CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN INDIA

(A paper prepared for the CBCI-AICU dialogue meeting held on the 14th September 2001, at Bangalore)

1. INTRODUCTION: “Blind guides, having eyes, they see not”. We are familiar with this strong castigation by Jesus. His words often seem rather harsh, to those who prefer to remain blind to reality. Nevertheless they echo through time. Could we slightly change the metaphor? “Having I’s, they C not.” Confusing? What’s the big I? Ego! What’s the big C? Competition, Commercialisation, Corruption, Conversion. Take one’s pick. Whether or not we agree with these 4 C’s, they have, unfortunately, come to characterise Catholic education in India today. These are common perceptions, which are subjective, and may not bear scrutiny. This paper attempts to objectively analyse and assess Catholic Education. We seek to remind ourselves of the Catholic Church’s teachings on education. We will then apply these Teachings to the ground realities, based on facts and figures. We will then seek to evolve a synthesis of thought, to be translated into action.

2. COMMON PERCEPTIONS: Whenever there is a physical assault on clergy or religious, we cry “foul”. We say we have so many service institutions in the forefront of serving our country. There was a time when Christian educational institutions were equated with the word “service”. The very act of teaching somebody was a genuine act of service. There was indeed a time when getting girls to study was service in itself, with no questions asked. When such services were extended to the rural poor, the dalits, the tribals, orphans or destitute children from broken homes, no questions were asked. Though certain sections of Indian society felt distinctly uncomfortable with these services, and levelled allegations of “conversions, under the guise of service.”

Unfortunately, though pioneers in the field Catholic education is now caught in the web of societal trends in the country. Earlier education was perceived as a means for knowledge, cultural advancement and empowerment of disadvantaged sections of society. However, over a period of time education became more and more regimented and academic. Education is a State subject. But most States failed miserably in imparting education to its subjects. Government run schools (especially of State or Local Self Government) were cesspools of inefficiency and inadequacy. The demand for education increased. Christian institutions were the “first choice”. However, with demand outstripping supply, the stakes in education became higher. Industrialists preferred to close down their factories, and open “teachings shops” instead. They were in a seller’s market. Competition became fierce. Those who could not compete were ready to pay a price. From Competition, education now regressed to Commercialisation. Come stage three. There are many things that money can’t buy. Education is one of them. So Corruption made its back door entry into education. Various forms of pressure tactics were resorted to, not just to get admissions in institutions of their choice, but even in manipulating the results of Board and University Examinations. The stakes were too high to leave anything to chance. A glance in any newspaper shows that it is full of advertisements from coaching institutions. Private tuitions are passé. This is not a question of passing an exam. It is a matter of gaining entry into prestigious institutes of higher learning – especially medicine, engineering and the civil services. These again are not ends in themselves, but means to lucrative careers, preferably in the USA!

Since the Catholic institution does not exist in a vacuum, it has unwittingly got caught in the quagmire of the Indian educational system, now characterised by the 4 C’s Competition, Commercialisation, Corruption and Coaching. In the case of Christian institutions a 5th C may be added – Conversions. To what extent do these charges stick?

2.1 COMPETITION: There is no objective yardstick to measure this. However, indications are that societal pressures, and the demands of the “haves”, have blunted our zeal for the “have-nots”. With more and more of the moneyed class and higher castes seeking admission in our institutions, we have gradually succumbed to the general trend of competition, wherein the disadvantaged are further handicapped, and relegated to “also rans”. How far competition is compatible with Christian values, we shall examine later.

2.2 COMMERCIALISATION: With increasing wage structures, higher expectations in academic excellence, and a depletion or unwillingness to accept Government aid, the cost of education has increased. Fee structures are revised upwardly, again easing out the economically deprived. There is a perception that several dioceses and religious congregations have found that schools (especially English medium ones) are lucrative means of income generation. Unfortunately, the increasingly “worldly life-styles” of several “dedicated persons”, and the imposing structures put up by several Church institutions, give credence to the charge that Catholic educational institutions have gradually degenerated into commercial ventures, like any others. If commerce is an underlying compulsion it soon becomes an overriding consideration.

2.3 CORRUPTION: There is a Tamil saying, “He who collects honey cannot help licking his fingers.” As with honey, so too with money. The large inflow of money into fee-levying institutions leaves one open to the temptation, and the allegation, of financial irregularities. Allegations about money changing hands for admission, employment, or award of various contracts are rife. These allegations, by their very nature, are almost impossible to establish, unless one makes a criminal complaint or initiates civil proceedings. The victims, abettors or go-betweens will obviously not open their mouths. However, the growing instances of nepotism (especially of bringing poor relatives from the South to work in institutions in the North, and North East), as also the changed lifestyles of the institutions, again lend credence to the belief that the malaise is deep. Since the laity is seldom ever involved in the administration of such institutions, the suspicion grows that, “If you have nothing to hide, then why are you afraid of public scrutiny?”

2.4 COACHING: Earlier coaching meant additional efforts for the weak students. Now it means fine tuning the skills of the already accomplished. It means polishing up a ninety percenter into a ninety-eight percenter. Fortunately our institutions have not fallen into this racket. Conversely, with the advent of coaching institutions, the role of mainline educational institutions is becoming peripheral. This is a dangerous market trend, where the means justify the ends. If this phenomenon grows at current rates, main line institutions, as vehicles of academic activity, would become redundant.

