R.C.M. Schools have been centers of quality education and the formation of the future generations of citizens of this nation. It is sad that changes in the government policies and private management moving more and more in the direction of English medium education, collecting fees from the students, has affected Telugu medium schools.
Christian managements, dioceses and religious congregations have also opened more English medium schools and colleges. In this scenario, the losers are the poor and the marginalized sections of society. They are in a way deprived of affordable quality education in their mother tongue!
Catholic Church managements should note this point, namely, are the poor alienated from us or are we alienated from the poor due to our high-profile English medium schools? In the past, the poor and marginalized found our institutions accessible and affordable, especially in the aided schools and colleges. Are they still with us as before or are we with the poor and marginalized as before? With the New Education Policy to commence a year or two from now, we need to reflect and plan to be there in the field of education. Let us do the best possible to be in the service of the society, whether appreciation comes from all the quarters or not!
Loss of employment opportunities for Christians in the aided schools and diminishing number of priests and religious, sisters and brothers in teaching positions in the aided schools have been the serious consequences. Aided posts for sisters, priests and brothers were also of financial support to the community and to the institution. This was sufficient also to motivate priests, religious brothers and sisters, and the lay men and women, to serve the cause of education of the poor and the marginalized sections in the society and in the Church.
Considerable number of people was employed, as the teaching and non-teaching staff, and this uplifted many families in the Christian community. Help coming from the government in support of the hostels was also helpful for Christian managements to remain in the education apostolate. The poor and the lower middle class were with us or we were with the poor and deserving. All this will soon be a “past story!” But, as a Catholic church we cannot quit this apostolate and this mission of reaching out to the poor and the marginalized. In spite of the challenges that seem to be hard to cope with, the Church should continue to be at the service of the poor!
Our options for the private English medium schools with a fee structure and other required paraphernalia which the poor and marginalized cannot afford has resulted, regret for generalizing, a distancing from the poor and the needy who also want good quality education. Affordability of and accessibility to what we offer in our Catholic educational institutions have to come for serious reflection: who or what sections could afford the cost at which we offer good education?
On the other hand, we cannot run private educational institutions without collecting certain amount of fees. We have to pay the staff, teaching and the non-teaching, at some reasonable level! It is unfortunate that our Schools and colleges are accused of making money on the educational institutions. We need to be careful not to give an opportunity to those who want to indulge in bad propaganda. We cannot compromise on quality education and we have to stand on par with other private managements without sacrificing the basic Christian values which are Gospel values and Kingdom values! Are there ways within this situation to create sufficient space for the poor and the marginalized? Our poor also need to have access to good English medium education. Especially those in our Community!
Tomorrow: Of Catholic Students and Educational Institutions
I don’t know if I would do justice in commenting without reading the second part. All the same, how the state of Kerala striked a balance between the English medium private CBSE, ICSE schools with the Catholic Aided management schools was introducing ‘ English medium’ in the ‘Vernacular ‘ Aided schools. since, Aided schools were salary paid by the Govt., the teachers were trained in their respective field. The Govt. Schools were also was in need of stopping outflow of students from Govt. s;chools. The Quality improvement of Govt and Aided teachaers .SSA ( Samagara Shiksha Abhiyan) helped for the same.