AMERICA/BOLIVIA - State-Church convention violated: Catholic education "in a state of emergency"

Friday, 16 March 2018 education politics school bishops

BOLIVIA

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School reform: Bishops express concern

Riberalta (Agenzia Fides) - The Bolivian Bishops raise their voices and with concern they address the parents of the pupils of the 1,523 Catholic educational institutions of the country: schools "cannot guarantee teaching, Christian education and integral quality education", is what is stated in the letter sent to Agenzia Fides, due to a recent provision of the Bolivian Ministry of Education.
The order issued, in fact, does not allow institutes and universities the competence regarding the choice of teachers, who will be designated by the ministry, in flagrant violation of the Church-State convention on cooperation in the educational field. This is what Agenzia Fides learns today from members of the Bolivian Church, which is even considering "the closure of all its educational institutes or a strike", warns Carmen Suárez, delegate of the Educational Commission of the Apostolic Vicariate of Pando.
The letter sent to parents bears the signature of Mgr. Jesús Juárez Parraga, Archbishop of Sucre and President of the Education Commission of the Episcopal Conference. The Bishops also sent a note to Minister Roberto Aguilar in which they declare Catholic education "in a state of emergency" and demand the exception or revocation of the contested ministerial ordinance, n. 083/2018.
Speaking to Agenzia Fides, Professor Suárez said she is convinced that the government "intends to eliminate the private education system in Bolivia, and aims especially at the Catholic one", which includes the vast majority of private educational institutions in Bolivia. (SM) (Agenzia Fides, 16/03/2018)