Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka calls for more teachers
(October 13, 2011) Church leaders in Sri Lanka have urged teachers to better cultivate
religious and moral values among students irrespective of class, ethnicity or religious
beliefs, stating that Catholic students have fewer opportunities than others. The
call came during an event held to mark Catholic Teachers’ Day at St Joseph’s College
in Colombo on Tuesday. “Treat every student with deep respect,” Archbishop Spiteri,
Apostolic Nuncio told an audience of more than 1,000 which included clergy, nuns,
government officials and educators from government and private schools. Fr Ranjith
Madurawala, general manager of Catholic schools in Colombo, said most schools do not
have the appropriate staff to teach the Catholic faith and many schools do not have
even a single Catholic teacher. Catholic students have the same rights as other students
with regard to free education and the right to the religious study of their choice,
he added. Church sources in the capital said that in some schools, Catholic children
study Buddhism as an alternative to Christianity and that more teachers are urgently
needed to teach the Catholic faith. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith praised the dedicated
service of Catholic teachers. It is important to remember how your committed service
affects the lives of our children, he said.