A Vatican official praised
church-run schools as valuable components of modern education, saying
they deserve public financial support and must not be muzzled on moral
issues.
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, addressing a U.N. meeting in Geneva July 6,
said educational systems work best when they include participation by
parents and various elements of civil society, including religious
organizations.
In order for that to work, he said, "public financial resources must be
made available in order to assure fairness" for those promoting
alternative educational programs.
In carrying out its educational role, the state "should respect the
choices that parents make for their children and avoid attempts at
ideological indoctrination," Archbishop Tomasi said. He cited the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which
defends the freedom of parents to choose nonpublic schools and ensure
the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with
their own convictions.
"And this includes the right to make moral judgments on moral issues," the archbishop said.
He said religious organizations are often better positioned to provide
education to the most vulnerable children and families, including those
in remote or rural areas, those with special needs or drop-outs.
Archbishop Tomasi noted that the Catholic Church has about 200,000
primary and secondary schools located in every continent, with about 58
million students and 3.5 million teachers.
"While protecting their identity, these schools welcome students from
every ethnic and religious background and socio-economic class," he
said.
Catholic schools teach children how to make "free, reasoned and value-based decisions," the archbishop said.
It's not enough for schools to convey technical information, he added.
The goal of education must include formation of the person and
transmission of values like personal and social responsibility, a work
ethic and a sense of solidarity with others."
Archbishop Tomasi, the Vatican's representative to U.N. agencies in
Geneva, was speaking at a session on global education sponsored by the
U.N. Economic and Social Council. He noted that although the number of
children without access to primary education is dropping, about 68
million children remain out of school.
If current trends hold, he said, the international community will not be
able to meet the goal of universal primary education by 2015.
He said educational levels are directly tied to poverty levels. Another
key factor is war and civil strife; some 28 million children not
attending school live in countries affected by conflict, he said.