The Coaching activity of our institutions in so far as they are aimed at improving the lot of the weaker students, is a noble act, which is to be greatly appreciated. A related matter is that of private tuitions. This is an area where lay teachers are to be severely faulted. Granted that many of them need that “extra bit” to build a house or get a daughter married. But it must be frankly admitted that most teachers, especially in the elite “convent schools”, have transformed private tuitions into a highly lucrative profession. This again works to the detriment of the disadvantaged. School managements seem unable to deal with the tuition racket that now abounds.

2.5 CONVERSIONS: No less than the Prime Minister himself has now alleged that Christians indulge in conversions under the guise of “services”. Two days after the PM’s allegation, Amar Ujala, the second largest circulated Hindi newspaper, conducted an opinion poll. 79% of the readers concurred with the PM’s opinion. Dileep Padgaonkar may write in the Times of India, that the German Jesuits he studied eleven years with in Pune, did not make any attempt to convert him. However, the English language press, as also the English speaking elite, are neither the opinion makers nor the policy makers of our nation.

Even Padgaonkar quotes Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar who decried conversions. They were far from today’s saffron brigade. So the conversion charges stick, even though Census of India statistical evidence points to the contrary. The truth lies somewhere in between. No doubt Catholic service institutions were used as instruments for conversion in the pre-Vatican II era, when we were taught to believe that there is “no salvation outside the Catholic Church”. Over zealous missionaries were rather hasty in pouring water in the baptismal font. Fortunately things have changed in the post Vatican II theology and economy of salvation. But we cannot undo the past. It is indeed sad if, at the end of the day, the “massive service to the nation” is misinterpreted as a selfish and subtle game of proselytisation.

2.6 CATHOLIC STUDENTS: Where does the Catholic student find itself in its very own Catholic institutions? At the outer edge, or right out? For all our tom-tomming about education, the harsh reality is that only 25% of Catholic children of school going age are studying in Catholic institutions. This means that 3 out of every 4 of our children are not studying in our own institutions; have left them; are studying elsewhere; or not studying at all. This is a damning piece of evidence, for which the entire Church in India must answer.

I have undertaken a detailed analysis of the information available in the Catholic Directory of India 1998 (the latest edition). Of the 140 dioceses, only 43 have provided detailed information about the number of Catholics studying in their institutions. (This itself is an indication that this data is unimportant to so many dioceses)! As per Census of India statistics for 1991 (the latest available) 43.29%of the population is in the age group of 3 years to 21 years, that is of school and college going age. We have then compared these figures to the actual number of Catholic students in our institutions, to arrive at the sad conclusion that Catholic institutions are not ministering to 3 out of 4 of our children. Details are to be found in the Annexure attached.

Going by available statistics, two Latin rite dioceses, Calicut in Kerala, and Shillong in the North East, have the highest percentage of 50, followed distantly by Ajmer Jaipur at 38%. The small diocese of Bijnor in Uttranchal is at the bottom of the table with 5%, followed by Khamman in Andhra at 6% and Madurai at 9% (though the last figure is possibly incorrect as Madurai has not given the figures of Catholics in all its institutions). An interesting observation is that the percentages are in no way dependent on the size, rite, ancientness or nascence of a diocese.

There could be various reasons for just 1 out of 4 Catholic students being in our own institutions: (a) Non-admission (b) Dropouts (c) Incompatibility of the institution with the community (d) Inability to study.

2.6 a: Non–admission: There was a time when several schools made a fuss about admitting our own. However, with increasing assertiveness by lay leaders and organisations, as also enlightened clergymen, things have changed for the better. In normal circumstances Catholic children are admitted, especially at primary levels. At higher levels the situation changes somewhat. Ironically, Catholic children are discriminated against on two grounds – age and domicile.

Most primary level admissions are taken at a fixed age level. For this Catholics produce their baptismal certificates, which cannot be tampered with. The same cannot be said about non-Christians who produce any municipal birth certificate or affidavit as proof of age. It is common knowledge that such documents are often concocted or fudged. This means that a 3-year-old Catholic would be pitted against a 5-year-old non-Catholic. This is a grave injustice to the honest Catholic child.

The second blatant injustice is that of domicile. Where there are multiple institutions, Catholics are told to admit their child in the institution closest to their place of domicile or parish. Here again, the Catholic cannot fudge the domicile to seek admission in an institution of its choice. This goes against the grain of the Church’s own teaching on freedom of choice, as we shall see in the next section. For the present, it suffices to say that non-Catholics can show any domicile to obtain admission, an option that is foreclosed for Catholics.

There are other lesser causes for non-admission, like parents taking it easy, or expecting admissions as a birthright. For this, such easy-going parents have only themselves to blame.

2.6 b: Dropouts: There is no statistical data on the dropout rate of Catholic students. But dropouts there are. In elitist schools this is because the average young Catholic is pitted against the older and elite non-Catholic. The problem is compounded where there are just a handful of Catholics in a class. The majority sets the standard, and the Catholic student finds itself marginalized in its very own backyard. In elitist schools, Catholics of modest means do not have the spending power – for refreshments, tuitions or extra-curricular activities. They soon develop an inferiority complex, leading to their dropping out. Dropouts also occur because of the incompatibility of the child’s aptitude and the school system or standard.

