The Catholic Church in Kerala has invested heavily in
education and has contributed immensely to the overall development of Kerala as
well as to national integration.
Our educational
institutions have been in the forefront in increasing the opportunities for all
irrespective of caste or religion.
Those who have passed
through Catholic educational
institutions know that those institutions of the Church have never
discriminated against any caste or creed and have been a welcome place for
people following different religious persuasions.
We gather here
today to make an assessment of our
contributions and to look at ways in
which we can cooperate with one another
in this effort more closely as well as to propose steps for further improvements in the way we run our
institutions.
Transparency and
fairness in the management of our institutions should be manifested to the
public more clearly. We also have to update the existing level of the learning
processes in our institutions. In a world of globalization and IT revolution,
we have to devise ways in which we can become partners with other institutions
working in this filed.
We have also to look for ways in which we can cooperate with
institutions of Higher Education in India and use the resources that are
offered by the UGC and the Central government.
Autonomy was granted by the UGC several decades ago but
Kerala colleges are deprived of the benefit of autonomy. The demand for
granting autonomy to colleges in Kerala has to be raised more vociferously.
As we reflect on our commitment and contributions in the
world of Higher Education, it would be very appropriate for us to deepen our
understanding of the mission of the Church in the light of the Papal
pronouncements as well of the Vatican Council 11.
Papal Statements:
The Document on Education of the Second Vatican Council,
Graivissimum Educationis, proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on Oct.28,1965 has the
following observations on the mission of the Church in the field of education:
“The Sacred Synod heartily recommends that Catholic Colleges
and Universities be conveniently located in different parts of the world, but
in such a way that they are outstanding not for their numbers but for their
pursuit of knowledge.
“The Church is bound as a mother to give to those children of
hers an education by which their whole life can be imbued with the spirit of
Christ and at the same time do all she can to promote for all peoples the
complete perfection of the human person.”
The Apostolic
Constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae issued by Pope John Paul II in August 1990
states:
“The Catholic University is distinguished by its free search
for the whole truth about nature, man and God. The invitation of St. Augustine,
“Intellige ut credere; crede ut intelligere” is relevant for Catholic Universities that are called to
explore courageously the riches of Revelation and of nature so that the united
endeavor of intelligence and faith will enable people to come to the full
measure of their humanity , created in the image and likeness of God.
“Scientific and technological discoveries create an enormous
economic and industrial growth, but they
also inescapably require the corresponding necessary search for meaning
in order to guarantee that the new
discoveries be used for the authentic good of individuals and of human society
as a whole.
A Catholic University is called in a particular way to
respond to this need: its Christian inspiration enables it to include the
moral, spiritual and religious dimension in its search and to evaluate the
attainments of science and technology in the perspective of the totality of the
human person.
“Catholic University is one of the best instruments that the
Church offers to our age which is searching for certainty and wisdom.
Dealing with the identity and mission of the Catholic
universities, the Apostolic Letter has the following to say:
“Every Catholic University as Catholic must have the
following characteristics:
1. A Christian inspiration not only of the individuals but of
the University community as such.
2. A continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith
upon the growing totality of knowledge
3. Fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us
through the Church
4. An institutional commitment to the service of the people
of God.
“In a Catholic University, Catholic ideals, attitudes and
principles penetrate and inform University activities---promoting dialogue
between faith and reason and enabling students to attain an organic vision of
reality.
The CBCI document on
Education, “All India Catholic Education Policy” (May 25, 2007) has the
following comments to make:
“Education has been a major concern for the Church, as she
perceives it as an essential tool for the full development of individuals and
empowerment of people. The Church sees education as an agent of transformation.
“Our schools and colleges must continue to remain sensitive
and respond appropriately to the legitimate assertion of regional and cultural
identities by different groups. By providing education to all, irrespective of
caste, color, creed, the Church does make a distinctive contribution to attain
the goals of national integration.”
The Document explains the mission of Catholic education in
the following words:
“An education which nurtures an encounter with God as a
personal event and a free response to the call to faith and which nurtures a
life of meaning, purpose and personalized values...”
Introducing the Apostolic Constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae,
Pope John Paul II states that the Catholic Universities “ are for me a lively and promising sign of the fecundity
of the Christian mind in the heart of every culture.”
Minority Rights:
Minority Rights
enshrined in the Constitution of India are misunderstood by many as these have
been perceived as a special privilege. The Constitution of India considers
Article 30(1) to be a fundamental right. The Article states: “All minorities
whether based on religion or language shall have the right to establish and
administer educational institutions of their choice.” Dealing with the
interpretation of this article, the judgment given in the case, St. Xavier’s
college, Ahmedbad vs the State of Gujarat, by the Supreme Court in 1974 is
worth mentioning as it would dispel a lot of misunderstandings on the
interpretation of this Article. According to the judgment, “the word
‘administer’ is a word of very wide import. The other key words are ‘of their
choice.’ The minorities’ right to administer must necessarily include (1)the
right to choose its managing or governing body;(2)the right to not to be
compelled to refuse admission to
students;(3)the right to choose its teachers and (4)the right to use its
properties and assets for the benefit of its own institution…”
“To insist that minorities should surrender their fundamental
right as a condition for getting recognition or aid from the State is to make
the right unreal or illusory.”
The judgment also warns against the surrender of such a right
by the community itself: “The past members of the community cannot surrender
the right of the future members of the community.”
