Catholic Schools uphold religious and Thai culture
Bangkok (AsiaNews) "I do not protest good technology, but Catholic schools also educate the student on ethics, goodness, knowledge about Jesus Christ and how to be His followers in our daily life," stated Sumitra Phongsathorn of Mater Dei School. Miss Sumitra is one of a group of administrators, teachers and parents who attended the "Effect of the Free Trade Agreement on Catholic Schools" seminar held June 24th at the St. Gabriel's Foundation Center in Bangkok. The Social Ongoing Formation Center and the Catholic Commission for Human Rights and Development, along with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, hosted the seminar, illustrating the irreplaceable need for Catholic schools, even in the face of International government-supported institutions that may seem to provide more professional resources.
"I certainly accept that the English language is very important, but what about fostering good manners, Thai culture, love, peace, justice and character, which is valued worldwide," Miss Sumitra affirmed the importance of the Catholic school system. "The goal of the Catholic School is to educate the person to grow fully in body, mind, spirit, integrating Christian faith lifestyle."
The APEC Meeting in Thailand, October, 2003, which replaced a multi-lateral agreement in the Free Trade Act (FTA) to a two-nation one, made it impossible for local private Thai schools to receive financial support from the Government. The agreement signed with China, India and Bahren in 2003 was meant to facilitate the export of Thailand's agricultural products abroad and to stimulate the country's industrial and agricultural economy and investment. The agreement with Australia and the United States for 2004 is pending.
In the wake of this motion, international schools have opened and enrolment in those state-supported institutions threatens Catholic schools, as parents seek a more secularly competitive education for their children.
The seminar examined the response of Catholic Schools to this crisis. Sr. Anny from the Congregation of St. Paul de Chartres is responsible for Saint Wittaya School in Chiengrai, near the boarder of China, Burma and Lao. "Trade is a manner of globalisation which we cannot stop, but how can we cope with the threat to our educational methods?" She explained one possible solution. "I have set up a Home-School Program. The students will stay at the dormitory on the school property and will meet their parents once a month. This will include the hill tribes' students whose community is not far from the school. We provide them with the local living environment as well as knowledge that will be useful for their profession, such as Chinese language skills."
Home and school must cooperate together to guide the children.
"No matter what our future may be, Catholic schools must concentrate on educating students in all aspects, in strength, self-discipline, global literacy, culture, temper and social skills," stated Brother Leo Visit Srivichairat, Secretary of the Catholic Commission for Education. He reaffirmed the Educational Act of 1999 which stated that to educate is to develop the student in every aspect, and stated, "We should also aim at the four pillars of Education according to UNESCO, which are: to educate students to know, to do, to live happily with others and to make a living to achieve one's goal."
Dr. Valai Na Pompetch, Secretary-General of Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace raised Catholic School's opportunity that is theirs to provide the poor in particular with quality education. "We educate student to have virtue more than knowledge," in comparison to government schools, he stated. "Another important thing to consider is whether the materials prepared by foreign teachers will represent enough Thai culture?" he added.
The Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist Academy has recently launched the idea of leading a Buddhist way of Life in government schools nationwide. The students will be educated to according to Buddhist teaching to promote peaceful co-existence in society.
Launching for the first year in 2003 there are only 195 schools applied for the program, but the number is coming up to more than ten thousand for the second year in 2004. (WK)
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