Brief History of CLEO
The Beginnings: CFRC
The movement that led to the formation of the Christian Leadership in Education Office (CLEO) began with the setting up of the Christian Formation Resource Centre (CFRC) in Cork in January, 1992. Brother J Matthew Feheney was appointed Director, with Sister Nora Buckley PBVM as part-time secretary. Initially, CFRC liaised with some 50 Catholic Second Level schools in the counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick through school coordinators. At the request of school principals and staffs, a variety of workshops, in different aspects of schooling, were organised. These workshops covered topics such as pastoral care; class teachers and year Heads; middle management; school leadership; on-going education for school secretaries; training for Boards of Management and other educational needs of the time. The Director also conducted workshops for staff in individual schools.
MEd Course Launched
Again at the request of teachers, CFRC now began to plan an integrated staff development course. First UCC and then UL were invited to validate the new course, which would lead to a Master’s degree. When both these institutions declined the offer, Professor Alan McClelland, Head of the Education Faculty at the University of Hull, was approached and invited to examine the proposed programme, with a view to having it validated by his University. Following a meeting in Hull with Brother Matthew and senior staff of the University of Hull, Professor McClelland promptly agreed to become of an academic partner of CFRC and the new degree course in Leadership in Christian Education was launched.
In September, 1993, the new course was launched in Cork and Limerick. There was a tremendous response, some 42 teachers enrolling in Cork and 25 in Limerick. Students were given the option of auditing the courses or, additionally, completing the course work assignments to obtain academic credit towards a Master’s degree. The courses in both Cork and Limerick progressed without a hitch and, three years later, twenty of the first cohort of students graduated with MEd degrees. The course extended over three years, with a new enrolment each year, so that each year there was a new cohort enrolling and an existing group graduating. After three years, the University of Limerick Education Department came into full operation and, once it began to offer post-graduate degrees, CFRC ceased to offer courses in Limerick. From then on, Cork became the only centre where the full course was offered.
Birth of CLEO
When CFRC started in January, 1991, the Trustees of some 50 second-level school were involved in its management and support. By 1995, however, most of these Trustees were setting up their own congregational education offices and it was felt that these congregational educational support offices were better placed to cater for the administrative requirements of their own schools. It would also probably be true to say that most of these congregations overlooked the need to offer further training in leadership to the teachers who would be the likely candidates for future leadership of their schools. The result was that all the other religious congregations ceased their involvement in CFRC and it was left to the Presentation Brothers to continue supporting this institution. With the support of the Province Leader of the Presentation Brothers, Brother Matthew redesigned CFRC. The following changes were made: a) the organisation would now be under the trusteeship of the Presentation Brothers b) henceforth, the main trust of the organisation would be in the training and formation of future leaders of Catholic schools and c) the organisation would be renamed the Christian Leadership in Education Office(CLEO), with its headquarters in Mardyke House, Cork.
Between 1995 and 2013, 216 CLEO students have obtained their MED degree, while a further twenty have obtained the doctorate (PhD or EdD). At the moment, CLEO is considering the provision of an additional course, to be named Diploma in Catholic Education (DCE), and offered in association with the University of Notre Dame, USA. That the CLEO courses have made a significant impact on education in the Munster area is evident from the fact that, to date, more than 60 CLEO Alumni have obtained posts as principals of primary and secondary schools.
The Beginnings: CFRC
The movement that led to the formation of the Christian Leadership in Education Office (CLEO) began with the setting up of the Christian Formation Resource Centre (CFRC) in Cork in January, 1992. Brother J Matthew Feheney was appointed Director, with Sister Nora Buckley PBVM as part-time secretary. Initially, CFRC liaised with some 50 Catholic Second Level schools in the counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick through school coordinators. At the request of school principals and staffs, a variety of workshops, in different aspects of schooling, were organised. These workshops covered topics such as pastoral care; class teachers and year Heads; middle management; school leadership; on-going education for school secretaries; training for Boards of Management and other educational needs of the time. The Director also conducted workshops for staff in individual schools.
MEd Course Launched
Again at the request of teachers, CFRC now began to plan an integrated staff development course. First UCC and then UL were invited to validate the new course, which would lead to a Master’s degree. When both these institutions declined the offer, Professor Alan McClelland, Head of the Education Faculty at the University of Hull, was approached and invited to examine the proposed programme, with a view to having it validated by his University. Following a meeting in Hull with Brother Matthew and senior staff of the University of Hull, Professor McClelland promptly agreed to become of an academic partner of CFRC and the new degree course in Leadership in Christian Education was launched.
In September, 1993, the new course was launched in Cork and Limerick. There was a tremendous response, some 42 teachers enrolling in Cork and 25 in Limerick. Students were given the option of auditing the courses or, additionally, completing the course work assignments to obtain academic credit towards a Master’s degree. The courses in both Cork and Limerick progressed without a hitch and, three years later, twenty of the first cohort of students graduated with MEd degrees. The course extended over three years, with a new enrolment each year, so that each year there was a new cohort enrolling and an existing group graduating. After three years, the University of Limerick Education Department came into full operation and, once it began to offer post-graduate degrees, CFRC ceased to offer courses in Limerick. From then on, Cork became the only centre where the full course was offered.
Birth of CLEO
When CFRC started in January, 1991, the Trustees of some 50 second-level school were involved in its management and support. By 1995, however, most of these Trustees were setting up their own congregational education offices and it was felt that these congregational educational support offices were better placed to cater for the administrative requirements of their own schools. It would also probably be true to say that most of these congregations overlooked the need to offer further training in leadership to the teachers who would be the likely candidates for future leadership of their schools. The result was that all the other religious congregations ceased their involvement in CFRC and it was left to the Presentation Brothers to continue supporting this institution. With the support of the Province Leader of the Presentation Brothers, Brother Matthew redesigned CFRC. The following changes were made: a) the organisation would now be under the trusteeship of the Presentation Brothers b) henceforth, the main trust of the organisation would be in the training and formation of future leaders of Catholic schools and c) the organisation would be renamed the Christian Leadership in Education Office(CLEO), with its headquarters in Mardyke House, Cork.
Between 1995 and 2013, 216 CLEO students have obtained their MED degree, while a further twenty have obtained the doctorate (PhD or EdD). At the moment, CLEO is considering the provision of an additional course, to be named Diploma in Catholic Education (DCE), and offered in association with the University of Notre Dame, USA. That the CLEO courses have made a significant impact on education in the Munster area is evident from the fact that, to date, more than 60 CLEO Alumni have obtained posts as principals of primary and secondary schools.
CLEO: A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE HAVING NO SHARE CAPITAL
Registered office: Mardyke House, Mardyke Walk, Cork, Ireland
Company number: 545713 CHY: 21128
Registered office: Mardyke House, Mardyke Walk, Cork, Ireland
Company number: 545713 CHY: 21128