ryan.bachoo@cnc3.co.tt
Roman Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon yesterday warned that generations of children will be lost in this country if denominational schools cease to exist.
He made the statement in his homily at the 60th anniversary Mass of the St Dominic’s Penal RC School. It came a day after the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Commission after they changed the method by which teachers are selected for denominational schools.
Gordon said not only are denominational schools there for the education but the integral development of children.
“Many people believe that if the denominations got out of education, the nation would be better off. Well I say to you, if you want to experiment, let us try. But my prediction is that in 50 or 60 years we would look back holding our head and recognising the colossal damage we would have done to three generations of children,” he said.
Yesterday, the SDMS issued an ultimatum to the government to “either respect the rights of Hindus and follow the law or prepare for the mother of all battles.”
Legal advisor to the SDMS Dinesh Rambally issued the release on behalf of the Hindu organisation stating, “The SDMS will not stand idly by and watch this government assault and abuse the future well being of our children. The SDMS is fully prepared to fight to the bitter end, through legal means, to defend the constitutional rights of each and every child attending SDMS schools.”
Rambally chastised the government for failing government schools.
“It is inconceivable that the same government which was recently exposed as having criminally failed children under state care and used its executive power to overturn adverse findings of the Children’s Authority in relation to the Margaret Kistow Home now thinks it knows what is best for students in SDMS schools.”
In its pre-action protocol letter on Thursday, the SDMS gave the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Commission 14 days to revert to the traditional method of selecting teachers for denominational schools or face further legal action.