Special Character

Definition of Special Character

Special character is fundamental to integration and is defined in Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and the School’s Integration Agreement as

‘Education within the framework of a particular of general religious or philosophical belief and associated with observances or traditions to that belief’.

It is further defined in each Catholic school’s Integration Agreement:

The school is a Roman Catholic school in which the whole school community, through the general school programme and in its religious instructions and observances, exercises the right to live and teach the values of Jesus Christ. These values are as expressed in the Scriptures and in the practices, worship and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, as determined from time to time by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese.

The following phrases in the above statement are significant:

• Roman Catholic: Roman Catholic is often used interchangeably with “Catholic,” though technically it refers to the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church also includes Eastern Catholic Churches (like Maronite or Byzantine Catholics) that are in full communion with Rome but have different liturgical traditions.
• School community: The school community includes the students, their parents/caregivers (who are the foremost educators of their children), the teaching and non-teaching staff and the Board. The Proprietor is pre-eminently a member of the school community. Because the school is an integral part of the pastoral ministry of the Church, its community comprises the local church led by the bishop of the diocese. The parish primary school actualises the local church in the parish.
• General school programme: By referring to “the general school programme” as well as the “religious Instruction and observances”, the definition stresses that the religious goals of the school must not be separated from its other educational goals. Each is embedded in the other; each “exercises the right to live and teach the values of Jesus Christ”.

Values:

The “values of Jesus Christ” are expressed in scripture and in living Catholic tradition. For a Catholic school, the values it promotes must be sourced from the gospels, particularly the parables. Hence, they are referred to as Gospel values. The precept “to love God above all things and one’s neighbour as oneself” sums up the values of Jesus Christ. A Catholic school must ensure that students have a Catholic understanding (opposed to secular) of Gospel values and that an emphasis on values does not replace formation in virtues as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1803-1829). Gospel values and Christian virtues education in a Catholic school is fundamental to the life of the school.

Bishop’s determination: Finally, the statement says that it is the bishop of the diocese who has the ultimate responsibility for determining whether the practices, worship and teachings in the school are indeed Catholic. The bishop of the diocese (in union with the Pope and all other Catholic Bishops) exercises the Church’s teaching authority.

The Goals of Catholic Education

The Catholic school, as part of the Church, shares in the evangelising mission of the Church, helping to advance a dialogue between the Church and the world, for the transformation of society.¹ Thus, the Catholic school is an instrument of this mission, it is the Church in action².

The goal of Catholic Schools, through their educational endeavour, is to:

• provide a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ, leading to a committed relationship with Him,
• create a deep desire to grow in knowledge of Christ, his teachings, and his Church,
• bring Catholic faith, culture, and life into harmony,
• communicate Christ’s Gospel of love, mercy and justice in both word and deed.³

¹ Second Vatican Council, Gravissimum Educationis: The Declaration on Christian Education. 1965.
² NZCBC, The Catholic Education of School-Age Children. 2014.
³ Ibid.

The Nature of Catholic Special Character

The goals of Catholic education are achieved through the school’s Catholic special character, which provides the encounter with God, who in Jesus Christ reveals the transforming love and truth of God.¹ This evangelisation is ineffective if it does not consider and include the identity, culture, language, and signs of all those it is focusing on. Thus, bringing faith, culture and life into harmony.

Many factors contribute to the Catholic special character, including:

• the beliefs, values, traditions, and practices of the Catholic Church, and how they are expressed by both Katorika² Māori and Katorika tauiwi³,
• the religious content of its curriculum,
• the witness of people living their faith as disciples of Jesus.

It is the interaction of these that creates the Catholic identity of the school⁴ distinguishing it from other state schools. Furthermore, Catholic special character recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensures that te ao and mātauranga Māori (worldview, values and knowledge of Māori) as essential elements of Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is the Catholic special character that assists the young person in their journey of discipleship, from an encounter with Christ, growth in knowledge and then to Christian witness, in the following ways.

