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Catholic Church and School Education
Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang | 16-Sep-2023
Catholic Church and School Education
Imparting Education is one of the foremost ministries of the Catholic Church in Nagaland. The Catholic Church has invested heavily both in terms of resources and personnel in the field of Education. The Church made her entry in the Naga Hills soon after the independence. Soon after setting her foot in the New State of Nagaland, the Catholic Church spread its wings to the far flung and remote areas of the state with the Mission of Education and Health Care and to build a holistic and progressive society. With a view to ensure equitable development in the state through education to all sections of society, the Catholic Church established schools even in places where Catholic presence was scanty. In 1970’s and 80’s, the Church augmented her efforts of the sixties in addition to schools like Little Flower School, Kohima, Holy Cross School, Dimapur, St. John School, Tuensang, St. John Bosco School, Khonoma, All Saints School, Peren, Christ King School, Kohima, and Don Bosco School, Lakhuti. In most cases, these schools were established on the requests the Past Pupils who studied in the Catholic Institutions in Shillong and other places.
Today, the Educational Mission of the Catholic Church is carried out through one University, 5 Colleges, 2 Teacher Education Institutes, 29 Higher Secondary Schools, 31 High Schools, 16 Elementary Schools and 30 Primary Schools spread across the length and breadth of Nagaland. Through her schools, the Catholic Church has been able to impart spiritual, moral, social values, development of skills, progressive thinking, etc to students beside intellectual growth. The contribution of the teachers, religious men and women to ensure quality education is unparalleled.
The Catholic Church, which had almost single headedly extended quality education in Nagaland in the last quarter of the 20th century, continues the effort in extending affordable education to the people of Nagaland. The establishment of schools by other churches and individuals in the later part of the last Century and beginning of this century has given healthy competition among private schools to raise the standard and quality of education in Nagaland. About a quarter of students passing out the Board exams each year comes from Catholic schools. The affordable fees charged in Catholic schools and quality text books provided at low cost makes education possible even for the poorest in the society.
The Catholic Church believes that education is the path to progress and most powerful weapon for the transformation of our society. The Catholic Church is also making efforts to impart social and moral values, development of skills, analytical study, critical thinking, and application of knowledge and progressive growth of the whole person in our educational institutions as per the vision of NEP 2020.
We appreciate the hard work and great initiative of the Honourable Advisor and Officers of the Education Department for revamping the Education System in our state. The number of surveys done and initiatives taken are very well appreciated. His sincere admittance that the education department is in a total mess is also a sign of honesty and sincerety and reflects a positive intent. The failure of government to put their house in order is admitted in seeking the help of students union.
It is a known fact that the enrolment in all the rural schools are declining, because of the migration of families from rural areas to urban areas. 25 years ago, Don Bosco High School, Lakhuti had so many students. But now, with many parents getting employed in private and government sectors, they take their children along with them to the urban areas. Besides, so many Catholic Schools are now opened at nearby areas, like Bhandari, Baghty and Sanis. Catholic Church is not running schools with profit motive, but to reach out to those in need of quality education. Therefore, in some cases even if numbers are not good enough, running schools in the villages cannot be ignored. Don Bosco High School Lakhuti is at the service of giving education to the villages of Lakhuti, Akuk, Sunglup, Mekokla, Sanis, New Akuk and Chanka. Even though it is located in one of the remote corner of our State, the school is known for producing cent per cent results in the HSLC exams for many years.
Good number of leaders, both civil and political, in Nagaland acknowledges with pride the education they received from Catholic schools and colleges in Shillong in the later part of the last century. Therefore they played a very important role in helping the Catholic Church in opening schools all over Nagaland. But, sometimes, it is very disappointing that some sections of people and even the government fail to acknowledge and appreciate the yeomen service rendered by the Catholic Church and other educationist in the private sectors.
St. Mary’s Church, Lakhuti is the First Catholic Community to be started in Nagaland in 1951. In the beginning, the Salesians (Don Bosco Fathers) took most of the children from Lakhuti village and surrounding villages to study at Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Shillong. Don Bosco High School in Lakhuti was established later in 1968. It is situated in one of the remote corners of Nagaland. Perhaps, today one of the highest numbers of gazetted officers from a single village in Nagaland could be from Lakhuti. The credit for this goes to Don Bosco High School, Lakhuti. Against all odds, the Catholic Missionaries reached out to the remote villages to ensure that every child receive education. If government schools provide quality education, there is no reason for parents to send children to private schools.
I have served at St. Xavier Higher Secondary School, under Meluri Subdivision. It was established in the year 1974 by the Jesuit Catholic Missionaries. It is also located in one of the most remote and is one of the very vast areas of our state. At present, there are three private schools. St. Xavier Hr. Sec. School has the highest enrolment in the school, with 1517 students and 44 teachers. There are also two Catholic Schools in the villages, with very less enrolment. Most of the Catholic Schools in the villages are supported by the main school that has more enrolment.
Even today, many village leaders in remote areas are still requesting the Catholic Church to open Schools in their respective villages and areas. However, there are practical problems in some cases The Church’s effort to take education even to the remotest area shall however, continue.
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(The Author is a Catholic Priest in the Diocese of Kohima. Views expressed are personal)
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