austraLasia 1196
Macau Catholic Schools Council to review common mission of Catholic education
MACAU: 12 July 2005 -- With nearly 40,000 students in Catholic schools in Macau, the largest school-sponsoring body in the Special Administrative Region (SAR), is reviewing the mission of Catholic education in changing times. Fr Pong Ping-fai is the principal of the St Louis Versiglia College in the city, but is also chairperson of the Macau Catholic Schools Council. The Council meets shortlly to address the serious challenges facing education but especially Catholic education, in the light of changing social strucutres.
The granting of new casino concessions in Macau in 2002 has meant a rapid growth in the gambling industry with immediate impact on local social structures. Young men and women past the age of compulsory education are attracted to employment opportunities in the industry instead of pursuing further studies. Many families, too, have both parents working with consequent less attention given to the home.
The July Catholic Schools Council meeting aims to re-think the mission of catholic schools in the region in the light of these changes. The diocese has been collecting opinions from relevant sectors in an effort to draft a document on a common mission for Catholic schools, following a meeting of the Council in April of this year.
The Salesian Sisters conduct Auxilium College in Macau. The principal, Sr Maria Sheung, faces the problem that confronts most of the Catholic Schools there - just a handful of Catholic students and teachers amongst a school community of nearly 900 individuals. She believes that religious education and ethics have a particularly important role to play in the circumstances of Macau today. There is a great need to prepare citizens whose values are inspired by principles other than materialism.
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Macau Catholic Schools Council to review common mission of Catholic education
MACAU: 12 July 2005 -- With nearly 40,000 students in Catholic schools in Macau, the largest school-sponsoring body in the Special Administrative Region (SAR), is reviewing the mission of Catholic education in changing times. Fr Pong Ping-fai is the principal of the St Louis Versiglia College in the city, but is also chairperson of the Macau Catholic Schools Council. The Council meets shortlly to address the serious challenges facing education but especially Catholic education, in the light of changing social strucutres.
The granting of new casino concessions in Macau in 2002 has meant a rapid growth in the gambling industry with immediate impact on local social structures. Young men and women past the age of compulsory education are attracted to employment opportunities in the industry instead of pursuing further studies. Many families, too, have both parents working with consequent less attention given to the home.
The July Catholic Schools Council meeting aims to re-think the mission of catholic schools in the region in the light of these changes. The diocese has been collecting opinions from relevant sectors in an effort to draft a document on a common mission for Catholic schools, following a meeting of the Council in April of this year.
The Salesian Sisters conduct Auxilium College in Macau. The principal, Sr Maria Sheung, faces the problem that confronts most of the Catholic Schools there - just a handful of Catholic students and teachers amongst a school community of nearly 900 individuals. She believes that religious education and ethics have a particularly important role to play in the circumstances of Macau today. There is a great need to prepare citizens whose values are inspired by principles other than materialism.
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