Cardinal Mafi of the Catholic Diocese of Tonga and Niue said he had a vision the church could revive its primary school education in Tonga as the church celebrates 151 years since the beginning of Catholic education in the kingdom.
However, the Cardinal said reviving the Catholic primary school system would need a lot of money, but the church was not financially prepared for the task.
August last year marked 150 years since Fr Lamaze established St Stanislaus College and a primary school at ‘Ahopanilolo in 1865.
Cardinal Mafi said the Catholic educational system was reviewed between 2013-2014 in a programme led by professionals from the Australian Catholic University in Sydney.
“This was part of the attempts to get the true picture of the status of Catholic Education in different aspects of life to set up a vision for its future,” Cardinal Mafi said.
He said the church’s stance on academic education was laid out in the Vatican II Declaration on Christian Education, Gravissimum Educationis.
The centre piece of this declaration was based on dignity of men and woman and their godly rights as creation of God. Catholic education was intended to educate the whole person and not just academically.
Cardinal Mafi said this was why Catholic education put greater emphasis on technical education today.
He said he particularly valued the importance of fostering children while they were young because one of the aims of Catholic education in Tonga was to make sure it is “heavenly” and “eternal.”
The prelate said Christ’s person as the Son of God who was born to eternal life would always be the basis of Catholic education.
According to the history the first 50 years of Catholic education from 1865 to 1914 primary schools were established, along with colleges.
In the second 50 years from 1864 to 1914, more primary schools were established in villages and outer islands. The most important event in that period was the inclusion of the New Zealand education syllabus in the Catholic education in Tonga.
The third 50 years began with the closure of primary schools and the return of children to Government Primary Schools.
This year in December St Peter Channel College will mark its 50th anniversary since its establishment by late Bishop Patelisio Punou ki Hihifo Finau in 1966.