Bishops agree to Madhya Pradesh school law

(February 03, 2011) Catholic bishops in Madhya Pradesh say they will implement a new education law in Church schools, but without government interference. “The new law raises more questions than answers,” Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal, who heads the Church in Madhya Pradesh, told UCA News after an extraordinary meeting of the regional bishops’ council. The state government had asked all schools, including those managed by minority groups, to implement the Right to Education Act. The law introduced in April last year gives children between six and 14 the right to free and compulsory education. It also stipulates schools should set aside 25 percent of places in the first grade for poor children. “We have no problem in accommodating poor children in our schools as we have been doing it already,” Archbishop Cornelio said. The bishops’ January 31 meeting in Bhopal, the state capital, however pointed out that the law does not specify how minority education institutions should implement the law. The government, however, did not specify how the expenses of poor students will be met. All it has said is that it will pay what it spends on a child in its own schools, the archbishop said. Church schools insist students should wear uniforms and be involved in extracurricular activities. The Archbishop said since the new law allows government officials to monitor its implementation but the meeting declared the Church would not tolerate government interference with the administration of Church schools.