Encounter with Christ

The school encourages and facilitates the encounter with Jesus Christ, which is the most important event that can happen to a person. As a journeying people, we are constantly encountering Jesus who draws us to the power of the Gospel message. It is through Scripture, the Sacraments (especially Eucharist and Reconciliation), and actions of love, mercy, and justice that we come to know Him personally. This encounter with Jesus Christ will have an impact on a person’s heart, mind and will. The school provides the encounter through:

• the spiritual formation it offers,
• its evangelising practices,
• the faith leadership of the Principal, Director of Religious Studies, those teachers in Clause 47 special character positions and the witness of other disciples in the school.

Growth in knowledge

The transformative encounter with Jesus Christ should create a deep desire to grow in knowledge of him, his teachings, and his Church. In their transmission of knowledge, the school passes on culture to the next generation, therefore in a Catholic school all knowledge must be presented in light of the Gospel, providing a Catholic worldview. In doing so it provides a synthesis of faith and life and faith and culture. The school assists its community to grow in this knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ through:

• the leadership of the Principal and DRS in the religious instruction and observances within the school,
• an effective and high-status Religious Education curriculum,
• integration of the Catholic worldview into the daily practices and all curriculum areas of the school.

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) has determined that Catholic schools will follow a national curriculum for Religious Education at both primary and secondary level. The National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS) has developed this curriculum in consultation with schools.

The amount of time schools should devote to Religious Education at various year levels has also been set down by the Bishops Conference (see Catholic Special Character Fact sheet: Time Allocation for the Religious Education). Boards are responsible for ensuring that professional development and formation, school budgets, staffing allocation and timetabling allow these requirements to be met.

Health and Sexuality Education:

All Health and Sexuality Education programmes within a Catholic school are based on several core Catholic teachings:

1. We are made in God’s image and therefore we are good,
2. We are unconditionally loved by God,
3. Life is precious and our bodies are a gift from God,
4. We recognise the tapu and dignity of all people,
5. That life is a journey, Te wa, in which people are challenged to grow to be their best selves and become more Christ-like.

In Catholic Schools the relationships/sexuality component of the Health Curriculum is usually part of the Religious Education programme, and all planning should be overseen by the Director of Religious Studies (DRS). Heath Education teachers need to collaborate with the DRS when planning other aspects of the Health Curriculum.

NCRS have developed a document He Mea Hanga Mīharo ki tō te Atua Āhua – Wonderfully Made in God’s Image to assist schools in the planning and delivery of a Health Curriculum this is true to Catholic teaching.

Board’s must ensure funding for teachers who teach sexuality and relationships education to attend NCRS’s professional learning and formation course Having Life to the Full.⁵

The board should consult with the Proprietor on the Health Curriculum to ensure that it and its delivery reflect the Catholic special character of the school.

Christian witness

After having encountered Jesus Christ and having been formed in Him, the Gospel calls us to communicate his Gospel of love, mercy and justice in both word and deed. The school provides a hope-filled Christian witness which empowers its community to integrate their faith and life through:

• being an authentic Catholic school community that promotes and supports active Christian witness and practice in the school and parish,
• partnership and collaboration with all groups it relates to, including mana whenua, whānau, its parish(es)/Māori Eucharisitc communities, its dounding religious congregation, its Proprietor, and its Bishop,
• developing an understanding of and respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the cultural diversity of Aotearoa, New Zealand,
• pastoral care where each member of the community is known, respected, cared for and aware that they are loved unconditionally by God,
• service and outreach that takes care of others and works for justice and equality, based on the Gospel message.

¹Ibid.
²Catholic
³People who are not Māori-foreigner (as in ‘coming from elsewhere’). This is a now in common usage as a term to include Pākehā and other immigrants.
⁴Ibid.
⁵Each diocese delivers this formation programme.

