By Nna Anulumadu
Rev. Fr. Dr. Celestine Arinze Okafor, School Manager/Principal of Christ the King College, Onitsha, has emphasized that the Anambra state government should remain grateful to Archbishop Valerian Okeke and mission schools for championing top-notch education in the state. He made this remark during the ocassion of the pastoral visit of the Archbishop to Mater Amabilis Secondary School Umuoji.
Fr. Okafor attributed the success of mission schools to quality leadership, the boarding system, and the return of the schools to the Church (Catholic and other denominations). He highlighted the transformation in the education system which is producing excellent graduates with exceptional quality.
“Mission schools, especially Catholic schools, are attracting international and national recognition, bringing fame to the state,” Fr. Okafor noted.
” In essence, the Anambra government should appreciate mission schools’ excellent management and holistic education, since mission schools provide safe havens for parents who are increasingly finding it difficult to care for children. The mission schools do not only promote academic or intellectual growth, but also religious and spiritual formation.”
Fr Okafor brushed aside the mindset that mission schools are costly. He noted that the Church is offering free quality education. The tuition fees paid in Catholic schools is just a token. What hikes the fees in mission schools is feeding and utility. It is not possible to keep thousands of children in a boarding school, protect them, feed them three times everyday for three months without paying up to 200,000. But most diocesan Catholic schools in Anambra state pay an average of 100,000 for both tuition and boarding. An amount that can barely suffice for boarding alone. Yet they provide excellent services that outside the South east or among private schools would cost 5 times more.
“There is no doubt that collaboration between the state and mission schools will ensure uniformity in delivering holistic education. Mission schools have put Anambra State on the map. We have won several national and international awards, made excellent WAEC and Jamb results and are providing a boarding system that is convenient for busy parents today. May God bless the Archbishop of Onitsha for his investment in human capital. May God inspire our governor to see the gains in partnering with the Church for quality education for all Anambra Children.
Fr. Okafor ended his remark by urging the state government to consider bringing the clergy into the management of public schools in the state. “These schools will be in safer hands and their quality guaranteed. If we gave free tuition to public schools but everyone is running to the Catholic schools, that is indicative of something. We want no child left behind. Let everyone have access to the kind of quality that missions schools offer. The government can still make tuition free while they are run by the Church. There should be no competition between public schools and mission schools”.
