The Forgotten Profession offers a compelling and original account of the rise of the Catholic teaching profession in England and Wales. Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, biographies, and contemporary accounts, it brings together for the first time a complete picture of how Catholic education developed from scattered and often precarious beginnings into a significant national presence.
Set against a backdrop of social change, religious tension, and rapid population growth, the book traces the transformation of Catholic schooling from penal times through to the landmark 1944 Education Act. It explores the impact of Irish immigration, the role of bishops and lay leaders, and the crucial contribution of religious orders – particularly women – whose dedication helped build and sustain schools in the face of poverty, prejudice, and limited resources.
At its heart are the teachers themselves: lay men and women, priests, and religious sisters, whose work was often unrecorded yet essential. From the earliest training initiatives to the emergence of professional structures and national policy, their story is one of perseverance, vocation, and quiet achievement.
Both scholarly and accessible, The Forgotten Profession not only recovers a neglected chapter of educational history but also reveals its lasting influence on the present-day system – offering valuable insight for historians, educators, and anyone interested in the shaping of modern Britain.
About the Author :
Peter Boylan KSG was formerly a headteacher of two Catholic Comprehensive schools in Lancashire within the Diocese of Salford. He has considerable experience of Catholic teacher associations and others in their work with headteachers, teachers, governors and administrators, in both Church and State in the United Kingdom and abroad. He has a long-term interest in history and politics and Catholic education at all levels.
Review :
This study of the Catholic Teacher Profession in England and Wales up to the 1944 Education Act is an ambitious task. Drawing on many years of research, Peter Boylan skilfully recounts this complex story. The development of teaching professionals for Catholic schools is carefully contextualized within the era of Catholic emancipation and the emergence of the restored Catholic hierarchy. He traces the evolution from poorly paid Church employees who had to "know their place’" to a body of well-qualified and respected professional women and men committed to Catholic education. This engaging and scholarly study is a labour of love, nurtured over many years by a man who is immersed in Catholic education.
Professor Stephen McKinney, University of Glasgow
