Identity and quality of Catholic schools in Sudan

Abstract

Catholic schools have multiplied since 1843 until now in Sudan, an Islamic majority country where Arab and African cultures intertwine in a particular way. The research aims at identifying the characteristics that define the identity and the concept of quality of these schools. With this purpose, the article reviews their history and the inspirational sources and cultural context that shaped the educational vision of the missionary who left an indelible imprint on these schools, Daniel Comboni. The research also includes the results of a questionnaire with a sample of fourteen of these schools located at Khartoum State. Catholic schools have not renounced their evangelising purpose, but have developed their identity in a dialogic way with the Islamic society that surrounds them around values like respect for diversity; commitment for the common good of the Sudanese society; and preferential option for marginalised people like displaced and refugee children.