The Philosophy of Catholic Schools

Catholic schools are established to carry out the Church’s mission to share the Gospel of Christ and to form Christ in the lives of others. They provide a Catholic faith environment that enables young people to develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills to become active and committed members of the Faith Community and to contribute positively to the world community. The philosophy of Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand is based on a Catholic understanding of Christianity.

The following guiding characteristics are fundamental to Catholic schools:

• The development of the spiritual, intellectual, moral, emotional, physical and social dimensions of students, since authentic human life and openness to God are inseparable.
• The search for excellence as an integral part of the Christian message.
• Evangelisation – that is, the encouragement to grow towards the vision of human life and wellbeing that God revealed in Christ, as expressed by the Church.
• A culture of love, based on God’s love for us, that enables each person to develop the inner autonomy of self-love, self-discipline and self-direction so that they can love God and others and respect the rights, freedoms and intrinsic worth of all other people.
• Moral principles based on the teaching of Christ and the dictates of right reason, and put into practice in every aspect of life.
• Religious Education programmes that challenge each student and deepen their understanding of Catholic teaching.
• Education that is inclusive and that focuses on:
• the development of each individual’s unique talents
• students and families with particular needs
• the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
• multicultural issues.
• Service – the will and vision to contribute a Catholic dimension to the development of the values and wellbeing of the wider community.
• Co-operation and solidarity, as principles of right relations with all members of the school and wider community.
• Parish interaction, which builds up the community of the Church and supports parents, teachers and students.
• Social justice in the face of discrimination, and commitment to an option for the poor at the local, national and international levels.
• Leadership that enhances the life of the Church and the wellbeing of the national and international community.

Safeguarding and Strengthening Catholic Special Character

The Catholic special character framework that supports the students’ faith journey from encounter with Christ, through knowledge, to Christian witness must be safeguarded and strengthened. Under the terms of Schedule 6 of the Education and Training Act 2020 the proprietors of Catholic schools have a particular responsibility for determining, maintaining and enhancing the special character of Catholic Schools. Schedule 6: Clause 1, Education and Training Act 2020 protects the school’s special character by ensuring that:

• the school shall continue to have the right to reflect the special character of its education through its teaching and the conduct of its staff
• integration shall not jeopardise the special character of an integrated school

the Proprietor shall continue to have:

• the responsibility to supervise the education with a special character
• the right to determine what is necessary to preserve and safeguard the special character
• if in the Proprietor’s opinion the school’s special character is threatened, the Proprietor may invoke its powers under Schedule 6: Education and Training Act 2020.

However, the whole school community are kaitiaki stewards of this taonga for future generations. The taonga is kept alive, vibrant, and aligned with the goals of Catholic education through:

• effective governance and management,
• engagement of the school board in Catholic special character professional learning and formation,
• effective and ongoing Catholic special character evaluation
• sound employment policy and processes,
• sound enrolment policies and procedures,
• compliance with the school’s integration agreement.

For some schools their charism is defined in their Integration Agreement. Whether it is so defined or not, in every case the school works to maintain and develop its particular charism, which is the lens through which Catholic special character is lived.

Evaluation of Catholic Special Character

To ensure that Catholic special character is safeguarded and strengthened a school’s Catholic special character is regularly evaluated. This produces a focused picture of the impact of Catholic schooling and the effectiveness of its goals on the lives of all tamariki and rangatahi. The process for external evaluation and a model for internal evaluation can be found in He Arotake Whanaketanga mō te Mātauranga Ahurea Katorika-Te Ture Tāuke mō ngā Kura Katorika: Catholic Special Character Evaluation for Development document. Support and guidance in the implementation of external and internal evaluation is also available from the diocesan Catholic education office.

Annual internal evaluation

The school board should plan for regular and strategic Catholic special character internal evaluation taking a narrowed focus or a question arising from ONE of the four dimensions of the Catholic Special Character Evaluation for Development document i.e., Encounter with Christ, Growth in Knowledge, Christian Witness, or Safeguarding and Strengthening Catholic Special Character. These should be covered over a cycle of four years. Examples of planning for internal evaluation can be found on the NZCEO website under Special Character resources (Resources – New Zealand Catholic Education Office).

