Policy guidelines on government subsidy to catholic schools

Media

Part of Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas

Title
Policy guidelines on government subsidy to catholic schools
Language
English
Year
1980
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
CATHOLIC BISHOPS* CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES POLICY GUIDELINES ON GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 1. The ultimate objective of any government financial subsidy to Catholic schools should be to promote the equalization of educational opportunities. It must be based on the principle of equity that each citizen is entitled to equal protection of the law and the enjoyment of general welfare clause. 2. The Policy on assistance would be consistent with the principle of the preservation of the integrity of the private educational system and the autonomy of the privately supported school circumscribed only the standards laid out by legislative policy on accountability for public funds. Hence, government subsidy to Catholic schools should not infringe upon the Catholic schools’ right to determine such goals and policies as are essential to their specificity as Catholic schools and must respect the basic institutional freedoms of the Catholic schools, among them, the freedom to decide on who may teach, what may be taught, how, what is to be taught shall be taught, and who may be admitted to the school. 3. Government subsidy, to be truly of help to Catholic schools, should not add more financial burden to Catholic schools,! for increase the per student cost of education at the expense of the school. 4. Government subsidy should not take such forms where the principle of separation between Church and state is likely to be placed in jeopardy, (Vide, Art. XV, Sec. 15 of the Philippine Constitution)1 As what happens in the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) Scholarship Program. -Art. XV, Sec. 15 The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 327 5. Therefore, the preferred form of subsidy should be one where the beneficiaries of the subsidy are directly the students and their parents and only secondarily the school. For this reason, the system of student aid through the voucher system offers the best promise of a good subsidy program. (Vice, Art. n, Sec. 4 and Art. vm, Sec. 18, (2) of the Phil. Const.)3 3 Art. II, Sec. 4. The State shall strengthen the family as a basic institution. The natural right of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the aid and support of the government. Art. VIII, Sec. 18, (-*) (-’) No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister or other religious teacher or dignity as such, except when such priest, preacher, minister or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium. Approved by the General Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on July 8, 1980 CATECHETICAL NORMS AND PROGRAMS Archdiocese of Manila 1980 * VISION of Catechetical Ministry in the Archdiocese of Manila * Catechetical THRUST of the Archdiocese * Programs I. VISION We wish to proclaim the Mystery of the Incarnate Christ, unique .Son of the Father and our only Savior, as presented by the Church, in order to bring our people in communion with Jesus Christ, . leading them in the power of the Holy Spirit, to maturity in faith, global adherence to the Gospel. in integral Christian development, and an ever deepening personal commitment to Christ. The proclamation is done by bringing out the evangelical values in authentic Filipino popular religiosity and cultural patterns, by awakening the sense of ecclesial community by formation to justice and participation in the redemptive transformation of the world, as an integral part of the missionary character of this community. II. THRUST The following shall be the principal thrusts in the Archdiocese of Manila: 1. To deepen commitment of the faithful, particularly the bishops and parish priests to the catechetical ministry; and, CATECHETICAL NORMS AND PROGRAMS 329 2. To gradually attain a substantial increase of better spiritually formed and qualified catechists who are true witnesses to Christ in school and in the different ecclesial communities in the parishes. III. PROGRAMS A. Personnel 1. ARCHBISHOP/BISHOPS The Archbishop/Bishops are urged to reawaken and reinforce the importance and priority of catechesis, specifically by: a. a Pastoral Letter on the subject; b. in Pastoral visitations, meetings with lay coordinators, etc. that catechesis be brought out sharply; c. in working with Seminary Rectors, for better catechetical formation in seminaries thru ABRE d. in Priests’ Assembly, Annual Retreat-Renewal — that catechesis be studied, discussed, etc. Cf. Catechesi Tradendae. e. audience for catechesis being brought into Papal visit plans. f. coordinate the various Catechetical Centers in their work and with the district centers. 2. PRIESTS/RELIGIOUS Priests/religious need conscientization regarding the priority of catechesis, through: a. stressing need for better parish catechetical programs; the more successful parishes should be used as models for possible improvement in other parishes; b. religious and religious communities should be explicitly asked to help with catechesis in public schools, to help their neighborhood ecclesial community, and in parish ministry, e.g., Pre-marital instructions; Adult catechesis; Sacramental catechesis; this request thru ALSWAM/ALSMAN. 330 BOLETIN ECLESIASTICO DE FILIPINAS 3. TEACHERS/CATECHISTS/PARENTS Teachers/catechlsts/parents — coordinate with the MAFLEP in developing an interest/awareness in cate■ chesis: a. educating the parents to their duty as 1st catechists of their children; b. interest-rousing means (seminars, recollections, * etc.) for teachers, e.g., thru CMFS seminars of ACEAM B. Catechetical Activity 1. Recruitment of more active personnel — laymen/women. religious, etc. in the catechetical ministry, is of prime importance. Some steps: a. a yearly drive during the month of December and February; b. - a Catechetical Week, in which the importance/urgency of catechesis is brought out in various ways; c. use of the media, esp. COR MANILA and Radio Veritas, to bring before the people the activity of catechists; a. a Fund Drive in the parishes and schools for- catechetical work. 2. Training of catechists, both spiritual formation and academic, needs to be greatly stressed: a. by systematic screening, testing of applicants; interviews and on-going formation and training in district centers, parish programs, etc. b. by retreats, recollections, etc. seminars for catechists: c. by coordinating the work of the Formation Centers and the Archdiocesan district centers, and parish groups; d. and with the materials and guidelines formulated by an Archdiocesan board under ABRE, and ACEAM ’Needed: an adequate, just scale of standardized salary; according to a system of ranking. CATECHETICAL NORMS AND PROGRAMS 331 3. Quality of catechetical activity with all ages, needs serious efforts at improvement; this involves: a. training of catechists in the necessary skills, using up-to-date approaches and methods from education and psychology; b. focusing on "those-to-be-catechized” — their level of psychological, intellectual, moral and spiritual formation, and in their concrete social context; c. thus developing different models of catechizing different groups, and how to effectively train catechists in using these models. 4. Focusing on the place of catechizing, (esp. the public elementary & HS); further steps be taken by Church authorities, directly or indiretcly, to improve the conditions (time, place etc.) of teaching, by dialogue with the proper government authorities. 5. Out-of-school youth, and adults, should be the object of new parish efforts, supported by archdiocesan and parish organizations, e.g., Legion of Mary, Core groups formed for youth work, * etc. 6. ACEAM should increase its seminars for teachers/ * Plans for summer programs and training sessions for summer 1981, precisely to form and develop these core groups should be prepared. school administrators. C. Materials 1. ACEAM or ABRE or ICD are- to prepare seminars for up-dating catechetical courses. 2. A series of Basic Catechisms should be written and published: a. Domestic or Family (birth — 7 yrs.) including basic doctrine, morals and prayer, with stress on family and community, 1st Communion, etc. b. School Catechism (7-12 yrs.) including doctrine (Church) liturgy; 332 BOLETIN ECLESIASTICO DE FILIPINAS c. Community Catechism (12-16 yrs.) on love, service responsibility thru modern means of communicating. 3. Additional materials: for 16-25 yr. group, on vocation in life, for Sunday liturgical celebration for Radio catechism-course for publication-series in COR MANILA. 4. An Archdiocesan Catechetical Directory should be prepared through the ABRE and ACEAM, together with some coordinating centers.