2.6 c: Incompatibility Parents are often told that their children should conform to the standards set by the institution. This is easier said that done, especially if the child is from a socially or economically deprived background, without basic amenities like electricity, housing and sanitation. Inspite of such incompatibility there are umpteen cases of parents depriving themselves in order to see that their wards lacked nothing in school. Such heroic sacrifices apart, a very fundamental question arises. Are the children made for the schools, or the schools made for the children? Jesus has clearly answered this for us when he said that the Sabbath was made for man and not vice-versa (cf Mk 2:27). It is the same Jesus who declares that he is the good shepherd who leaves the 99 to search out the one lost sheep. He would not crush a bruised reed or blow out a flickering flame (cf Mat 17:10-12, Is 42:3).

2.6 d: Inability: It is often stated that two thirds of Christians are either dalits or tribals. That being so, how many can afford to study in our institutions, even when fees are waived or massive concessions granted? There can be geographical, economical or social circumstances that prevent many of our people from entering the portals of our institutions. They therefore prefer to send their children to neighbourhood, private or government schools, which are more compatible to their milieu. It is nobody’s case that the institutional church has undertaken to educate, clothe and feed every Catholic. In all humility and openness it must also be admitted that the Catholic Church in India, despite its multi-Crore investment in educational institutions, and several thousand personnel working in this field, has been able to minister to just one out of four of its children.

3. CHURCH TEACHINGS: It would seem odd to remind our Bishops about the Church’s teachings on education. This is not an attempt to “throw it back at them.” It is an exercise in objectivity. It is also an indication that the laity is not raising unreasonable demands. Most of what we have to say is already reflected in current Church teachings. We seek to reiterate the Church’s own pronouncements, both at the universal level, and that of the Church in India. The primary sources are the Documents of the Second Vatican Council and Canon Law, both Latin and Oriental. We have taken the liberty to sometimes paraphrase the original texts to make them more intelligible to our fellow-laity, minus the dogmatism and legalese.

3.1 VATICAN II TEACHINGS
· Education has to be undertaken, not only to refine talents, but also to produce great souled persons who are so desperately required by our times (GS 31).
· This sacred Synod enunciates certain basic principles of Christian education (GE Intro).
· Every person has an inalienable right to education corresponding to his native talents, sex, culture and heritage (GE 1).
· The general goals of Christian education are described as that of developing a mature sense of responsibility, authentic freedom, positive and prudent sex education, participation in social life, useful skills, involvement in community organisations, and willingness to act for the common good (GE 2).
· The Synod reminds pastors of the acutely serious duty to make every effort to see that all the faithful enjoy a Christian education of this sort (GE 2).
· Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role is decisive, and nothing can compensate their failure to do so. The family is the first school of social virtues (GE 2).
· The Church is bound to give her children the kind of education through which their entire lives can be penetrated with the spirit of Christ (GE 3).
· The Church gives foremost importance to catechetical training (GE 4).
· Parents, who have the first and inalienable duty and right to educate their children, should enjoy true freedom in their choice of schools (GE 6).
· The Catholic school’s distinctive purpose is to create an atmosphere enlivened by the gospel spirit of freedom and charity (GE 8).
· It is the teachers who actually determine whether or not a Catholic school attains its goals (GE 8).
· Importance is to be attached to professional and technical schools (GE 9).
· Every effort should be made to see that suitable co-ordination is fostered between various Catholic schools (GE 12).
· This sacred Synod implores young people to be aware of the excellence of the teaching vocation, and undertake it with a generous spirit (GE Conclusion).
· Priests will always avoid any greediness, and carefully abstain from any appearance of merchandising (PO 17).
· Priests and bishops should spurn any type of vanity in their affairs. Let them have the kind of dwelling which will appear closed to no one, and which no one will fear to visit; even the humblest (PO17).

3.2. LATIN CODE OF CANON LAW (LC)
· The faithful have the right to a Christian education (LC 217).
· Catholic parents have the duty and right to choose those means and institutes that can best promote the Catholic education of their children (LC 793).
· Pastors have the duty of making all possible arrangements for the faithful to avail themselves of a Catholic education (LC 794.2).
· The goal of Catholic education is the formation of the whole person to attain their eternal destiny and the common good of society; to develop their physical, moral and intellectual talents in a harmonious manner, for the right use of freedom and active part in social life (LC 795).
· There must be the closest co-operation between parents and teachers. Teachers are to collaborate closely with the parents and willingly listen to them. Associations and meetings of parents are to be set up and held in high esteem (LC 796.2).
· The faithful are to promote Catholic schools, doing everything possible to establish and maintain them (LC 800.2).
· The diocesan bishop has the responsibility of ensuring that schools imbued with a Christian spirit are established (LC 802.1).
· Wherever suitable, the diocesan bishop is to establish professional and technical schools, and those for special needs (LC 802.2).
· Formation and education in a Catholic school must be based on the principles of Catholic doctrine, and the teachers must be outstanding in true doctrine and uprightness of life (LC 803.2).
· The bishop has the right to watch over and respect the Catholic schools situated in his territory, even those established or directed by members of religious institutes. He has also the right to issue directives concerning the general regulation of Catholic schools; these directives apply also to schools conducted by members of a religious institute (LC 806.1).
· Catholic schools are to ensure that the formation given in them is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area (LC 806.1).
· Clerics are forbidden to practise commerce or trade, either personally or through another, for their own or another’s benefit, except with the permission of the local ecclesiastical authority (LC 286).

