1. Canadian Province (John van den Hengel, scj)

1. Introductory Remarks

a. Since 1996, the three North American Provinces have undertaken discussions regarding collaboration among them. This report intends to show how in part this collaboration is reaching some tangible results. We have decided to present our report together, because, in several aspects, the educational situation in Canada came to be because of the unique interaction of the inhabitants of Québec and Ontario, the two provinces in which most of the work of the SCJs in Canada has taken place. This report is, therefore, an introduction to the educational situation in the two Canadian entities: Canada français and English Canada.

b. Canada belongs to those areas in the Western world where there has been a measurable decrease of influence of Christianity upon culture. It manifests itself in the increased disaffiliation with the institutional forms of Christianity and in the loss of coherence of the Christian story for those who call themselves Christians or Catholics. According to the data of the most recent census, of the population of 31 million people in Canada, 12 million indicate that they are Catholic. Of these 12 million 7 million are French Canadian and Québecois(es). However, the participation rate lies somewhere in the range of 25 -- 30%. For youth the participation rate is between 16 -- 20%. As in other Western countries, religion has become more and more a private affair or it has been transferred into the realm of spirituality.

c. Also Canada has suffered a decline of the number of religious men and women. At their height there were more than 45.000 religious in Canada. Most of the religious in Canada lived and worked in Québec. But their presence in the other parts of the country was equally noticeable. The average of age of Canadian religious today is around 72 years. It is estimated that by the year 2015 there will be only 1350 active religious left. A few new religious communities have emerged. These tend to be neo-traditionalist. But their number is small. It is difficult to interpret these events. Some see it as the death of religious life. Others see this in line with a downward cycle in religious life as happened previously in the history of the Church in the Middle Ages and in the 17th century. Others, again, see it as a time for the emergence of the laity, following the redefinition of the Church by Vatican II.

d. Whereas Catholic schools in Canada, until the 1960s, were run by religious congregations, the presence of religious in Catholic schools and education has been drastically reduced. Religious are now only minimally present in the Catholic institutions of education. Considerable effort is presently being given to educating laity for positions of leadership in Catholic education. Whether religious still have the power, charism, energy or insight to influence the new generation of lay christians with their particular charisms is one of the great challenges today.

2. The school question in Canada

When the regions of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Upper and Lower Canada (the present provinces of Ontario and Québec), became confederated in 1867, religion and the school question played a major role. The main actors in the negotiations were Upper and Lower Canada. Québec (Lower Canada) was staunchly Catholic. It insisted that no confederation was possible without a protection of French language and religion. Because of unexpected alliances of power between the Catholic majority in lower Canada and Catholic minority in Upper Canada and other influential groups it was determined -- in order to achieve confederation -- that in a confederated Canada there would be two systems of education: a Catholic and a Protestant one.

The Constitution of 1867 (the British-North America Act) created two publicly funded educational systems that have remained in force across Canada -- until recently. Because of immigration, secularization, linguistic policies, political realities, the Catholic -- Protestant divide could not be maintained. In Quebec and Ontario the majority school boards (the Catholic board in Quebec and the Protestant board in Ontario) became the boards that absorbed most of the students who did not fit in either category. These boards became the pluralistic, a-religious public boards, while the minority boards (the Protestant board in Québec and the Catholic board in Ontario) became known as separate schools -- even though they remained publicly funded. In Québec this religious division between the two boards had become more a linguistic divide inasmuch as the Catholic board was francophone and the Protestant board became principally an anglophone board. With the decline of the power of the Catholic church in Québec, the government has sought a constitutional amendment allowing it to re-organize their schools along linguistic lines.

In Ontario, where the SCJ´s outside of Québec have worked since 1949, the Catholic school boards still exist. Ontario is the most populous and industrially varied province of Canada with a population of 12 million out of a total of 31 million for all of Canada. Because of a large influx of immigrants mainly from Catholic Eastern and Southern European -- and of late from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea -- the number of Catholic students in the separate schools now number 600.000. This gives the Catholics a sufficiently powerful voice to make politicians hesitate to change the constitutional arrangement. However, this privilege of Catholics is not without its challenges because other religious confessions seek the same privilege.

