From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012

Gutter Press, Citizen Newspaper reported last week that Kisumu Catholic Archdiocese Bishop Zacchaeus Okoth was interfering with Catholic sponsored school, citing one of the schools that he intervened in making sure that the headmistress who was not a catholic removed from that school.

[image]From left Methodist Church of Kenya Presiding Bishop Rev Stephen Kanyaru, Catholic Archbishop John Cardinal Njue and Head of the Anglican Church Rev Eliud Wabukala during a news conference at Waumini House, Nairobi September 20, 2012. The Church leaders have opposed the Basic Education Bill saying it does not recognise their role in education/ Photo courtesy Daily Nation.

This as a matter of fact is not interfering with the schools. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity and one of the conditions is that the head of the school must be of that particular faith. Not only the head of the school but even the chairperson of the board of governors and Parent Teachers Association. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya.

These schools tend to derive spirituality, morality, ethics, religious laws or preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. This is because spirituality in this context is a matter of nurturing thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief.

The issue is coming at the time a judge ruled Thursday that cheerleaders at an East Texas high school can display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games, saying the school district’s ban on the practice appears to violate the students’ free speech rights.

District Judge Steve Thomas granted an injunction requested by the Kountze High School cheerleaders allowing them to continue displaying religious-themed banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit, which is set to go to trial next June 24, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. Thomas previously granted a temporary restraining order allowing the practice to continue.

In the Philippines for example, private schools have been operated by the Catholic Church since the time of Spanish colonization. The Philippines is one of two predominant Roman Catholic nations in South Asia.

To keep the faith identity in schools, is why in Ireland Catholic schools in are state-aided, rather than state owned. Church groups in Ireland privately own most primary and secondary schools. Evidence indicates that approximately 60 percent of secondary schools pupils attend schools owned by religious congregations.

In England and Wales, Catholic schools are either independent or voluntary aided, with the funding divided between the state and the Catholic Education Service. It explains why a head teacher who recently tried to reduce the influence of religion inside the classroom by creating the country’s first secular state school had his plans blocked by senior government officials who called it a ‘political impossibility’.

That is why all schools, faith and non-faith alike, must teach religious education as part of the basic curriculum. In some countries, Catholic schools are funded by the state.

[image]From left to right, Elizabeth Ouko, Irene Dete and Martha Dete pose for a photo with Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya/ Photo by Stephen Dete.

Generally a maintained faith school is a foundation or voluntary school with a religious character. It has a foundation which holds land on trust for the school – and which may have provided some or all of the land in the first place – and which appoints governors to the school. In many cases, the land is held on trust for the specific purposes of providing education in accordance with the tenets of a particular faith.

Decisions on the establishment of maintained faith schools are taken under local decision-making arrangements – either by the local authority or the Schools Adjudicator, following a statutory process.

Admissions policy is determined by the school governors, even though in some cases the local education authority is also involved. The Church of England for example urges schools to take account of the local community and make sure wealthier parents from outside the area do not push out local people.

It explains why in Scottish Catholic schools, employment of non-Catholics can be restricted by the Church; often, one of the requirements for Catholic applicants is to possess a certificate that has been signed by their parish priest, although each diocese has its own variation on the method of approval.

Non-Catholic applicants are not required to provide any religious documentation. Certain positions, such as head teachers, deputy heads, religious education teachers and guidance teachers are required to be Roman Catholic.

Scottish faith schools have the practice of school-wide daily assembly/worship; some Catholic schools even have their own prayer. Whilst maintaining a strong Catholic ethos, Scottish Catholic schools have long welcomed pupils from other faith backgrounds, though they tend to give precedence to non-Catholics who come from religious families and a large number of Muslims also go to Catholic schools.

Against the background that Kenya Episcopal Conference are opposed to Basic Education Bill 2012 .If passed and enacted, the Bill could result to loss of church land where various schools stand, church leaders say.

The bishops are also unhappy with the composition of the National Education Board and land ownership of schools as contained in the Bill. The Bill does not recognise the churches role in education.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.