3.3 ORIENTAL CODE OF CANON LAW (OC)
· The responsibility for the education of children belongs primarily to their parents (OC 627.1).
· Parents are to enjoy true freedom in the choice of the means of education (OC 627.3).
· The Church has the duty to care for their Catholic education, together with parents (OC 628.1).
· Pastors must help parents in educating their children; make them aware of their rights and obligations (OC 628.2).
· Educators are to pay heed to the formation of the whole person, physical, intellectual and moral talents, Christian virtues, human and moral values, right conscience, true freedom, justice, social responsibility and loving fellowship (OC 629).
· The faithful must support Church initiatives in promoting education, erecting, conducting and maintaining schools (OC 630.2).
· Parents should send their children to Catholic schools (OC 533.2).
· The Catholic school has an obligation to create an atmosphere animated by the Gospel, to orient the whole of human culture to the message of salvation and the knowledge students acquire is illumined by faith (OC 634.1).
· The Catholic school is to adapt to circumstances if the majority of students are non-Catholics (OC 634.2).
· The bishop is to see that Catholic schools are established especially where other schools are lacking or are inadequate, so too professional and technical schools as required (OC 635).
· As it depends chiefly on the teachers whether a Catholic school achieves its purposes, they should be outstanding in doctrine and witness, and work in close collaboration with parents and other schools (OC 639).

3.4 LAY CATHOLICS IN SCHOOLS: WITNESS TO FAITH (Issued by the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education on 15/10/1982, signed by Cardinal William Baum, Prefect of the Congregation)
· Without lay Catholics as educators the Church’s education in the faith would lack one of its important basic elements (No. 74).
· In speaking about lay people this Sacred Congregation has declared that by their witness and behaviour teachers are of the first importance to impart a distinctive character to Catholic schools (No.76).
· Priests, men and women religious and laypersons should be integrated fully into one educational community; and each one should be treated as a fully equal member of that community. (No.77)
· Laity should participate authentically in the responsibility of the school…To achieve this participation several conditions are indispensable; genuine esteem of the lay vocation, sharing in the information that is necessary, turning over the distinct responsibilities of teaching, administration, and government of the school, to the laity (N.78).

3.5 CHURCH IN INDIA SEMINAR – 1969 (Considered a watershed in the life of the post Vatican II Church in India).
· The philosophy of Christian Education has been set forth in the Decree on Education of the Second Vatican Council. In implementing it, Catholic educational institutions must seek a dimension beyond the secular, bearing a shining witness to Jesus Christ (Pg 354).
· Unless the commitment to social justice and the brotherhood of man becomes an active force in the actual working of the institution, it may only be producing an easy venue for the spread of ideologies, which it is the business of Christian education to combat. In its pre-occupation with administrative and organisational matters, and its almost exclusive attention to distinction in the secular programmes of study, it may happen that the Catholic educational institution imparts the skills that the student needs, but some other agency provides him with the philosophy that he will live by (Pg 355).
· There is often unwillingness in the Catholic educator to get out of himself and accept the radical challenge of the Gospel (Ibid).
· Far too often it may be found that the generous impulses evoked and nurtured in schools and colleges wear off after they have left school. This is because these impulses were not given a firm grounding in intellectual conviction (Ibid).
· The first responsibility of the Catholic school is to impart Catholic education to Catholic children. Admission policies, such as criteria for selection, should conform to this primary requirement (Pg 356).
· A cognate obligation is to be of service to the poor, and hence to educate the children of the poor. To the extent that resources permit, the endeavour should be to educate the children of the poor and underprivileged (Ibid).
· There is need to be wary in getting involved in running schools and colleges that only the rich can afford. It is no part of the mission of the Church to provide facilities for the rich, if the latter do not respond by discharging their obligation to help the poor. The country looks upon education as an instrument of social change. Catholic institutions have a special obligation to ensure that they do not help to perpetrate social injustice (Ibid).
· The present system produces far too many candidates for unproductive desk jobs. There is need for supplementing and enriching the academic programmes with vocational training at an intermediate level (between the artisan and expert technologist) (Pg 357).
· There should be an agency for planning the total educational effort in a diocese… Diocesan Educational Councils, Inter diocesan Councils and a National Catholic Education Council should be established, with powers to exercise such functions as accreditation and rationalisation (Pg358).
· Catholic educational institutions have by and large a reputation for efficiently working under the existing system of education in our country. Considering the general standards this is no high matter for self-congratulation (Ibid).
· The question of who owns the Catholic school is not so important as who runs it. It could happen that legal proprietorship may vest in a Catholic, and yet the education imparted in the school is far from Christian (Pg 359).
· The institution should be so administered that it becomes part of the wider community, be it the parish, diocese or the nation (Ibid).
· While the priests and religious have made Catholic education what it is and their work is central to the maintenance of its quality, it is also necessary to recognise that for the vigorous growth of Catholic education, the involvement of the laity in educational work, including its organisation and administration, is imperative. It is also necessary to remind ourselves continually that the quality of education depends on the teacher rather than on the quality of the management, and anything that devalues the teacher’s position imperils the quality of education (Ibid).
· Institutions should maintain the highest standards in staff-management relationships, and aim at the evolution of an academic community with no sharp cleavage or division between employers and employed (Ibid).

