Conviction for Our Faith
2. At the beginning of the 2007/2008 School Year, while we encouraged the faithful to ensure the Catholic upbringing of Catholic children, the Minister of Basic Education outlawed all religious activities in public schools. To every Catholic who is truly concerned about his/her faith and about the handing down of the same faith to his/her children the Minister's decision closes the door of public schools to Catholic children.
Where Catholic schools are available one would expect that all Catholic parents, to the best of their planning and managerial skills, will send their children to Catholic schools in order to fulfil the promises they made on their wedding day and at the baptism of their children. In the Rite of Marriage the Priest asks the spouses: 'Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?' Each spouse answers in the affirmative. In the Rite of the Baptism of Children the Priest asks the parents: 'Do you realise that in bringing your child to the Church, you are accepting the duty of raising him (her) in the faith, so that by observing the commandments he (she) will love God and neighbour as Christ taught?' The parents answer: 'We do'. We notice with dismay and disappointment that a good number of Catholic parents still opt for public schools and send their children there in spite of the availability of Catholic schools in their neighbourhood.
3. Apart from Regina Pacis College Nkar where there has been a noticeable increase in the student population, the rest of our colleges are experiencing a remarkable drop in enrolment. Faced with this reality one cannot but wonder if Catholic education is still a priority for the Catholic parents in the Diocese of Kumbo. On the 21st of June 2008 interviews were organised for all our colleges in Kumbo for candidates from around Bui Division and in Nkambe for candidates from around Donga Mantung Division. Only St. Augustine's College had a total of 14 candidates. Other colleges either had less than 5 candidates or no candidate at all! The situation is even more disturbing when we look at what is happening elsewhere.
4. We call on those Catholic Christians in all our Small Christian Communities who are truly convinced of Catholic education to fraternally accompany their brothers and sisters, who either bear counter witness to Catholic education or are sitting on the fence, and cause them to send their children to Catholic schools and work for the growth of the Catholic faith. We regret the fact that due to our very limited resources, the inadequacy of State subvention and other counter currents intended to facilitate the collapse of confessional education we cannot open Catholic schools in all our mission stations to cater for the Catholic and integral education of all Catholic children. We call on the Priests, Religious Men and Women and the Catechists working in such areas to pick up courage and intensify the teaching of Catholic doctrine. We also call on the parents to verify and foster the growth of their children in the faith.
Persistent Indebtedness of Our Schools
5.You are fully aware of the fact that since September 1992, when State subvention disappeared and later on became irregular and inadequate, we have continued to accumulate outstanding arrears of salaries of our teachers and retired teachers, taxes and contributions to the National Social Insurance Fund. For some time now we have tried to curb our educational debts through salary negotiation and the signing of protocol agreements with the teachers. Even then our financial debts in schools persist. To tell you how grave the matter is, during the 2007/2008 Academic Year with all the judicious measures taken to improve on our financial management our total school fees collected could pay reduced salaries of teachers for an average of 5 months. This means that we still owe all our teachers for this year alone arrears of salaries for 7 months!
6.The last academic year registered a number of meetings with various categories of school stakeholders, all in an attempt to address the urgent needs of our schools. These meetings helped to clarify issues, enlighten minds and concretely attempt to look for lasting solutions to our school problems. In March 2008 we initiated a sensitisation of our entire diocesan community in order that reflecting together we might look for a lasting solution to our schools problem. From the answers to the Questionnaire on the Survival of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Kumbo it is clear that most of our parishioners are genuinely concerned about the welfare of Catholic schools and Catholic teachers. They are also concerned about effective and quality teaching that leads to the integral formation of the child. In order that our schools be maintained and that they flourish the majority of our parishioners would like an improvement in the areas of teacher quality, school infrastructure and fees.
7. In June 2008 a new minimum wage of 28,216 Francs CFA was introduced by the Government with immediate effect. So from July 2008 all employers are expected to respect the minimum wage with regard to full-time workers of the lowest rank. This means that our salary bill will go up by approximately 5,000 Francs for each teacher whose salary previously fell below 28,216 Francs CFA. The introduction of this new minimum wage makes our search for a lasting solution to our schools problem more urgent.
