Closing Schools Not a Solution To Principals’ Controversy
LDS MODEL PROVIDES ONE OPTION
The pioneers of Catholic schools in Fiji would be turning in their graves because of a proposal to close these educational institutions.
Such a drastic idea could only be justified if the church as an autonomous religious body was directly under threat from Government.
In this case, it is definitely not.
The Church’s future survival is not based on whether all its schools are led by principals of Catholic faith. It depends on how the clergy carry out their pastoral responsibilities in ministering to their members and the response from the members who have a choice whether to follow their teachings or not.
When members are converted to Catholicism they will not depart from it whether they have Catholic principals or not. It all boils down to the matter of choice.
The church stands to lose more if it severs its secular learning arm because this is a forum where it not only helps to consolidate its faith among member students, but also introduces the church to non-member students through various activities. Over the years the church has lost members to other Christian churches through the exercise of their choice.
It’s this battle to retain members that may have influenced its current stand. In the controversy over whether church schools should have faith-based principals, the choice is simple.
If they want control over the appointment of school heads, then they should privatise their schools like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The LDS schools are funded fully by tithing money paid by church members, including the salaries for teachers. The members pay their tithing out of their own free will and choice. No one is forced. Students who attend the LDS schools pay their school fees because the church does not accept Government funding. While this gives the LDS schools independence, they are integrated in the Fijian school system as equal participants.
It is a harmonious relationship that works well for both Government and the church. The other choice is to allow for changes that would lift the standards in Catholic schools to the next level. Appointing principals on merit and not on the basis of religious affiliation would not necessarily change the fundamental structure and system in the church schools. The focus would still be on academic and character building. The religious component will be retained. For the Catholic Church the future direction rests with its leader, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong. Will he chart a new course or continue with the tradition of the past?
In the church’s early beginning, education was an integral part of its growth. It was a missionary, education and service based church.
As secular learning began to take roots beside religious education, it was the Roman Catholic mission here that responded positively to the new wave of enthusiasm about secular learning.
It brought in more than 50 brothers and nuns in 1910 to teach English and other subjects.
It set the pace for education and overshadowed previous efforts by other religious groups.
The early pioneers realised the importance of both secular and religious education. To cut off secular learning will be a big disappointment for members and nonmembers.