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MANAGEMENT
POLICIES
“Plan
carefully what you do, and whatever you do will turn out right”
(Proverbs 4:26).
“It is only fair that you should help those who are in need”
(2 Corinthians 8:13).
“The Dalits and Tribals are exploited, educationally most
backward, and are socially discriminated against. The Church should
be in solidarity with them and make a preferential option for
them. In the situation of appalling poverty of the vast majority
of the people in India, the Church has to become not just a Church
for the poor but the Church of the poor. This would mean, being
with the poor in their daily experience of poverty, injustice
and oppression and being with them in their efforts to liberate
themselves from poverty and oppression for a fuller life. To realize
this objective, the Church should join other people of goodwill
and work towards the transformation of the structures like caste
and class that cause and perpetuate poverty, injustice and oppression”
(CBCI 2002, II. C).
“The central focus in the SC’s educational development
is their equalization with the non-SC population at all stages
and levels of education, in all areas and in all the four dimensions
– rural male, rural female, urban male and urban female”
(National Policy on Education, 1986, 4.3).
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5.1 |
A
collaborative paradigm between the Bishop, the head of the
diocese and the various Religious Congregations, which set
up and manage their own educational institutions in the
diocese or manage such institutions owned by the diocese,
is evolved. This collaboration is based on a mutually agreed
contract. This contract is drawn up on specified and equitable
terms and conditions that will pay due respect and attention
to the legitimate areas of both administrative and academic
autonomy of the Religious and the domain and authority of
the bishop. This paradigm promotes and safeguards the inter-dependence
and the distinct and different roles and responsibilities
of both the Bishop, as the Chief Pastor of the local Church,
and of the school functionaries. |
| 5.2
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We
recruit and retain qualified and competent staff, who are
sensitive to the care for the marginalized and who provide
‘quality education’, in consonance with Gospel
values. |
| 5.3
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As
a matter of justice and equity, we pay standard salaries,
conforming to certain basic norms and directions from the
Board or University or Government. We safeguard the interests
of the teachers and other workers, and do not provide any
substance for making the accusation that we are profit-making
institutions. Resource mobilization is done through ethical
ways.
“We
deplore all attempts to commercialize education. In particular,
we will not accept capitation fees” (CBCI 2006, 8.3). |
5.4 |
Our
fee structure remains moderate to meet the cost of a good
education and hence our institutions are not seen as profit-making.
Fee hikes are done with necessary consultation with parents.
Frequent harassment of students and parents for additional
money collection is what we avoid in our schools. The policy
and practice of our commitment to the poor is communicated
to the parents and the public and community support is sought
to make it a joint venture. |
5.5 |
We
provide scholarships and concessions for the economically
needy students. Special efforts are made to build a corpus
of Scholarship Fund, to provide ‘quality education’
to the marginalized of our society. We actively involve
parents and other agencies in raising the funds. We look
for creative new solutions to generate additional funds
to continue to serve the poor. The administration of this
Fund is through a participatory and transparent system. |
5.6 |
Our
institutions become ‘open institutions’, namely,
a community resource and hence, some of its facilities,
like grounds, hall or classrooms for remedial classes, are
made available for use by responsible community members,
even if they are not our students, so that this special
resource becomes available beyond the few hours that these
are normally put to use. As a result, a special bond of
solidarity and friendship is built up between the institution
and the community around. |
5.7 |
The
dignity of woman and her vocation in life is respected,
going beyond mere stereotypes. We ensure that students and
the whole institutional community accept and practise gender
sensitivity, equity and equality, in the class, in norms
for selection of student leaders and in our attitudes which
get manifested in our language and behaviour. We take firm
action when gender-based discrimination occurs. Our aim
is to promote a gender-empowered society in India, to redress,
in some measure, the great suffering of millions and thus
contribute to restore gender justice. |
5.8 |
Knowledge
is not for itself but for human welfare. Stress on mere
erudition loses itself and will, by itself, find it impossible
to give meaning to life. Hence the humanism we advocate
is a vision of society, centred on the human person and
on his/her inalienable rights, on the values of justice
and peace, and on a correct relationship between individuals,
society and the State, based on solidarity. |
5.9 |
We
ensure that our institutions do not pursue the narrow goal
of academic prestige, with a strong focus on marks and medals,
but instead aim to foster human values and spiritual maturity
among the students and staff. In fact, if a Catholic institution,
excellent as an academic institution, does not find it possible
to implement the essential characteristics of our Christian
values and is not committed to our Mission, we would consider
it a radical failure on our part. |
5.10 |
As
professional persons we have a code of conduct. Ideally
this will be self-regulated. However, we take note of the
reality of the situation and see the need to put in place
certain norms and directions that we all agree to abide
by. This includes on-going self-development programmes for
the staff, and a code of conduct and an Evaluation Instrument.
This instrument will be used primarily for Self-Evaluation,
but would also promote greater transparency and accountability.
While fully respecting the legitimate areas of freedom and
autonomy, we members of a Diocese or of a Religious Congregation,
also accept the need, not only to remain transparent and
accountable to ourselves but also to accept a common policy
that we agree to own, and hence, to implement faithfully. |
5.11 |
We
maintain our integrity and remain a credible witness in
society: the Church maintains a high level of credibility
in society. This is based on our proven record of commitment
and practice. We maintain this credibility by evolving a
Code of Conduct and ways and means for its effective implementation
so that Church-related institutions continue to be sources
of inspiration and powerful witnesses in a corruption-prone
society. |
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