By Clara Saminathan
New Delhi, Nov. 18, 2018: An Indian prelate has called on those who engaged in education ministry in the country to support for the education of poor Catholic children.
“In the face of the multiple pressures that all of us have while running Catholic educational institutions, we need to focus our attention and works for the Catholic children. Organize scholarships for needy children and keep alive our option for the poor,” said Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati, a member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Education.
He was speaking at the national CBCI education consultation on November 14 and National and Provincial Education Coordinators of various Religious Congregations in India at Don Bosco Provincial House, Okhla, New Delhi.
More than 100 participants across India attended it.
Archbishop Moolachira said all those who are engaged in education need to imbibe the spirit of the Church, compassion for the needy and a heart for the poor.
The need of the hour was to work in collaboration and adopt participatory management, continuously motivating the school staff and training them and seek their full participation in the mission and full cooperation, he said.
In the key-note Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Kolkata, chairperson of the CBCI Office for Education and Culture, highlighted the salient and relevant features of the policy contained in the “All India Catholic Education Policy” and the importance of implementing them.
He delineated some aspects of All India Catholic Education Policy, namely: provide quality and relevant education for all especially the poor; provide education that frees persons from the encumbrances of discrimination, illiteracy and whatever endangers life and respect and inculcate the values in life; promote respect for diversity and inclusiveness; provide education that humanizes and allows all to play their rightful role in society, understand economic structures and political systems and promote transparency and accountability; impart education that energizes the young and promote nation building; impart education that shapes character, provides competence and promotes qualities of the heart; ensure promoting collaboration and cooperation and finally provide education that nurtures encounter with God and nourishes faith and teaches values.
Father Joseph Manipadam, secretary for the CBCI Office for Education, shared certain concerns posed by the government policy changes.
He also reported on the work of evaluating and certifying the Catholic institutions across the country on the effectiveness of implementation of the “All India Catholic Education Policy” by each institution and the overall impact in each of the 14 regions through the graphic analysis that had been done.
He ended his presentation with the inauguration of the “CBCI Education Mastermind”, a commemorative national quiz for schools across the country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the “All India Catholic Education Policy” to create awareness and onward enthusiasm generating commitment to implement the Catholic Education Policy.