NAIROBI MARCH 8, 2016 (CISA) – The Catholic Private Educational Institutions Association (CAPEIA) has today begun a three-day conference at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
The theme of this years’ meeting is, “Catholic School – a place to encounter Jesus Christ the Compassionate Teacher.”
While opening the conference, Bishop Philip Anyolo the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) told the participants that the bishops take great pride in the work they do in schools.
“The conspicuous catholic identity, ethos and values in many of our schools continue to characterize these schools as centers of holistic, morally, intellectually, socially and emotionally,” he said.
“The Bishops’ Conference is banking on you to mentor the youth into persons of integrity and responsible citizenship in the midst of all societal, social, economic and political challenges. You have the capacity and formation to do exactly this,” he added.
In his key note speech Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba – Chairman Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Education and Religious Education noted that theme resonates well with the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
“We are living in very challenging times in Kenya when our Christian faith and practices are being tested every moment not only as leaders of Catholic based institutions but also as citizens of this county…” “Our catholic identity is not an option in our school. It is actually our lifeline. We embrace and allow it to pervade all aspects of our institutional life, we successfully fulfill our God given mission. On the other hand, we blunder on this one and our institutions become empty shells where evil and misery thrive,” Bishop Muhatia told the conference.
Even as he congratulated the Catholic schools for posting impressive examination results in KCPE and KCSE 2015 bishop Muhatia noted that rampant examination malpractices is one of the evils and challenges that are affecting the young people.
Fr Daniel Rono, General Secretary KCCB, in his speech urged the participants to use the schools as centers of evangelization.
“Many parents prefer sending their children to catholic schools because of the quality of education that they impact and because of the good discipline that the young people receive and also the schools always are places of Christian formation where we impart values and form the young people in a good way, let us all live up to the mandate of Christ and use our schools as centers for evangelization as centers for formation and schools will not lack learners,” he said.
Present at the opening ceremony was Monsignor Pius Rutechura, the Vice Chancellor CUEA. CAPEIA was launched in March 2015 to among other things promote the Catholic spirituality, traditions and identity in schools.
Some of the topics to be addressed in this years’ conference include: Radicalization in schools Child Abuse and Corporal Punishment, the Catholic Identity and Faith Formation in Catholic Private Schools, Legal issues affecting Catholic Private Schools among others.
