ABSTRACT
Americans might argue that the Dutch Catholic education has the benefit of government money and that is true. Anyone familiar with post-Vatican II theology and Church history knows that the Dutch have had a stormy relationship with their Catholic Church. In the northern region, Catholics have historically been a minority religion. The Identity Consultants have a vision of the characteristics of a Catholic school. There is a shared (network) vision, and a local school vision that should include something about their Catholicity. Directors and teachers in the north were able to explain how Catholic identity enters into the school environment. At one school, a director commented that a great deal of their effort goes into connecting the children’s daily experiences with their Catholicity. In the southern Dutch Catholic schools, the directors seek to create an environment that supports the students’ personal growth and development.