3. The SCJs in Canada

It is into this educational context that our Dutch confreres came to Canada in 1948. It was the second implantation of the SCJ´s in Canada; French scj´s arrived in Canada -- Western Canada -- in 1910. By the time the Dutch SCJ´s arrived, the Alberta SCJ´s had mostly drifted to the east into the United States and towards Montréal. Once the Dutch SCJ´s arrived they decided to split into two groups, one for Québec and one for Ontario. The involvement in education began very early in the histories of the two regions. In the Anglo-Canadian Province, it began with the establishment of a minor seminary in Delaware, Ontario in 1950. In Québec a minor seminary was established in 1953 in Pointe-au-Chêne. These schools were intended to provide new members to the community and to open up a future of the congregation in Canada. However, the minor seminary was not formally intended for the SCJ´s only. From the beginning it was open to all candidates for the ministerial priesthood.

The seminary in Delaware, Ontario, existed less than 20 years. In the course of its existence 29 of the SCJs worked there at one time or another and 450 students received a high school education. The program came to an end in 1969. Minor seminaries were no longer considered viable in Canada. For a short time, the school became a retreat centre until that too came to an end in the early 70s.

In Québec, as Michelle and Richard will explain later, the minor seminary at Pointe-au-Chêne remained in existence as a seminary somewhat longer. But it became a private school which is still in existence today.

But the closing of the minor seminary in Delaware did not end the involvement in education by the English Canadian province. Nine members continued to work full-time in an educational context. At one time four members were professors in theology and pastoral studies at Saint Paul University. Currently of the nine still active members of the Province, three members work in either secondary or university education. All three are present at this conference. John Yake teaches at a private Catholic school at the secondary level and is at the same time its chaplain. Peter Sanders teaches at Saint Paul University in Ottawa in the area of pastoral ministry. Peter has also been the Director of the National Office of Religious Education of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is currently also the chaplain of the Ottawa District Catholic School Board. I teach systematic theology at Saint Paul University. I have been named the Director of programs in religious education and have worked with teachers of the Catholic Boards of Ontario and other provinces to set up programs in the schools. I have also been the theological advisor for the National Office of Religious Education for the production of the Born-of-the-Spirit Catechetical series of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that capacity I have been part of writing teams of thirteen catechetical resources for use in the primary and secondary schools of Canada. I believe that our contribution to Catholic education in Ontario and Canada has been significant.

Despite this involvement, the Province never made education a Provincial apostolate. For that reason, the province never developed a Dehonian educational philosophy or a ratio studiorum. Our contribution to education has been personal rather than institutional.

4. Our identity as Dehonian educators

Only the presence of individual members and their personal gifts allows us -- post-factum -- to look back and articulate what the Dehonians have brought to education in English-speaking Canada. This is not yet an articulated vision: merely an observation from our praxis.

Love and reparation

When the members of the Anglo-Canadian Province articulated their vision statement in 1996, the Spirit made us recognize that our spirituality is an urgent answer to today´s world. We were somewhat astounded to realize how intensely our Dehonian spirituality had motivated our apostolic activities. It also permeated our educational apostolates. Here is the text of our vision statement:

Practical orientation

In our educational apostolates, a clear trait has emerged which says something about our apostolic identity. Almost as a matter of course, the various members applied themselves to find practical outlets for what they were teaching. The establishment of the Youth COR method in the High Schools, the setting up of a Summer Institute of Pastoral Liturgy, participation in the ecumenical movement, the Masters in Pastoral Theology, the religious education programs for Catholic teachers, the consultancy for the Archdiocesan Deacon Program, the Institute of Leadership in Catholic Education, the Summer Institute in Religious Education, the directorship in the Pastoral Counselling Centre, the religious art expositions have all come out of the activities of our members. Although there have also been a number of publications of academic and practical pastoral merit, it seems that the main thrust is toward an involvement of widening circles of participants through practical activities.

Concern for issues of social justice

Perhaps at no other time in our Canadian history have we been so acutely and painfully aware that as a result of globalization, extreme individualism and neo-liberalism the poor and the middle class are the victims of unrestrained greed. Government cutbacks in order to reduce taxes, reduced access to health care and university education, government discrimination against the poor, especially child poverty, and the fear of ecological contamination have conscientized the members in their ministry. The province has on a number of occasions sponsored refugees and helped them to become acclimatized to Canadian culture. In the work of catechesis and preaching social justice has become one of the central themes.