3.6 ARCHDIOCESAN CONSULTATION ON EDUCATION – 1986 (Speech by Abp Henry D’souza of Calcutta)
· The educational system seems almost weighted in favour of a highly competitive and individualistic formation of the student, to the detriment of social and national concerns (1.2).
· An education in what is known as a “good” school means good jobs, good money, and good living. Hence people will make great efforts to get their child into such a school (1.3).
· Schools perpetuate a social structure, which leads to the survival of the fittest when often the privileged and rich have advantages (1.4).
· The National Policy of Education (1986) has a beautiful directive: “ Each individual’s growth presents a different range of problems and requirements at every stage. The catalytic action of education in this complex and dynamic growth process needs to be planned meticulously and executed with great sensitivity”. The paragraph is a gem of human wisdom (2.4).
· The reason for obtaining minority protection on the basis of religion is to enable the minority community to protect its religious traditions. One could therefore expect that in a Catholic school a high priority would be given to Catechism and faith formation (3.2).
· A preferential option for the poor has been the explicit choice of Church leaders and the church itself. This calls for social change and efforts to reform the social and economic structures that are causing the poverty. The child has to learn through the school to be sensitive to the needs of the less privileged, to see the inter-dependence of all, and to obtain a commitment towards a more just social order (3.4).
· The relevant question now emerges whether the existing institutions are serving Catholic children. From the small number of Catholics who pass out each year form our schools, one could reasonably wonder whether the Catholic school is for the Catholic children (4.2).
· Catholic institutions have, over the years, developed a high standard of academic excellence, and the Catholic community by and large cannot keep abreast. The Catholic community has become socially and economically less privileged and cannot match the demands of the school. Some other reasons are the laziness and apathy among Catholic families; encouragement to games and dance, rather than application and hard work (4.3).
· This year I tried to get statistics of the number of Catholic children who had passed the school leaving examination. I did not get even 100, inspite of the 50 Catholic schools we possess in the archdiocese (5.1).
· The Present structure of our Catholic schools could be highly discriminatory to the Catholic child, except in respect of admission. Having admitted the child, the pace that is set may be impossible for a normal Catholic family, given the housing and poor facilities (5.3).
· The admission policy tends to make the Catholics the weaker section in a Catholic school. The norms of admission bring in students with very high IQ from the other communities and these are then pitted against the average and even less talented Catholic child (5.4).
· The self-image of the Catholic child may already be poor, because its peers in the school come from better economic and social backgrounds. The child may feel a lesser citizen in a school when expensive habits bring importance, or wrong values are prevalent. Some reports have mentioned that Catholic children are at times chastised as wasters, or by some such picturesque term. The sum total is that discouragement enters the child, and it soon loses its desire to go to school (5.6).
· Our schools are not easily attacked as they serve the rich and powerful too well and are much needed. But their purposes will be manipulated. They will be used, occupied and made to serve the interests of the powerful. If a Catholic school is to continue to fulfil its original purpose of assisting the Catholic community, it has to be watchful against these hidden attempts to capture the schools, to make them subservient to the interests of the powerful and rich. Positive efforts have to be made to retain both the Catholic ideals of the school as also to make them serve the Catholic children and the Catholic Community (5.7).

3.7 WHAT IS CHRISTIAN ABOUT CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS? (Abp Henry D’souza of Calcutta in the New Leader dt 16/3/91 – Excerpts):
· We continue to think and act as privileged, sheltered minority institutions unrelated to the lives of our sisters and brothers in the area – islands of excellence amidst seas of misery.
· What is in fact a high standard? Is to have a cent per cent pass, or get first divisions? That is an academic standard. We want human standards, to train human persons to the best of their ability.
· The school must become an agent for the transformation of society.
· The new vision will include love for the poor, not as objects of charity as by giving a few concessions and books, but as persons.
· There will be a desire to assist the weak and the backward. Such an atmosphere will immediately change the school ethic from competition to co-operation.
· Tuitions can no longer be acceptable. It is the greatest source of discrimination among children…They are a serious indictment of the quality and adequacy of the school teaching.
· The admission policy could be examined. Taking only the brilliant leads to the Catholic students becoming the weaker section of the schools. Perhaps we need neighbourhood admissions of all intelligence and ranks.

3.8 SUMMATION: Summing up the various teachings and pronouncements of the Church and its prelates, it becomes more than apparent that Competition and Commercialisation, with their endemic evils, should not be on the agenda of Catholic education. Let us now move on to the ground realities in our country and community, and thereafter synthesise a vision for the future.

4. GROUND REALITIES: No doctrine, teaching or ideal can exist in a vacuum. It has to be contextualised. We need to briefly remind ourselves of the ground realities in both Church and society.

4.1 SOCIAL CONDITIONS: No doubt the country has made much socio-economic progress in the 54 years since Independence. Compared to the West we are nowhere. Compared to some African countries with totalitarian regimes we may feel accomplished. Looking east at the South Asian tigers, which obtained independence at the same time that we did, we have to admit that we are lagging behind. A recent report shows that even a country like Vietnam, that was ravaged by war for eleven years, and lost 4 million civilian lives (10% of its population), has less poverty and a better or more equitable social order than India (India Today 3/9/01).
Vietnam has achieved what India has not, because it had adopted certain policies and implemented them. There are several such instances in history, where a pragmatic and principled leadership has brought about change. A spineless leadership will allow things to drift with the current, pleading helplessness. A spirit-filled and people-empowered Church can never plead helplessness. It must address itself to the situation with wisdom and fortitude.
We do not require a sociologist to tell us that literacy levels in India are still abysmally low. We don’t have to go to the U.N. Conference in Durban to be reminded of ongoing caste prejudice. The continuing instances of dowry deaths, female foeticide, acid throwing on girls etc reminds us of the sorry plight of our women folk. Tribals are still not involved in planning their own development, often getting displaced instead. Corruption, lawlessness and insanitation are the hallmarks of modern Indian society. Many of the perpetrators of such evils have studied in our institutions. What impact have we had on them?

