian MacCraith, the executive dean of the DCU Institute of Education, Dr. Anne Looney, by Archbishops Richard Clarke and Michael Jackson, by the President of Marino Institute of Education, Prof Teresa O’Doherty, the General Secretary of the JMB, Mr. John Curtis and many more.
As one of the attendees, Dr. Bernadette NíAingleis, wrote afterwards: ‘The evening with Prof Richard Pring was a delight, so inclusive, encouraging and inspiring.’