The board must also annually provide the Proprietor with the Special Character Compliance Attestation report that shows how the school complies with its statutory obligations in Catholic special character. The attestation form is available from the Proprietor and can also be found in the Catholic Special Character Evaluation for Development document or on the NZCEO website (Catholic special character evaluation for development – New Zealand Catholic Education Office).

The table below indicates under which sections of this handbook these compliances are explained.

External evaluations of Catholic special character

External evaluation of Catholic special character is facilitated by mandated diocesan evaluators every three to four years. Schools are expected to respond to the recommendations in the evaluation reports and prepare an action plan for their implementation. The diocesan education office provides support for this.

The Education Review Office (ERO) is legally required to monitor the special character of all state-integrated schools as part of its regular evaluation process. Liaison between ERO and Proprietors at both national and local levels facilitates these evaluations.

Professional development for Catholic special character

The school board should receive ongoing Catholic special character professional learning and formation, including on the principles of Catholic social teaching and their application to board responsibilities.

All teachers in Catholic primary and secondary schools are expected to engage in planned and ongoing professional development and formation in Religious Education and/or Catholic special character.

Certification, as outlined in the Certification Handbook for Staff and School Boards in Catholic State Integrated Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand (2025) is a key element in safeguarding and strengthening Catholic special character. Certification recognises that all teachers have a role to play in building and maintaining the Christian community dimension that is central to the Catholic special character of a school.¹ Therefore, the Certification system applies to all teachers regardless of their position, or their religious affiliation or stance.² A full break down of the Certification framework can be found in the Certification Handbook.

Teachers and leaders are expected to be appropriately qualified and certificated or in the process of achieving an appropriate level of Certification. Principals and DRSs should have gained Leadership Level of Certification. Any teacher appointed to a special character position and all teachers of Religious Education should have gained Classroom Level of Certification.

NOTE: Teachers holding a Secondary DRS position or Head of Department/Faculty Religious Education or their equivalent, which require specialist subject knowledge, should have an appropriate graduate qualification.

The board must ensure that the school’s professional learning and formation budget meets these requirements.

Ongoing formation

The NZCBC requires teachers in primary schools to undertake at least 12 hours of professional development and formation in Religious Education and spiritual formation each year (see Special Character Fact Sheet-Professional development and spiritual formation for teachers).

Each diocesan Catholic education office can provide advice and support regarding Catholic special character formation, including Religious Education, for staff and school boards.

Links with Wider Church Networks

As well as the networks that every state school has across the education sector and the wider community of Aotearoa New Zealand, Catholic schools have a network of agencies and organisations within the Church.

Every Catholic school is, by definition, part of the Church.  This community includes the diocese, the deanery or pastoral area, diocesan pastoral councils and parish organisations such as parish councils.

Parish links

The school’s most obvious link is to the parish or parishes from which it draws its students. It is important that schools and their local parishes collaborate with and support one another. Activities that can help forge these links can include:

• Joint school and parish celebrations of Mass and the sacraments
• School visits by the priests or pastoral leaders of the parish
• School support for and cooperation with parish programmes that prepare students to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and the Eucharist
• School representation on the parish pastoral council and parish representation on the school board (Proprietor’s Appointees)
• Parish information in school newsletters and on school websites (and vice versa)
• Joint social and/or fundraising ventures

Parish priests and lay pastoral leaders

Parish priests and lay pastoral leaders have a pastoral responsibility towards all their parishioners, including the students in the school and their whānau. The school needs to give the parish priest/lay pastoral leaders every opportunity to fulfil that pastoral ministry. When appropriate, teachers and guidance personnel in the school may liaise with the parish priests of students in their care.

An outline of the role of the parish priest in relation to the school and the roles of the Principal and Director of Religious Studies in relation to the parish priest can be found in the Fact Sheet The Parish Priest and the New Zealand Catholic School.