4.2 THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY: Indeed, our institutions have educated generations of Catholics, often at heavily subsidised rates. Many prominent or accomplished Catholics today owe a deep debt of gratitude to the missionaries who educated them. This is especially true of the tribal and dalit members of our community. Hostels in rural areas were a springboard for a new life that such persons could never have dreamt of. Our educational institutions have also been a major source of employment in both the teaching and non-teaching cadres. We cannot forget this stellar role of our institutions. But we cannot rest on our laurels. There is a niggling fear that the missionary work, done by heroic pioneers from foreign lands, has gradually been diluted and derailed, digressing from its original purpose. There are a lot of misgivings and heartburn about our educational institutions in the minds of the Catholic laity. Attend any Church seminar or conference on any topic. The moment somebody raises the issue of schools, the litany of woes is unending.
At such times the laity is invariably told, “This is not the correct forum to raise these issues.” The question then arises, “What is the appropriate forum?” This presentation is also a forum for expression of the heartburn and misgivings of the laity. These misgivings may not always be justified, but nevertheless merit attention.

4.2.1 MISGIVINGS/ APPREHENSIONS/ ALLEGATIONS BY THE LAITY:
· Church teachings notwithstanding, there has been no serious attempt to involve the laity in the management or administration of Church run institutions.
· Institutions are supposed to be established by and for the people. However, in reality they are established by the clergy/religious with their own or foreign resources. The beneficiaries are not the local church.
· Senior teachers with requisite qualifications are not made principals. Instead young and inexperienced clergy/religious are invariably given these plum posts. The laity feels that it is not trusted.
· The clergy/religious, and/or their relatives from outside the locality are now cornering seats in professional/vocational institutions like Teacher’s Training, B. Ed, MBBS, originally meant for the people, especially the local people where such institutes have been established.
· Clergy/ religious are sent outside the country for higher studies, though there is no guarantee that they will return to put that knowledge and experience to use for the community. Such opportunities are not extended to competent laity.
· In many dioceses religious congregations function autonomously, with scant regard for the local Church and its concerns or priorities, even though Canon Law provides for diocesan supervision.
· As already elaborated herein above, just one of four Catholics of school/college going age are in our own institutions, even though the number of institutions has increased at more than double the pace of the population. Unfortunately, the Catholic Directories of India for 1994 and 1998 have retained the figures of 1990, so we will have to rely on the 1990 statistics as below:




HEAD 1969 1990 GROWTH RATE
PARISHES 3,513 6,277 79%
MISSION STATIONS 10,025 17,467 74%
CATHOLIC POPULATION 7,607,286 13,424,00 76%
INSTITUTIONS 8,877 22,865 158%

· It often felt that in Protestant institutions all Christians, including Catholics, are given preferential treatment, especially in institutes of higher learning, where there is a limited Catholic presence. However, inspite of much talk about ecumenism, Catholic institutions seldom reciprocate, and turn away Christians of other Churches.

5. REMEDIAL MEASURES: In the light of the above we propose some remedial measures, and an action plan. The remedial measures stem from an attitudinal change or a paradigm shift. Most of these are already stated unequivocally in Church teachings. It is a question of implementing resolutions, the courage, faith and will to act. It has already been a long wait, 36 years since the Vatican Council. Any further delay will erode the credibility of the Church beyond retrievable limits.

5.1 G0ALS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION: They may be identified as two primary goals – (i) Care for the Catholic students and their catechetical formation (ii) Social Concern and its resultant social transformation. This is where a paradigm shift is required, to jettison the present comfort zones, and to move back into the path of basic Christian values, with all its attendant dangers, risks and uncertainty. Some practical suggestions are given in the next section.

5.2 STOCK TAKING & ANALYSIS: In this study we have presented some data, which are a revelation in themselves. In 1991, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s “Fifty Percent Judgement”, the AICU had proposed to the CBCI-CRI that they conduct a detailed survey of their institutions. It was not done; though the All Indian Association of Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) did conduct a limited survey of 226 colleges affiliated to it. We propose a survey of our institutions as below:

A. TYPE OF INSTITUTION
(i) Primary
(ii) Secondary
(iii) Higher Secondary
(iv) Graduation
(v) Post Graduation
(vi) Vocational/Technical/Professional
(vii) Special Care – as for physically/mentally impaired
B. LOCATION
(i) Urban
(ii) Rural
(iii) Semi-Rural
C. MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
(i) State Language
(ii) English
(iii) Bi-lingual
D. GENDER
(i) Male
(ii) Female
(iii) Co-Educational
E. CATEGORY
(i) Govt aided
(ii) Fee levying
(iii) Subsidised fees
F. STUDENT’S PERCENTAGE
(i) Catholics
(ii) Other Christians
(iii) Dalits (including Christians)
(iv) Tribals (including Christians)
(v) Other Backward Classes
G. PRINCIPALS/ INSTITUTIONAL HEADS
(i) Cleric
(ii) Religious (Non-Cleric)
(iii) Layman
(iv) Laywoman
H. TEACHING STAFF PERCENTAGE
(i) Cleric
(ii) Religious (Non-Cleric)
(iii) Lay Catholic
(iv) Other Christian
(v) Other Faith
I. NON-TEACHING STAFF PERCENTAGE
(i) Cleric
(ii) Religious (Non-Cleric)
(iii) Lay Catholic
(iv) Other Christians
(v) Other Faiths

Such an exercise will be an honest appraisal of the Church’s contribution to education. The picture that emerges will help the Church in reorienting itself for the future.

