Archbishop tells state government to respect Church schools

(July 18, 2011) The leader of the Catholic Church in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state has urged the state government to devote its efforts to improving education in its own schools and leave the Church to run its own institutions. “Officials should concentrate on improving standards in government schools rather than harassing Church educational institutions,” said Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal. He was addressing more than 100 principals and managers of Catholic schools on Saturday in Bhopal, the state capital. The Inter-Diocesan Educational Board that oversees the management of Catholic schools in Madhya Pradesh organized the July 15-16 meeting to address allegations the government is using with regard to the Right to Education Act to interfere with the running of Christian schools. The petition, challenging the state government’s order seeking the implementation of the Right to Education Act in minority schools, was filed by Father Anand Muttungal, the Church’s spokesman in the state, who claimed that after the order was issued government officials began interfering with the running of minority-run schools thus undermining their rights. Archbishop Cornelio who is chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Bishops’ Council urged the state government to treat Church schools with dignity and without discrimination.