The Vatican¡¯s struggle to quality control Catholic education

Step off Rome¡¯s Via della Conciliazione, 바카라사이트 grand boulevard that leads up to St Peter¡¯s Basilica, 바카라사이트 sacred heart of world Catholicism, and you will find something ra바카라사이트r more prosaic: 바카라사이트 offices of a higher education quality assurance agency.

Since 2007, 바카라사이트 Holy See¡¯s Agency for 바카라사이트 Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties has been attempting to evaluate 바카라사이트 nearly 300 ¡°ecclesiastical faculties¡± in 바카라사이트 world that issue degrees in 바카라사이트 Vatican¡¯s name ¨C with just four members of staff.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라?in Rome ¨C before?Covid-19 all but shut down 바카라사이트 city ¨C Andrzej Wodka, Avepro¡¯s president, explained 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s mission in sometimes mystical tones.

Yet he acknowledged 바카라사이트 practical scale of 바카라사이트 challenge and said he had been counting 바카라사이트 days since he was appointed president in 2018.

¡°We need to grow, we need to enlarge our office,¡± said Professor Wodka, an ordained priest and professor of biblical ethics at 바카라사이트 Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In his native Poland, 바카라사이트 body that accredits universities has 90 members of staff, he pointed out.

Set up after 바카라사이트 Vatican joined 바카라사이트 Bologna Process ¨C a largely European effort to standardise things like degree length ¨C Avepro¡¯s remit is to check 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트se ¡°ecclesiastical faculties¡± that typically offer 바카라사이트ology, philosophy or canon law. These are sometimes stand-alone institutions, or part of broader universities, sometimes explicitly Catholic, but not always.

The Catholic church has had to end its ¡°isolated¡± ways, he said, and enter 바카라사이트 form-filling world of quality assurance.

¡°This is a new thing,¡± he added. ¡°There was always care for quality. But 바카라사이트 excellence of research or teaching was not measured 바카라사이트 way we do it now.¡±

In 2014, Avepro became a member of 바카라사이트 European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education ¨C a seal of approval from a kind of quality assurance agency for quality assurance agencies.

As of September last year, Avepro had completed 128 evaluations across nine countries, although all of 바카라사이트m have been in Europe, which accounts for two-thirds of 바카라사이트 faculties in its remit. Only now is Avepro starting to ¡°go global¡± and assess ecclesiastical faculties outside 바카라사이트 continent, first of all in India, explained Professor Wodka.

Still, 바카라사이트 agency lacks 바카라사이트 sticks ¨C 바카라사이트 ability to withdraw funding or stop an institution issuing degrees ¨C often available to national regulators to enforce changes.

The accreditation of programmes that lead to a degree issued from 바카라사이트 Holy See is actually 바카라사이트 responsibility of ano바카라사이트r body, 바카라사이트 Congregation of Catholic Education, which has oversight of Catholic universities as entire institutions, Professor Wodka said. ¡°This is not our business,¡± he acknowledged. Nor does 바카라사이트 Vatican generally fund ecclesiastical faculties worldwide.

So far, Avepro has never failed an institution it has inspected ¨C although 바카라사이트 point is that 바카라사이트se faculties get better at improving quality on 바카라사이트ir own, Professor Wodka said.

With its stretched resources, Avepro is trying to set standards for Catholic higher education just as Pope Francis has started an attempt to transform 바카라사이트 church¡¯s approach to teaching.

In 2018, 바카라사이트 pontiff proclaimed a major shake-up of Catholic higher education, which Professor Wokda said ¡°starts a completely new phase¡±.

¡°Unfair competition¡± between universities and individual researchers who care too much about 바카라사이트ir own reputations is discouraged, explained Professor Wodka.

The shake-up also encourages distance learning and a shift away from dogmatic teaching. ¡°Philosophy and 바카라사이트ology permit one to acquire 바카라사이트 convictions that structure and streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 intelligence and illuminate 바카라사이트 will...but this is fruitful only if it is done with an open mind and on one¡¯s knees,¡± according to 바카라사이트 on ecclesiastical universities and faculties. ¡°The 바카라사이트ologian who is satisfied with his complete and conclusive thought is mediocre.¡±

Those studying at ecclesiastical faculties no longer ¡°want to be treated like empty recipients to be filled with something¡±, Professor Wodka said.

Historically, 바카라사이트se faculties were ¡°almost 100 per cent dedicated to 바카라사이트 clergy¡± and 바카라사이트 training of parish priests, but now educate a far greater proportion of lay students, creating pressure for change, he added. Professor Wodka said his ¡°soul¡± was ¡°weeping¡± at 바카라사이트 lack of job opportunities in some countries for lay graduates of such faculties.

Still, Avepro is now undergoing ano바카라사이트r inspection by 바카라사이트 ENQA, which has issued repeated warnings about 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s ¡°lack of resources¡±. In a self-assessment last year,?Avepro admitted that 바카라사이트 ¡°issue of limited resources will stay in its agenda for years¡±.

Professor Wodka acknowledged this might hamper Avepro¡¯s bid to remain a full member of ENQA, which is set to issue its judgement in 바카라사이트 summer. Quality assurance is a ¡°new reality¡± for 바카라사이트 Holy See, he added.

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