NfRCE Annual Conference

The 1977 document on the Catholic School – its ongoing relevance

The NfRCE is pleased to announce that our 2026 annual conference will be hosted by St Mary’s University, Twickenham. We will be convening from Thursday 10 to Friday 11 December 2026. The theme of our conference will be to reconsider the significance of the document about the Catholic School, promulgated by the Congregation for Catholic Education. This document will be 50 years old in 1977, and as we approach 2027 this anniversary year will provide us with time to ponder what our contemporary understanding of the Catholic school is and what exactly do they offer to societies around the globe.

Much has changed both for the Church and for the importance attached to education over the past fifty years. This conference is calling for papers which will explore a range of issues, including:

What is the relationship between Gravissimum Educationis and the 1977 document on the Catholic School? What vision of ‘Catholic education’ does this document offer? Is it still a relevant vision? Does the 1977 document really embody a decisive shift in Catholic schools, where they are offered primarily as a service for the poor and needy? Over the past fifty years how has the Church developed its understanding of the Catholic school? How are Government education policies affecting the Church’s understanding of what it is to be a Catholic school?

Call for papers

The conference organising committee would welcome short paper proposals that cast a spotlight on the relevance of the 1977 document on the Catholic school. This could be from the lens of leading Catholics schools, or Religious Education or even in terms of reframing the goals and ultimate purposes of Catholic education. In addition, more general papers on Catholic education will also be considered. Symposia (a collection of three related papers) that last one hour will also be welcome. The proposed symposium must identify a chair, a 250-word overview, 250-word abstracts for all three papers and an identified respondent. The symposia may be on the conference theme or general aspects of Catholic education. Papers from early career researchers are particularly welcome.

• Paper proposals of 250 words: to be sent to sean.whittle@stmarys.ac.uk
• Submission date: before 9am on 21 September 2026.
• Notice of acceptance: by 1 October 2026

The conference will begin at 10am on Thursday 24 and conclude promptly at 4pm on Friday 25 October.

Registration details for this event will be added shortly.