Presents Study on Indian Catholic Education

NEW DELHI, India, MAY 31, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Catholic education is an integral part of the Church's mission and the key to Indian development, said Cardinal Telesphore Toppo.

Cardinal Toppo, the president of the Catholic bishops' conference of India, presented today the "All India Catholic Education Policy," the first text to explain the dynamics of Catholic education in the nation, www.AsiaNews.it reported.

Citing Pope John XXIII, Cardinal Toppo said: "The Church is both a mother and a teacher. That's why it is so much involved in the education apostolate and has invested a huge amount of personnel and money in education."

"Unless the poor and the marginalized are educated," continued the 67-year-old cardinal, "India cannot be a developed country."

"The Church has always cooperated with the government in the field of education," he added. "The government too, on its part, must support the Church's effort to bring education to the masses."

The first Catholic school in India was started by St. Francis Xavier in 1541, in Goa. Today the Church has 14,539 Catholic educational institutions in India, of which 448 are colleges. Some 60% of the schools are in rural areas.

Of the 7 million students studying in the Catholic institutions, 54% are girls and 46% are boys. The percentage of Catholic students is only 22.7%, while that of Hindus is 53%.

A large majority of the students, 41.4%, live below the poverty line, while 32.4% are low income, and 19% are middle income.

Almost all of India's political and economic leaders studied in a Catholic institution.

Code: ZE07053116

Date: 2007-05-31