5.3. LAY PARTICIPATION & MANAGEMENT: Thirty two years ago, at the Church in India Seminar (1969) the decision was taken to hand over the management of educational institutions to the laity, in accordance with Vatican II teachings. It is a promise not kept. The unwritten statement is that “the laity cannot be trusted.“ This is a fallacious and specious allegation, and can be thrown right back at those who make it. Allegations and counter-allegations will get us nowhere. If lay Catholics can hold the highest offices in the land – Chiefs of Defence Staff, Supreme Court Judges, Ambassadors and Bureaucrats, surely they are more than competent to manage educational institutions, and perhaps more experienced and better qualified. When Pope John Paul II visited India in 1986 he spoke forthrightly that “The Church’s ministers are not called to play leadership roles in the secular spheres of society. India has many competent lay men and women to attend to those matters “ (No 41.2). He also said: “ The church must count ever more on the contribution of the laity. In matters of assisting the poor, eradicating hunger and promoting human development, social reforms and peace they are in a special position to assume roles of service and leadership” (5.9).
It is high time then that the hierarchical Church in India takes the Church’s own teachings to heart, and makes a time bound action programme for handing over the governance and administration of mainline educational institutions to the laity.

5.4 TEACHERS & TUITIONS: Management professionals may not entirely agree with the Church’s teachings that the quality of an institution is determined by the teacher’s rather than the management. Nevertheless history is replete with instances of how noble teachers have influenced those in their care. Unfortunately, as with everything else in education, teaching has regressed from a noble vocation to a lucrative profession. We have thousands of lay teachers. How many of them can be considered paragons of Christian virtue or exemplary faith? Again what criteria do school managements use for selecting teachers? Are the docile submissive ones the obvious choice, to perpetrate the status quo?
Another strange phenomenon is noticed is several parts of the country. Several schools prefer to employ the wives of senior defence and civil officers, who are on transferable posts. More often than not they are non-Christians, belonging to an elitist background, with no commitment to society or the local Church. Such Memsahibs can seldom have the good of the institution at heart. They are just passing time, and also depriving needy persons of jobs. The practice should be eliminated immediately.
Tuitions are now conducted in batches. This is crass commercialisation at its worst. School managements must crack the whip hard on such malpractices. Catholic teachers must be made to understand in no uncertain terms, that God does not bless this kind of moneymaking, which perpetuates discrimination!

5.5 SHIFT FROM MAINLINE EDUCATION: Religious Orders have been pioneers in the mission of the church. Like John the Baptist, they levelled the ground. Thereafter diocesan clergy stepped in. Once the Church is established the diocesan clergy should in turn make place for the laity to take over. Religious Orders, in particular, should now move from mainline education to more pioneering and challenging fields. In India the Jesuits have made a distinct shift in their priorities in education. When they handed over the prestigious Campion School in Mumbai in 1988, to a lay administrative body, Rev Heredia SJ, Vice-Principal of St. Xavier’s had this to say: “As a pioneering group we have served our purpose in Bombay. It is time to pull our stakes and go where we are needed most now, in the villages….Academic excellence is essentially a bourgeois ideal, and social relevance is the cry of the underprivileged. The trickle down process of influencing the elite is a feudalistic hangover. Today the elite co-opt us to their interests. It is not we who influence them…. I am not against excellence, against striving, but it has to be relevant. If you are excellent in an irrelevant educational system, what does it say about you? We have got to be relevant in our excellence” (Times of India 23/6/1988).
No doubt other Religious Orders and Congregations have also made forays into fresh pastures. The thrust must become stronger in other fields of education like vocational, professional, technical and special education for groups that are handicapped – the hearing and visually impaired, the mentally challenged, Cerebral Palsy, etc. Adult and no-formal education also open up large vistas for service, that are relevant and urgently needed.

6. PLAN OF ACTION: In order to bring this vision to fruition we submit some practical suggestions in random order:
* Strict verification of age and domicile of non–Christian applicants
* Freedom of choice of institution to Catholic applicants, with preference to those of the neighbourhood or parish.
* Screening of those aspiring for teacher’s posts, to determine their emotional and spiritual quotients, and commitment to Catholic social doctrines.
* Vacancies for both teaching and non-teaching posts should be announced in the parish and neighbouring ones.
* Competent lay people should be on the selection panel.
* Arbitration Boards must be established in every diocese; with adequate and competent lay representatives, to resolve disputes and conflicts.
* Grant of scholarships/concessions should not be at the whims and fancies of individual heads. Scholarship Committees, again with adequate lay representation, should be established in each parish, and their recommendations should be binding on the institutions in their territory.
* A scientific/sociological study should be undertaken to ascertain dropout and failure rates and their reasons.
* Career Guidance, especially at high school level, should be integrated into school curriculum.
* Social justice requires participation of the target group in the process of empowerment. A practical step would be to reserve a certain number of seats for SCs/ STs/ OBCs. This would strike at elitism, and also reduce the pressure for admissions from the privileged and influential classes of society.
* Religious congregations should be sensitive to the needs of the local Church, and abide by the Diocesan Education Policy.
* Diocesan Education Committees, with adequate lay representation, should be formed.
* To remove the gender bias, all new schools should be co-educational.
* Adopt the CBSE pattern where the humanities are taught in the local language (mother tongue), and science and maths are taught in English. The mother tongue is important for cultural expression, and English is necessary for scientific advancement.