Concrete Proposals from Our Diocesan Education Council
8. With due respect to the proposals from the parishes, the Diocesan Education Council meeting in the Catholic Education Secretariat on the 11th of July 2008 proposed some decisions which I have endorsed and hereby communicate to you for the good of Catholic education in the Diocese of Kumbo.
Bishop's Education Fund
The Catholic Education Week which has hitherto been celebrated in October or early November will from the 2008/2009 School Year take place in the week leading up to the Solemnity of Christ the King. In accordance with the proposals from the parishes the week and its activities should be carefully prepared and carried out so as to give the public the right image and impact of Catholic education. On the Solemnity of Christ the King a collection will be taken in all churches, public and semi-public oratories of the Diocese of Kumbo for Catholic education. The proceeds from the collection will be put in a fund called the Bishop's Education Fund. The fund will cater for the improvement of our school infrastructure. It will be absolutely necessary for every parish community to launch special appeals to the elite and to men and women of goodwill so that they can donate generously to the fund.
School Fee Rates
The nursery and primary schools of the Diocese of Kumbo are to be classified under three categories - A, B and C. The fees charged in every category shall be the same for both nursery and primary schools. The school categories have duly been communicated to the Parish Priests who will in turn communicate them and their corresponding fee rates to the parents of the respective communities concerned.
Our Commitment to the New Catholic School
9. The new disposition calls for effective pastoral care of our schools through the close collaboration of all partners in the education of the Catholic child - parents, teachers, pupils/students, priests, catechists, catechetical commission, education commission and the whole Christian community.
Parents: Parents need to be attentive to their children at home, teach them the basics of the faith, provide their fees and other school needs and keep in touch with teachers, catechists and priests with regard to the intellectual, human, psychological and spiritual formation of their children.
Teachers: Teachers have a key role to play for the success of the Catholic school. Once more we invite our teachers to rededicate themselves to this noble vocation. They need to consciously be aware of their noble task of bringing up young people not only intellectually but also morally and spiritually, since they are called to teach by their own very life example.
Priests and Catechists: Priests and catechists need to be seen to be part of the school community through catechetical instruction, preparation for and the administration of the various sacraments to the pupils and students.
Pupils and Students: The pupils and students on their part need to be available and willing to learn and allow themselves to be taught, undergoing with patient endurance all the programmes set forth for their formation.
PTAs: The Parents' and Teachers' Associations need to be attentive to the material and spiritual welfare of the schools, contributing to their development through providing good buildings and a better atmosphere for study.
Commissions: The education commission and the catechetical commission need to closely follow up the entire education process, evaluating the progress of the pupils and students, the involvement of parents and the PTAs and the role played by priests and other pastoral agents for the growth of the schools.
The Entire Parish Community:
Above all the entire parish community needs to be conscious of the fact that the schools belong to them and to all Christians, whether they effectively have children in the schools or not. They should therefore wholeheartedly support the schools financially, materially and morally.
Pastoral Strategies
10. With regard to the programme of the nursery and primary schools and day colleges in the Diocese of Kumbo, the following shall be upheld in order to foster the growth of our children in the Catholic faith. Every school day shall begin with Morning Prayer during assembly; there shall be prayers before and after long break; the Angelus (outside the Easter Season) or the Regina Caeli (during the Easter Season) shall be religiously recited at midday; and prayers shall be said before closing. In order that our children might be familiar with the practice of the faith in their respective parishes it will be of utmost importance for the following activities to occur in our primary schools and colleges: Bible sharing on a specific day of the week to be chosen by the school authorities, Eucharistic adoration and Benediction (especially on Sunday), rehearsal of liturgical music every week, Holy Mass on a frequent and regular basis in the nursery and primary schools and at least twice a week in day colleges, and the children should be organised to attend Sunday Mass or the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest together under the strict supervision of the school authorities. Parish pastoral planning should create room for school children and students to lead the singing at Sunday Mass once a month.
As far as boarding colleges are concerned, there shall be Morning Prayer before Mass on a daily basis; the recitation of the Angelus (outside the Easter Season) or the Regina Caeli (during the Easter Season) at midday; Evening Prayer before supper; Bible sharing on a designated day; rehearsal of liturgical music at least once a week; and Holy Mass everyday preferably in the morning.