The judgment explains the total meaning of minority rights in
the following words:” The real reason embodied in Article 30(1) of the
Constitution is the conscience of the nation that the minorities, religious as
well as linguistic, are not prohibited from establishing and administering
educational institutions of their choice for the purpose of giving their
children the best general education to make them complete men and women of this
country.”
Hence, it is mandatory on the part of the minority
communities to be watchful always so that the whole spectrum of rights implied
in this Article does never get diminished or whittled down by the actions of
the civil authorities.
Modernization in
Higher Education:
Tim Sullivan, an Associate Press writer notes in a column in
the New York Times : “ Indian schools churn out 400,000 engineers every year
but as few as 100,000 are actually ready to join the job world. Graduates are
leaving Universities that are mired in theory classes, and sometimes so poorly
funded that they don't have computer labs. Even students from the best colleges
can be dulled by cram schools and left without the most basic communication
skills.”
Thomas Friedman in his book, “That used to be US” mentions
the three Cs that are needed for modern higher education: “What is needed now
for one to have a job in the modern market is to have three Cs..The three Cs
are Critical thinking, effective oral and written Communication, and
Collaboration.
The nature of the world of education is changing fast because
of the merging of globalization and IT revolution....The time of average is
over.”
Along with creating an open and transparent Christian culture
in our colleges, we have to think of updating our teaching methods and
programs.
The communication and leadership skills of our students have
to be improved. We should have special institutes in our campuses to hone the
skills and talents of our students.
We have to think of ways in which collaboration with foreign
Universities can be established.
International student exchange programs have to be
encouraged. Facilities for stay and study for international students should be provided
in our institutions.
Instead of following the crowd, we have to lead it. Catholic
colleges were in the forefront of many educational initiatives in the past. We
have to continue that trend instead of getting bogged down in small matters.
Private University
In the North East, the Salesians have established a private
Catholic University. We have to think of establishing a new private University
with international collaboration.
Catholic Schools of
Management and Research Centers existing in our colleges should work in
collaboration. Our aim is to foster the general academic excellence of our
student community.
Without in any way diminishing individuality and
independence, our institutions can engage in vital collaborative efforts to
make rapid strides in academic progress.
In his path-breaking book, “The Future Church” John Allen
calls for a new mind-set for a Catholic in the 21st century:
“What this century will demand is the courage to be globally
Catholic, moving out of the parochialism of a given language, ethnicity,
geographical region, or ideology, and embracing membership in a truly
“catholic” church….Diversity is wealth, but division is impoverishment.”
The Changing Face of
the University Education in India:
According to the National Knowledge Commission Report, only
about seven percent of all Indians enter the high education sector.
The Report notes that India has about 350 universities. The
National Knowledge Commission constituted in 2005 has recommended that about
1,500 Universities should be opened nationwide so that India is able to attain
a gross enrolment ratio (GER) of at least 15 percent by 2015.
According to the estimate of the Commission, there are
approximately 17,000 colleges and 131 affiliating Universities. These institutions
are not enough to meet the demands of the burgeoning young population of India.
Some of the developed counties have a GER of 40 percent. India is lagging far
behind these countries in offering opportunities of higher education to its
youth.
The Report highlights the challenges the country faces:
“India faces today two exciting challenges in Higher Education: to increase the
access to higher education and to provide educational institutions of academic
excellence.”
New Initiatives
As there is a heavy demand for institutions of higher
education, we should continue to get involved in this field as it offers the
best opportunity for serving the youth of the country.
Institutions run under
Christian inspiration are the best nodal points for taking the Good News to
people around us.
We should ask for autonomy for our colleges. We should
continue to start new courses and new institutes in science and technology.
Obstacles and challenges coming from the over charged
political atmosphere of the State should not in any way dissuade us from going
forward with new initiatives. Although the expectations of the world about
present India are very high, we know we have to do a lot in improving our
educational standards.
Tie-ups with
Universities in the U.S.
Our colleges can become a great hub of international
collaborations. This is an opportune time for our colleges to get in touch with
foreign Universities in order to open new doors of opportunities for our
students in research and career improvements. As on-line collaborations are
much easier, a lot of informal exchanges can be brought about between our
colleges and the Universities in the U.S. and other countries.
Referring to the pioneering effort of a Keralite, Mr. Abraham George who sold all
his wealth in U.S. to start an elementary
school with computer facilities for the kids of the so-called
untouchables in a remote village in Karnataka, The New York Times columnist,
Thomas Friedman, after visiting the school, observes in his book “The World is
Flat”: “We …will have to work harder,
run faster, and become smarter to make sure that more of us are able to connect
and compete, collaborate and innovate on the flat-world platform—and derive all
the benefits it has to offer. But remember: the most important competition is
now within yourself---making sure that you are always striving to get the most
out of your own imagination, and then acting on it…..The world needs you to be
the generation of strategic optimists, the generation with more dreams than
memories, the generation that wakes up each morning and not only imagines that
things can be better but also acts on that imagination very day.”
Pope Benedict XVI:
“Catholic identity is not dependent upon statistics. Neither
can it be equated simply with orthodoxy of course content. It demands and
inspires much more: namely, that each and every aspect of your learning
communities reverberates with the ecclesiastical life of faith. Our
institutions make a vital contribution to the mission of the Church and truly
serve society. They become places in
which God’s active presence in human affairs is recognized and in which
every young person discovers the joy of
entering into Christ’s being for others.”(Pope’s Address to the Catholic
Universities)