7. SUMMATION: We began this presentation with a rather cheeky pun on eyes and sees (I’s and C’s). The C’s stood for Competition, Commercialisation, Corruption, Coaching and Conversions. The big I of the human ego makes us blind to these C’s. In faith, humility and courage, Catholic education could do with a sea change (another pun, but not for fun)! The new C’s that should characterise Catholic Education are: Catechesis, Character, Conscience, Concern, Compassion and Co-operation.

7.1 CATECHESIS: In the old order we had catechism, which was a set of questions and answers, doctrinal in emphasis, and unrelated to life. After Vatican II, catechism has given way to catechesis – which is more experiential and contextualised. This is much tougher than catechism. Hence it has been almost abandoned, resulting in the de-Christianisation of our institutions. We must bring Christ back into Catholic schools, to imbue them with His Spirit.

7.2 CHARACTER & CONSCIENCE: These are not limited to Christianity or Christians. They should be the primary goal of our institutions. If our country today is steeped in corruption and oppression, it is because we lack both character and conscience. We have vacated the high moral ground, and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Character and Conscience formation must start from day one. If parents bluff their child’s age at the very first stage, they will be cheaters through life, with the ends justifying the means.

7.3 COMPASSION & CONCERN: Our institutions are better known for strict discipline than for Compassion and Concern. Discipline by itself is no virtue. Hitler’s storm troopers and Caesar’s legions were highly disciplined. To what effect? The RSS is also considered a disciplined force! Discipline must be tempered with compassion for those in need; and concern for society, the environment, the nation, etc. We must set an example in Compassion and Concern. There is no better way of teaching these virtues.

7.3 CO-OPERATION: Abp Henry D’souza has advocated co-operation instead of competition, and we fully agree with him. In a competition some win and many lose. But co-operation is a win-win situation, which modern management gurus talk about. We look forward to a new era in the Church, an era of co-operation, where there will be no losers, only winners. May that day dawn soon.

That will indeed be a C change in Catholic Education.






DIOCESE STATE CATHOLIC POPULATION CATHOLICSTUDENTS@43.29% OF POPULATION STUDYING INCATHOLICSCHOOLS PERCENTAGEOF CATHOLICCHILDREN IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
1. Agra UP 11,155 4,833 972 20%
2 Ajmer- Jaipur RAJ 13,054 5,656 2,122 38%
3 Allahabad UP 11,135 4,826 1,177 25%
4 Alleppey KER 1,35,000 58,500 15,431 26%
5 Ambikapur CHHA 66,841 28,964 9.070 32%
6 Bagdogra WB 40,266 17,449 5,955 34%
7 Balasore ORI 15.650 6,782 710 11%
8 Baruipur WB 47,102 20,411 2,201 11%
9 Belgaum KAR 29,575 12,815 3,193 25%
10 Bellary KAR 23,715 10,277 2,040 20%
11 Bijnor UTTA 1,586 688 31 5%
12 Calcutta WB 1,24,708 54,040 10,390 19%
13 Calicut KER 55,620 24,102 12,060 50%
14 Cochin KER 1,64,714 71,377 23,255 32%
15 Coimbatore TN 2,08,394 90,305 10,778 12%
16 Delhi DEL 81,000 35,100 5,987 17%
17 Dumka JHAR 79,329 34,363 4,715 14%
18 Hazaribagh JHAR 32,807 14,217 4,901 35%
19 Indore MP 22,846 9,900 1,438 15%
20 Jalpaiguri WB 1,00,877 43,714 5,675 13%
21 Jamshedpur JHAR 58,000 25,133 4,479 18%
ANNEXURE
(Source: Catholic Directory of India 1998. Figures tabulated are of those dioceses that have revealed the number of Catholic children studying in Catholic schools).


22 Jhansi UP 6,742 2,921 727 25%
23 Kanjirapally KER 1,58,000 68,467 13,513 20%
24 Khamman AP 94,708 41,040 2,483 6%
25 Khandwa MP 28,400 12,307 3,475 28%
26 Kohima NAG 38,506 16,686 5,191 31%
27 Kothamagalam KER 4,89,700 2,12,203 41,231 19%
28 Kurnool AP 55,396 24,005 3,169 13%
29 Madurai TN 1,52,120 65,919 6,091 9%
30 Mangalore KAR 3,46,467 1,50,135 27,061 18%
31 Nagpur MAH 22,519 9,757 2,736 28%
32 Palai KER 3,34,000 1,44,733 47,875 33%
33 Palayamkottai TN 99,571 43,147 11,355 26%
34 Patna BIH 60,605 26,262 4,403 17%
35 Raiganj WB 71,326 30,907 10,861 35%
36 Sambalpur ORI 30,137 13,060 2,922 22%
37 Shillong MEG 3,02,622 1,31,136 66,024 50%
38 Shimoga KAR 23,287 10,090 2,371 24%
39 Thamarassery KER 1,15,356 49,987 15,003 30%
40 Varanasi UP 13,652 5,916 1,123 19%
41 Vellore TN 1,30,397 56,505 17,478 31%
42 Verapoly KER 2,36,030 1,02,280 32,675 32%
43 Vijayawada AP 2,04,308 88,533 21,282 24%
TOTALS 18,77,584 4,65,629 25%