By Arnold Neliba
NAIROBI, APRIL 5, 2022 (CISA) -The Catholic Private Educational Institutions Association-Kenya (CaPEIA-K) has convened its 8th annual conference at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Karen, after a two-year break due to Covid-19. The conference brings together the heads of institutions, directors and even religious superiors who head various congregations where the schools belong.
Speaking during the official opening of the conference on April 5, Archbishop Philip Anyolo of the Catholic Diocese of Nairobi was delighted at the resumption of the conference through which parties discuss and share their experiences and challenges in managing Catholic institutions.
“I want to express the joy that after 2 years away from our common convention, we are able to meet again to discuss and share the experiences that we have gone through in a more clarified manner through education and learning. It is a wonderful occasion that our principals and heads of school are meeting together to find one common value for the education system in the Catholic Church and also the humanity,” the archbishop told CISA.
Besides, and speaking on behalf of Rt Rev. Paul Kariuki, the Chairman of the Commission for Education and Religious Education, the archbishop maintained that trends of lack of morals in schools are a manifestation that “something is lacking in the education system in Kenya”.
“Without honesty and desire to know God more, with respect of integral person is a blunder, so where we have made blunders sometimes is because we excluded the concept of God and attachment of this education institution on Jesus Christ teaching because Christ is the excellent teacher,” he said.
According to Br Elijah Agilo, the National Chairperson of CaPEIA-K, the conference also gives chance to partners to network, share experiences and also listen to various facilitators who guide attendees and equip them with expertise in the management of Catholic private schools.
“As leaders, we are following in the footsteps of Christ who was a servant leader, so through this, we will learn how to handle every stakeholder in our various educational fields and more so the learners. These are the closest people that we interact with we have to ensure their safety, their holistic growth mentally, spiritually and even mentally,” said Br Agilo.
“…as a Catholic institution we are here to partner with them, offer them our facilities also to visit our facilities and to provide this area of the best practices in their administration, their pastoral care and the spiritual formation of their leaners,” said Rev. Prof Stephen Mbugua Vice-Chancellor of CUEA, which is partner and host of the 8th edition of the conference.
The conference, which was established in 2015, will run from April 5 to 8, under the theme, “Catholic Schools: Centers of Spiritual Formation, Character Development and Lifelong Competencies for Happier Society” has attracted experts both local and international.
