ABSTRACT
In this chapter, by way of introduction I will first say a few words about the Declaration Gravissimum Educationis and Catholic education in Belgium. Afterwards I will present some figures illustrating the changed context in which Catholic education finds itself today, and I will analyse this context as post-Christian and post-secular, suggesting that we should no longer use an analysis in terms of secularisation but instead one of pluralisation. Further I will reflect on the consequences of this changed context and analysis for identity construction today and the challenges for Christian faith, and the way in which the Church and Catholic education have dealt with this. Finally I will present a new way of profiling Catholic education as a ‘project of identity formation in a context of difference and plurality’. In doing this I will draw attention to the contemporary limitations with the traditional confessional school and to the counterproductive effect of Christian values education. By way of conclusion I present a new vision of Catholic education built around the concept of dialogue and given the title of the Catholic dialogue school .
