Recite Preamble, don’t force Christian traditions: Catholic body to its schools

The CBCI is the apex decision-making body representing the Catholic community in India. Under its aegis, are approximately 14,000 schools, 650 colleges, seven universities, five medical colleges and 450 technical and vocational Institutions.

These suggestions are part of a 13-page guideline and instruction document issued by the CBCI’s Office for Education and Culture Monday, following the  36th General Body Meeting of the CBCI in January in Bengaluru, where one of the central themes discussed was the Church’s response to the current socio-political situation in the country.

Issued for the first time, these guidelines have been introduced against the backdrop of recent attacks and protests against principals and staff of educational institutions run by the Christian community.

The most recent incident took place in February when a group of Bajrang Dal activists staged a protest after a teacher of a private Christian missionary-run school in Tripura allegedly prohibited a student from wearing a wristband adorned with a Hindu symbol and confiscated it.

The same month, a radical Hindu group in Assam gave Christian schools in the state a 15-day ultimatum to remove all Christian symbols and religious habits worn by priests, nuns, and brothers on their campuses.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Father Maria Charles SDB, national secretary of CBCI, said that the church is watchful and sensitive to such situations, even though he didn’t want to draw any connections between these separate incidents.

The CBCI guidelines also emphasise strengthening security in educational institutes. “Implement physical security measures to control access to school buildings and grounds, such as locked doors, entryway security systems, visitor check-in procedures, and surveillance cameras,” the guidelines state.

“Given the political and social situation which is emerging these days, I think we need to be more sensitive as Catholic schools. It is also a reminder to the principals to be more sensitive, because the majority of our students and teachers are always from other faiths. All the more reason why we also need to be more sensitive. We have been teaching students the Preamble for many years, not just now. For many years, we have believed that all our students need to know the Preamble and be aware of the constitutional values,” Father Charles said.

Apart from displaying the Preamble to the Constitution at the entrance to the main school building and making students recite it during the morning assembly, the guidelines also ask schools to promote religious and cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity among not just school students but also staff members. It further suggests training on inclusive practices to create a welcoming and harmonious work environment in educational institutions.

Apart from the minority certificate that is issued to these schools, the guidelines also recommends schools to “display the photos of some of the prominent Indian freedom fighters, scientists, poets, national leaders, etc. at the school lobby, library, corridors, etc.” In addition, it calls for educational institutions to have a separate ‘inter-religious prayer room’ or Sarvadharma Prarthanalay on the school premises.

“These guidelines are a gentle reminder or a wakeup call for our educational institutions. These are not suggested as a method of defence mechanism, rather reminding all the schools, how they need to be, how they need to keep everything in order,” he said, adding, “Certain events here and there which have happened, which are not that palatable. And we, we need to be always worried about our students as well as the teachers.”

While the guidelines largely address Catholic schools, Father Charles said that these are applicable to all schools, colleges, technical and vocational educational institutions under the church.

“When we had a discussion here at the national level, the Delhi Catholic school principals, and some national coordinators of major religious congregations, suggested that we can prepare a set of guidelines as well as a checklist that can be sent around so new principals and a new generation of education leaders that are emerging should be to be able to run an institution with our value system,” he said.