The Honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Andrew Mulenga MP, Your Grace Archbishop Medardo Mazombwe, Archbishop of Lusaka, Ministry of Education officials, the Zambia Episcopal Conference Secretary General, Fr. Joe Komakoma, Zambia Episcopal Conference Education Secretary, Brother John Mead, Members of the Press, distinguished guests and as we like to say in Zambia, all protocol observed.

On behalf of all my brother Catholic Bishops here in Zambia, may I begin by welcoming you all to the launch of our pastoral letter on education which we have titled, Empowerment through Education.

We wish to address this pastoral letter to all Catholics; all Christians; teachers and students; our local industry, education policy makers and the Government. In short, we are addressing this letter to all men and women of good will because education concerns us all. As Catholic Bishops we want to encourage all our parish priests throughout Zambia to make reference to this pastoral letter during the Mass or Sunday services of this Sunday 29th August.

Introduction

For over a hundred years, the Catholic Church has endeavoured to offer a value-based education. The church has engaged in formal education in what is now Zambia since 1895. Apart from formal education, the Church is also involved in community schools, skills training centers, orphanages, Cheshire Homes and other centers of learning.

With this Pastoral letter, we the Catholic Bishops, of Zambia hope to contribute to a greater clarity on this important subject.

The Universal Right to Education

The idea that every child has a basic right to education is widely accepted. We reaffirm the vision of the World Declaration on Education for all (Jometien 1990) supported by the Declaration on Human Rights that all children, young people and adults have the right to benefit from an education that is geared to tapping the talents and potential of the individual so that they can improve the quality of their own lives and of those around them.

It is also our hope that the basic right to free quality primary education will be enshrined in our revised constitution.

Ethos and Values in the Catholic School

Ethos is the "hidden curriculum" or the "climate" of an institution. Catholic Schools are committed to the development of the whole human being. What makes Catholic Schools different from others are their distinctive emphasis on gospel values. In our Catholic Schools, Religious Education together with Pastoral care are core aspects of the Catholic curriculum.

Some Basic Values

The following are some of the basic values we wish for our education system in Zambia. It is important that we have a clear "philosophy" of education to guide us in the choices we make about education and the education that we offer to the generation that faces an unpredictable world. The value of a person cannot be measured in terms of examinations passed or the position one holds in society.

We want to recommend to the nation that authentic education be based on the conviction that there is more to truth than mere facts. This education must be based on mutual respect. Based on this principle, all Catholic schools in Zambia welcome teachers and pupils from other faiths and traditions who respect the Catholic ethos.

Genuine education will promote respect for our tradition and culture. These and other values of love, truth, wholeness, justice and freedom should be the cornerstones of our education system. If we do not acknowledge these values, we risk reducing education to mere job training.

Partners in Education

Parents

Parents are the first and principal educators of their children. It is impossible to replace the role of parents or guardians in this regard.

Teachers

Professionalism is one of the most important characteristics that should identify teachers. We know that our teachers face many difficulties. Our teachers are over worked and because of poor conditions of service, many of them are forced into supplementary employment such as private tuition. It is our hope that the gospel spirit will continue to influence everything that teachers do. We hope that a genuine attitude of service, care and concern for each and every pupil will permeate everything our teachers do. Our hearts also go our to the many qualified teachers who are still unemployed.

Youth and Industry

Skills training and information are important for the youth of Zambia. However, skills training and information alone do not prepare pupils for personal failure, success, and responsibility that comes after school.

Our industry has an important role to play as a partner in education. Our training providers must be conversant with the current and emerging needs of industry and that industry be involved in the design of appropriate curricula.

Government

Government acts in the place of parents in the provision of education for children. Quality education does not come cheap. We therefore call on Government to give real priority to education at all levels. We appeal that decisions made by the Government on education policies be based on sound educational principles rather than on political expediency.

The Government exercises a great deal of control over education and is the final arbitrator on a number of important policy matters. We are concerned by the inadequacy of funding for all education sectors but especially at basic and high school levels. We commend the government for introducing free education from Grades 1 - 7. We also appreciate the progress made under the Basic Education Sub-sector Investment Programme (BESSIP) and the ongoing improvements under the strategic plan (2003 - 2007). Nevertheless the lack of maintenance of infrastructure in our schools has resulted in unacceptable standards in the learning environment. Current funding to high schools is very inadequate. We appeal that in the preparation of the annual budget greater sensitivity be shown to Education.

The Impact and Challenges of HIV/AIDS

In Zambia today, the HIV/AIDS pandemic represents one of the most urgent challenges to our nation and especially to our education system.

Our schools and colleges must put in place sound moral programmes within the context of Religious education. HIV/AIDS cannot be defeated by information alone, but by behaviour change in attitudes, lifestyle, practice and the power that comes from God through prayer.

Conclusion

As a church, we acknowledge our obligation to provide an education by virtue of the spirit of Christ that inspires all those whose lives, it touches. As a Church we are called to be faithful to the command of Christ to "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation" Mark 16:15. We cannot over emphasis the importance of formal education for the future of Zambia.

On our part, the Catholic Church will continue and expand its commitment to the provision of education in Zambia. Our priorities are to provide proper education to the poor, for orphans, for girls and for those with special needs. Our capacity to meet these objectives are however, constrained by a severe lack of financial resources. We pledge to continue in the provision of quality education in a spirit of genuine partnership with the Ministry of Education.

+James Spaita
ZEC Archbishop Director of Education
And Archbishop of Kasama