Connection with the local church

A concerted effort has been made to be of service to the local Catholic Church. Those involved in education -- particularly those who worked in the ecclesiastical faculties -- have made themselves available to help the local Church to fulfill its mission. Members have become involved in deaconate programs, sacramental committees, Justice and Peace, inservice for priests, setting up of religious education programs, writing of religious education materials for use in schools and parishes.

Empowerment of lay people

In its educational ministry, the community has made great efforts to empower lay people or to prepare lay people to take a more active role in the Church and society. In the programs and courses offered, the SCJ members have made great efforts to counter the clericalism of the Church and to empower lay people in taking their rightful place in the mission of the Church. This has been most manifested in the formation programs of teachers. These have been designed to permit them to become leaders and evangelizers in their own right. With fewer religious present in the school, the laity have become the new vanguard for the gospel to the young generation.

2. PROVINCIAS DE BRASIL SEPTENTRIONAL Y MERIDIONAL Y REGIÓN DE MARANHAO A BS E A EDUCAÇÃO

A presenca SCJ no Brasil começou no Nordeste, em 1893, com o Pe. Sebastião Miquet, com um endereço definido: trabalhar junto aos operários da Fábrica de Tecidos de Camarajibe (Estado de Pernambuco). Logo depois, os pioneiros SCJ assumiram uma capelania na cidade de Goiana e a Paróquia da Várzea (ambas também no Estado de Pernambuco). Porém, 7 anos depois, a missão dehoniana já estava envolvida com 1lma obra educacional: assumindo a direção do Colégio Diocesano de Olinda, a pedido do então bispo D. Luis de Brito... A esta incursão no campo educacional deve ser contada a experiência de alguns confrades da Comunidade da Várzea que ministravam aulas particulares, para terem alguma outra fonte de renda.

D e acordo com a mentali dade da época, toda Congregação Religiosa que se prezasse teria que possuir colégios... Além de garantir o sustento dos seus membros, estaria prestando um serviço à sociedade, educando os futuros dirigentes sociais e políticos... Como bem o sabemos, convém lembrar que o próprio Pe. Dehon teve boa parte de sua vida empenhada n a obra educacional, o Colégio "São João". Pois bem, a BS não fugiú á regra e no dia 2 de fevereiro de 1946 fundava o Ginásio Pio XII, na cidade de Palmeira dos Índios, no Estado de Alagoas. Depois, foi a vez do Colégio "Sagrado Coração", na cidade de Mossoró, (no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte) e o Colégio São João, na cidade do Recife, no dia 28 de dezembro de 1949.

Tanto o "Pio XII" como o "São João" tiveram uma importância muito grande na vida da Província, uma vez que conseguiram criar em torno de si entusiásticas comunidades educativas. É bem verdade que, em comparação com outros, não eram grandes colégios em relação ao número de alunos. Todavia, a qualidade do ensino que minitravam fazia com que fossem bastante procurados pela classe média. Da parte da Província, acreditava-se que estavámos prestando uma boa contribuição á sociedade proporcionando uma formação cristã para futuros dirigentes políticos e homens de negócios...

Por muito tempo, em algun setores da Província, o trabalho com a educação foi visto como sendo dle segunda classe... Desta maneira, os que trabalhavam em escolas tinham que ir ajudar nas paróquias para -ali, sim- poderem se sentir padres. Só recentemente, é que o trabalho educacional passou a ser encarado como também sendo um serviço pastoral, quer em obras próprias quer em escolas não-scj (de outras congregações, o ensino público...).

Por variados fatores (externos e internos), nos anos '80, a Provincia fecchou os colégios "Pio XII" e "São João" e optou por um novo estilo de escola: junto ás camadas populares. Foi o caso da Escola Apostólica "Nossa Senhora de Fátima" (em Fortaleza, Estado do Ceará), a Escola Paroquial "Nossa Senhora de Fátima" (em Paulista, Estado de Pernambuco). A primeira, outroira foi um seminário menor e a segunda foi iniciada pelo Pe. Geraldo van Geel e, posteriormente, assumida como obra da BS.

No ano de 1979, a Província criou mais uma obra educativa: a Escola "São José" e passou a assumir também como sua a escola Paroquial "Nossa senhora do Perpétuo Socorro", ambas em Fortaleza.