11. In order that our colleges may be true communities of faith, it will be important for the school authorities to set up authentic and orthodox prayer groups in the colleges and encourage students to belong to them. The Chaplain shall be given only as many classes as to allow him sufficient time to counsel students and follow up their moral and spiritual progress and maturity. The Chaplain shall be available for the sacrament of reconciliation on particular days and at set times so that both the students and teachers can avail themselves of the sacrament. He shall organise penitential services at least once a term for the entire college community. It shall be the place of the Chaplain to organise separate retreats for students and staff at the beginning of every school year. He shall organise and oversee the teaching of doctrine in the college and the preparation of students and teachers for the sacraments of initiation, the sacrament of matrimony and other sacraments.
12. The Parish Priests, Managers of Schools and the Mobile Catechetical Team shall follow up the effective execution of our primary school programme such that our children receive all the sacraments of initiation before they leave primary school. The reception of Baptism and/or First Holy Communion shall take place in Class 5 and the reception of Confirmation in Class 6. For the reception of these sacraments the Parish Priest shall see to it that, without undue interference with the school programme, there is a period of intensive preparation and follow up of the candidates by teachers, catechists and priests and religious together.
13. In order that these new strategies might be effectively implemented, I call on the Education Secretary and the Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Formation Team to work in direct collaboration with the Parish Priests and Managers of Schools on the one hand and Principals and Chaplains on the other to establish a concrete plan of action in all our schools. In order to facilitate this process one-week pedagogic and pastoral seminar shall be organised at a suitable time in December for all our teachers in St. Pius X's Teacher Training College Tatum. During the long holidays a more systematic pedagogic and pastoral seminar shall be run once more in Tatum for holders of the GCE Ordinary and/or Advanced Level or their equivalents who would like to teach with the Catholic Education Agency, Diocese of Kumbo and for all our teachers who do not have the Teachers' Grade I Certificate. This seminar shall run for six weeks every long holiday till the candidates attain the level of Grade I Teachers.
Appreciation
14. Once more I wish to express immense gratitude to all parents who, through their personal conviction for Catholic education, have continued to send their children to Catholic schools. I am also grateful to all our teachers who have earnestly done their best to give true Catholic education to the children entrusted to their care. I recognise with a lot of gratitude the honest effort of those Parish Priests and Managers of Schools, Principals and Chaplains of Colleges who have in close collaboration ensured the pastoral care of children and teachers. I also recognise the selfless service of the Bursars of Colleges and of our Nursery and Primary Schools who transparently handled all the school fees that passed through their hands. We frown at any cases of extravagance and mismanagement of school funds, be it on the part of teachers, bursars, head teachers or managers as the case might be. It is my humble and fervent wish that every parish community will look for truly honest and transparent persons where necessary and possible to assist school managers with the transparent financial administration of our nursery and primary schools.
Appeal
15. I wish to launch an earnest appeal to all our sons and daughters, who are duly qualified to teach, to offer their services in areas of primary evangelisation, like Misaje, Ako, Mfumte, Sabongari, Elak and Nkor where we find it difficult to provide teachers for our schools. It is interesting to note that qualified young men and women from these areas prefer to work in big towns like Bamenda, Bafoussam, Douala and Yaoundé, where they have many more opportunities, even at the expense of their families!
16. I also launch an earnest appeal to all the elite, the sons and daughters of the Diocese of Kumbo to come to our help by sponsoring the renovation of our schools; providing computers, textbooks and didactic materials for our schools; and sponsoring children who otherwise will not be able to go to school. Be benefactors for Catholic education in your own home Diocese of Kumbo.
17. I appeal to every convinced Catholic in the Diocese of Kumbo to put hands on deck and work earnestly for the smooth progress of Catholic education in our diocese. I call on all our PTAs to be truly concerned about the welfare of our schools, improve on the infrastructure of our schools, provide additional textbooks and didactic materials for our schools, encourage parents to send their children to our schools and accompany the teachers so that they maintain a clean school environm ent and sustain the efforts of all partners of Catholic education. I also call on the Education Commission and the Catechetical Commission to work in close collaboration with the teachers and the Mobile Catechetical Team to ensure continuity in the pastoral care and faith formation of the children enrolled in our schools.
18. I entrust every member of the Kumbo Diocesan Christian Community to the motherly care and protection of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Principal Patron of the Diocese of Kumbo. May we remain firm in the faith handed down to us from the Apostles.
Source: http://www.leffortcamerounais.com
11 September 2008