Pope to primary school teachers:
create culture of encounter
Pope Francis met in the Vatican on Friday with the
Association of Italian Primary School Teachers, highlighting the importance of
educating young children to be open and caring towards others and to the
environment.
By Philippa Hitchen
The Pope began by urging all teachers to promote a culture
of encounter, whether they work in Catholic schools or within the state system.
The challenge, he said, is to educate children to be open and interested in
other people, respecting their different histories, their strengths and
weaknesses, their resources and limitations.
Combat bullying culture
Rather than becoming school bullies, he insisted, children
must learn to be free of the prejudices stemming from a culture that is
competitive and aggressive towards others, especially foreigners or anyone seen
as an obstacle to personal achievement.
Rebuild relations with families
The second point the Pope highlighted was the need to
rebuild educational alliances between schools, families and the state. He told
the Italian teachers that this pact is in crisis and, in some places,
completely broken so it is vital to work towards rebuilding constructive
collaboration, drawing on expert advice from professionals.
Teach holistic care of creation
The final point of the Pope’s address was the need for a
holistic, ecological education for young children, not simply teaching them
textbook slogans, but rather training them in a lifestyle rooted in care for
our common home. This must not be a schizophrenic lifestyle, he noted, caring
for animals facing extinction while ignoring the plight of the elderly, or
protecting the rainforests while ignoring those struggling for a living wage
packet.
Rather, the pope concluded, young children must learn to
develop the taste for an integrated Christian environmental ethic which springs
from the choices and gestures of their everyday lives.
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