¹Certification Handbook for Staff and Boards in Catholic State Integrated Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand (2025)
²Ibid

Chaplain

Section 53(2) of the Education and Training Act 2020 Act allows for a chaplain, who is appointed by the proprietor, not by the board. The bishop of the diocese must endorse the appointment. The proprietor must inform the board of the name of the chaplain. Remuneration for the chaplain’s services cannot come from the school’s salary or operational grant, or any funding allocated by Parliament, but can be provided from the school’s other sources of income.

The parish priest will normally act as chaplain in a parish primary school or a regional school for which he or one of his associates has pastoral responsibility. The chaplaincy of a secondary school may be undertaken by another priest or be shared among the priests of the deanery.

Chaplain’s role

The chaplain’s role is to minister to the pastoral and sacramental needs of the students and school staff and to help develop the school as a community of faith and worship within the local Church. Ideally, the chaplain, the DRS and the principal will work together to link the Religious Education programme into the activities of the local parish and the diocese.

Chaplain’s rights

As an agent of the Proprietor, the chaplain has access to the school at all reasonable times. It is expected that the chaplain and the principal will have a good working relationship; the chaplain should not interrupt normal school activities or interfere in the professional work of the teachers, and the principal should not frustrate the chaplain’s work. Chaplaincy teams also work closely with principals and specifically designated chaplains.

The Chaplain as teacher

A chaplain who is appropriately qualified may be appointed by the board as a part-time teacher. In that capacity the chaplain is, like any other teacher, responsible to the principal.

Campus ministry and chaplaincy teams

More and more secondary schools are developing different models of chaplaincy when working with students. The concept of campus ministry and chaplaincy teams that work in association with the Religious Education Department are becoming commonplace.

Links between primary and secondary schools

Catholic schools in a particular geographical area such as a deanery or pastoral area cooperate with one another. A seamless relationship between primary and secondary schools is vital for ongoing Catholic faith education for students. Leadership is required to set up and carry through practices that support this.

Diocese

Catholic schools were founded by dioceses, parishes or religious institutes under the authority of the bishop, who has the unique role of chief pastor of the Church in his diocese.

Schools that have the Bishop as their Proprietor (i.e., all primary schools and some secondary schools) are connected to their Bishop as the owner of the school.

All Catholic schools, including those that do not have the Bishop as their Proprietor, receive support from a number of diocesan agencies. The local Diocesan Catholic Education and/or Religious Education Office is the first source of advice on Catholic special character matters. These offices support and monitor the Catholic special character and provide Religious Education advisers who help and guide the principal, DRS and other staff in areas of Religious Education and run professional development and formation courses and seminars for staff and board members on Catholic special character.

New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO)

NZCEO is the national administrative arm of all Catholic school Proprietors and works closely with the NZCBC on their education requirements. NZCEO co-ordinates national policy and operations for the Catholic education network providing advice and guidance to Proprietors. NZCEO is, also, the point of liaison between Proprietors and the government.

NZCEO produces a national e-newsletter twice termly in weeks two and eight, as well as other publications, papers, resources and information. The NZCEO website has a wide range of information and resources (Resources – New Zealand Catholic Education Office)

Other links

Catholic schools also work with other Church agencies such as the National Centre for Religious Studies, Te Kupenga-Catholic Theological College, Caritas and Catholic Social Services, St Vincent de Paul. Schools can seek specialist support and guidance from these agencies.

Resources and Appendices

• Professional development and spiritual formation for teachers
• The parish priest and New Zealand Catholic schools
• Principles of Commitment for staff in Catholic schools
• A collaborative school-parish approach to evangelisation
• Example policy for counselling and health services
• Some easy practical ideas to foster parish-school relationships
• Time allocation for Religious Education
• Wonderfully Made in God’s Image: A revised Framing Document for Human Sexuality Education
• The Catholic Education of School-Age Children
• Statement of Expectations for staff in a Catholic School