The Catholic School in the Context of Growing Migration into Europe

Abstract

In the last years, the intensified migration mostly of people from Africa and Asia altered the situation in Europe. The growing awareness of the importance of respect for human rights and the recognition of the equal value of all people of whatever ethnic origin, cultural or religious tradition, forced the European governments to adjust the institutional services to a new kind of cultural and religious diversity, but Europeans do not want to give up the economic, political, social, ethnic, cultural and religious harmony. Due to the impact of migration, many national curricula are being changed and transformed. But it is also necessary to examine how cultural and religious diversity in Europe is intertwined in school pedagogy. What are the relationships between European and multicultural values and/or between multicultural and Christian values? What is the response of educational institutions to the new political, social, cultural and religious situation in Europe especially based on huge migration influx? What are the possible conflicts between the dynamics of a changing culture on the one hand and the ambitions of the Catholic schools in 21-st century? The author of this text raises a few important questions connected with migration and education in Europe for further reflection.