The name Schola Vernacula is first of all something of an oxymoron...a website about English chant with a Latin title? The term is most often associated with John Amos Comenius (b.1592-d.1670) and his insistence that Latin would only be established as a universal language through the education of students in the vernacular. While this is a perfectly rational suggestion today, it was a radical idea in a world where education was exclusively in Latin. Comenius suggested that all students be required to first complete a minimum level of education in the vernacular before moving on to Latin. Thus was born the Schola Vernacula, or "school of the native language".
This idea meshes well with the effort to re-establish chant in the Catholic liturgy. While the ideal of Latin chant remains the ultimate goal, there are many (like myself) who feel that this is best accomplished through the use of the vernacular as a tool to establish a wider acceptance of chant by parish music directors, singers and assembly members.
With the inclusion of a complete set of English language chants in the new translation of the Missal (2011), it is clear that the Bishops of the English language countries agree with this idea, at least insofar as introducing chant in English! In the wake of the new translation composers have stepped in and are composing new settings of the Ordinary, Propers and a wide variety of other chant-based compositions in English.
N.B - Okay, so things didn't turn out too well for Comenius. We can hope that we won't be forced into exile as a result of our efforts.
