This book comprises a selection of articles published mainly in peer reviewed academic journals supplemented by a smaller number of essays and documents prepared for policy makers within the Catholic educational sector The chosen texts have been re printed almost entirely as originally published except for the correction of certain typographical errors some minor changes in punctuation and some editing to avoid unnecessary duplication for example historical background or reviews of literature The published articles essays and briefing papers included this book represent much of the authors contribution to the study of Catholic sector maintained schooling over the last twenty years during which he has been a teacher headteacher educational administrator and latterly an academic