No ano de 1986, mais precisamente nos dias 21 e 22 de maio, foi dado um importante passo na linha de uma pastoral da educação na BS. Nessa ocasião, convocado pelo então provincial, -Pe. Carlos Alberto da Costa Silva, foi realizado o 1°. Encontro de Educadores da BS, reunindo 11 religiosos, com os objetivos de aprofundar a motivação da Província no setor educacional e estabelecer políticas de ação para o trabalho educacional da Província.

A partir desse encontro, foram realizados outros 15 encontros que, entre outas coisas serviram para, através da "Comissão dos Educadores", ajudar a Província a assumir a educação escolar numa perspectiva pastoral.

Desde o V Encontro (agosto de 1994), começou a ter a presença de leigos nos encontros dos educadores da BS.

No ano de 1999 e continuada no ano seguinte, foi realizada uma experiência que certamente virá dar bons frutos para o trabalho educacional: a Jornada Educacional Dehoniana. Nesta jornada, geralmente de 3 dias, são realizados estudos e reflexões para os educadores que atuam em nossas escolas com temas variados, tais como: Jesus, o educador -A Igreja e a Educação- O Projeto educativo de Padre Dehon e A espiritualidade do Educador.

No ano passado, intentamos outra experiência: deixar a administração de uma das nossas escolas (a Paroquial "Nossa Senhora de Fátima") nas mãos dos leigos. Infelizmente, sobre esta experiência, não podemos partilhar vitórias...

NOSSOS MODESTOS NUMEROS...

3. LA SITUAZIONE DELLA SCUOLA IN ITALIA E L'IMPEGNO DEHONIANO

La situazione della scuola in Italia è in evoluzione, in quanto è in atto la riforma scolastica. Il precedente governo l'ha avviata, il nuovo governo l'ha in parte bloccata. Nei prossimi mesi si spera che si possa avere una decisione definitiva. Se ne parla e discute da più di 30 anni.

L'impostazione scolastica in atto fino a oggi

Materna: 3 anni (da 3 a 5 anni)

Elementare: 5 anni (da 6 a 10 anni)

Media inferiore: 3 anni (da 11 a 13 anni)

Media superiore: 5 anni (da 14 a 18 anni)

Università: 5 anni (da 19 a 23 anni)

La riforma scolastica proposta

Materna: 3 anni (da 3 a 5 anni)

Scuola di base: 7 anni (da 6 a 12 anni)

Superiori: 5 anni (da 13 a 17 anni: 2 anni comuni e 3 diversificati)

Università: Laurea brevis 3 anni (da 18 a 20 anni)

Laurea completa 5 anni (da 18 a 22 anni)

Specializzazione 2 anni (da 23 a 23 anni)

Inoltre l'abbassamento di un anno ( da 18 a 17 anni) alle Superiori sembra penalizzare l'alunno nello sviluppo della maturità complessiva.

L'evoluzione avvenuta dal 1968

• Nel 1968 l'obbligo scolastico è stato innalzato fino a 14 anni (Media inferiore). I Collegi con alunni interni o che facevano pagare la retta sono andati in crisi.
• Sono rimasti i seminari e la scuola privata con soli alunni esterni.
• L'attuale riforma innalza l'obbligo scolastico fino a 16 anni.
• Prima della riforma, l'impostazione dipendeva interamente dallo Stato ed era piuttosto rigida.

L'aspetto economico

La scuola pubblica (dello Stato) è gratuita per il periodo della Materna e dell'obbligo (3-18 anni).

A livello universitario interviene con le borse studio in base al rendimento scolastico e con tasse rapportate al reddito della famiglia.

La scuola privata (o non statale) non è gratuita. La Costituzione italiana dice che si può istituire scuole non statali ma senza obbligo di ònere per lo Stato. C'è una contraddizione, in quanto i genitori pagano le tasse generali per la scuola, e in più, nel caso che mandino i figli nella scuola privata, anche la retta richiesta da questa scuola. Si sta discutendo da molti anni per avere il bonus scolastico da usufruire a favore della scuola scelta dai genitori per i figli. Si dovrà arrivare a cambiare la Costituzione.

L'impegno dehoniano nella scuola

(cf. Questionario)