The Vision of Piarist Schools in Slovakia – Transforming Schools from Within
Fr. Matúš Palaj SchP.
The term school vision is defined in the Glossary of School Management Terminology and Interpretation as a vision of a successful future for an organization based on core values or philosophy. This vision is associated with goals and plans of action for the future. According to authors Murgatroyd and Morgan, a vision fulfills three functions: it is inspirational, serves as a cornerstone for decision-making, and enables all stakeholders—both inside and outside the school—to find common ground leading to improvement.
During the 2017/2018 school year, a team within the Piarist Schools in Slovakia worked diligently to create, present, and begin implementing the Piarist Schools Vision. This project, which involves all three Piarist schools in Slovakia, is set to be realized by 2030. Its primary purpose is to establish a unified direction for the schools and foster deeper mutual cooperation. The idea for this unified vision originated with Fr. Juraj Ďurnek SchP, who served as Provincial of the Piarist Order in Slovakia from 2015 to 2023.
Development of the Vision
After a canonical visitation of the Piarist schools in the 2017/2018 school year, many suggestions were made by teachers to the Provincial. Based on these inputs, a selected team developed a background paper that became the foundation for formulating the vision. The vision was first presented in May 2018 at the Calasanz Forum in Prievidza.
Before this presentation, comment sessions were held in the schools, allowing participants to discuss what was working, what was not, and what needed improvement. Ultimately, the draft vision spanned over 110 pages, detailing the schools’ general concept, defining their overall vision, and outlining the desired outcomes.
To make the vision more accessible, the team produced a concise version:
“The vision of the Piarist Schools is to nurture new generations of people rooted in values, who have discovered their uniqueness and mission and are ready to transform society through love of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.”
This statement encapsulates the essence of the vision. The primary goal of the Piarist schools is to provide accessible education that fosters individuals who care about contemporary society. The vision further emphasizes the importance of character development, stating:
“We are committed to ensuring that education and training should help young people acquire the necessary character to live a full, integrated life of service to God and neighbor. We want everyone to find their true identity and righteousness based on the Word of God.”
The vision outlines 29 micro-projects designed to bring about desired changes in the schools by 2030.
Target Audience
One of the primary goals of the Piarist Schools Vision is to place pupils at the center of attention. Thus, the primary target group is the students. However, teachers are the key agents of this transformation and are therefore pivotal to the vision’s success.
The vision team uses a metaphor to illustrate this: when observing a sunrise in the mountains, the sun first illuminates the peaks before rising higher and becoming visible to all. Similarly, the focus on building a strong teacher community eventually benefits the students.
To support teachers effectively, individual teams were formed, each led by a coordinator. The teams and their focus areas are:
- Community Coordinator
- Academic Coordinator
- Teacher Development Coordinator
- Economics & Fundraising Coordinator
- Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Evaluation and Educational Impact
The Piarist Schools Vision has been in effect since 2018. Change management experts suggest that cultural transformation within an organization can take 20–30 years to manifest. Therefore, evaluating this project after seven years remains challenging.
One measurable indicator of success is the increased interest in Piarist schools. Comparing data from 2020 to 2024, applications (including applications to all three schools combined) to four-year grammar schools rose from 419 to 479, a 14% increase. Applications to eight-year grammar schools increased from 131 to 277, a remarkable 111% rise. Similarly, enrolments in secondary vocational schools grew from 90 to 168, an 87% increase.
Additionally, the Piarist schools have demonstrated increased value-added outcomes. This measurement, used in various countries to evaluate schools, shows improvements in personal development programs, character education, volunteer formation, and other initiatives aligned with the Vision’s micro-projects.
