Leadership and identity in the Catholic school: an Australian perspective

Abstract

This article explores the nature of leadership as expressed in literature and workshop commentary on the identity of the Catholic school within an Australian context. Employing a qualitative methodology, data from workshops designed around school mission were compared and integrated with data from texts of selected Post Conciliar documents on the Catholic school for the purpose of gaining insights on identity. Within the identified theme of ‘school’ in the two bodies of narrative, the dimension of leadership was explored in its practical nature. The discussion of findings identifies the diversity of leadership practice, its dynamic relationship with the ecclesial community of the school and the desirability of an integrative image to capture this diversity and relationship. The article concludes that leadership within the Catholic school can be imagined as a response to Baptism and as such be sacramental in nature as it manifests itself as sign and instrument of the life of Christ.