Today, 23 July 2013, the Romanian Patriarchate and World Vision Romania Foundation organised at the Patriarchate Palace, in “Patriarch Teoctist” Aula Magna, the closing festivity of the “Choose School!” project at national level. His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church was also present.
The purposes set up and the results reached were presented.
His Grace Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul, Assistant Bishop to the Archdiocese of Bucharest, members of the Standing meeting of the Church National Council and of the Standing meeting of the Eparchial Council of the Archdiocese of Bucharest, representatives of the World Vision Romania, of the Ministry for Education, eparchial inspectors for catechesis of the 19 eparchies involved in the project, priests and professors who participated in the project’s activity from Bucharest and from the country, mass media representatives and other persons interested in the activity of “Choose School!” project attended the event.
This project was focused on the promotion of the Christian values in view of increasing the personal motivation. 235 camps, catechesis, Sunday schools and national contests were organised and 3200 priests and religion teachers ensured their good organisation.
Today, the figures were presented at the Patriarchate Palace, during the festive ending ceremony of the project, by rev Constantin Naclad, coordinator of the project. The rev inspector has also presented the purposes of these activities in which children were involved: “Stimulation of the attitudes and competences of the children enrolled in the project, identification of the pupils with special talents, artistic, literary and development of their interest in reading and literary, plastic creations – through drawing and photography, theological – of communication and organisation; awareness of the role of education in the life of a child and of the possibilities it provides for integration in the social life, prevention of the school abandon and juvenile delinquency, integration of the children in the school life and combating the school abandon through the social – emotional and behavioural recuperation of the pupils participating in the catechetic programmes, provision of the basic moral education necessary to any child. The talent of every child was also encouraged through the stimulating prises which made them aware of the role of study and rewarded their efforts to get good results”, professor inspector Constantin Naclad, from the Theological Educational Department of the Romanian Patriarchate said in the end.
The Executive Director of World Vision Romania Foundation, Catalin Andrew Popa participated in the festivity and spoke about the good collaboration between the Church, civil society and State.
“Choose School!” is an exemplary project because it shows us what can be done when the Church, Civil Society and State cooperate for the welfare of the child. None of us can change the society all by himself, but together we can change the things for the welfare of the nation. This is not a senseless assertion, but it comes from our experience as Christian international organisation present in over 100 countries as a family of 100 million of people who take care of the welfare of 20 million of children from all continents. Our experience taught us that the deep change occurs when the three important aspects of a society work together: Civil society, Church, and State”, said Catalin Andrew Popa, executive director of World Vision Romania Foundation.
Present at the event, Remus Pricopie, Minister for National Education said: “Choose School!” is a “super strategic” project. Taking notice that we have been talking of over 35,000 children for 70 months, we can say that this is a project we should name super strategic, not simply strategic. These are the children of the so called first wave, because they will bring about reactions within the communities they came from. They will speak about school and about its importance with their colleagues. The teachers formed here have acquired a certain experience which they will use during the next years, and I think it could be very interesting to meet in 2 – 3 years to analyse again the true impact of these projects”.
As for the role of the Church in education, Minister Remus Pricopie said: “I think the Church has historical legitimacy. The Church was involved in education before the State did. The State did no other than take over an operating structure and use it for its own purpose. Therefore, I am not one of those who wonder why the Church is concerned with such educational projects. I repeat: it is a historical right based not only on history but also on results. While looking at the faces of these children we can realize the value of your work.”
Besides “Choose School!”, almost 80 other projects have been implemented during the last seven years at the level of the entire country, subsidized through the Sectorial Operational Programme for Human Resources Development. 54,000 children benefited of their services, out of whom over 30,000 only through the project developed by the Romanian Patriarchate together with World Vision Foundation – according to Trinitas Radio station.
“We can say today, when almost 80 projects are coming to a close, that about 54,000 pupils and 6,000 adult persons benefited of them. I let you draw the conclusions and appreciate the project for which I congratulate you for all those 54,000 persons. You succeeded, with only one project, in solving more than half of the purposes Romania assumed for this period of the programmes”, said Ella Stefan, General Director of the POSDRU Intermediary Body of the Ministry for National Education.
To end with the closing festivity of “Choose School!” project, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel congratulated all those who supported the implementation of the project. His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel also pointed out the importance of collaboration among institutions: “We thank first of all God for this blessed experience. As Mr Minister for Education said, it is a badly need to know the reality in the country so that we may be able to develop co-responsibility and cooperation among the factors which can contribute to the improvement of education and especially to the inclusion of all children in the educational process. We did appreciate the fact that Mr Catalin Popa underlined that this experience of the “Choose School!” project is an experience of cooperation too between the civil society – here we refer especially to families and to the NGO-s dealing with education – Church, and State (State meaning the Minister for National Education). This co-responsibility must be intensified. It is intensified when we know how badly needed collaboration is, just like the contribution to the formation of the young people so that they should have dignity. Patriotism cannot be limited to enthusiastic words, to pathetic speeches; it is high time we said, just like Saint Isaac the Syrian: You must not say anything but let your deeds do it. The sermon delivered in the Church must be implemented in educational, social – philanthropic projects for all ages, but especially for children”.
The Primate of our Church emphasised the need to continue the project.
“Nobody can solve the issue of education as a simple expert. The Ministry for Education makes great efforts, but he rather sees how much work it is still to be done. Just like in the Church, we only remember what we achieved to thank God and the people through whom He worked; yet, we do not pay so much attention to achievements, as to the part that is waiting to be developed and consolidated. Therefore, our first concern should be what we still have to do. So, gratitude at such a time of estimation is a must. Whoever is ungrateful cannot have a good command of what he did and of what it is still to be done. We may say it was a good work, blessed by God, but let us not consider this success more than a beginning”, His Beatitude said.
To end with, the eparchial inspectors for catechesis, as well as other supporters of the project were awarded the homage diploma of “Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen”. At the same time, the Patriarch of Romania received from the implementation team an icon made by the children involved in “Choose School!” project – according to Trinitas TV.
The general purpose of “Choose School!” project was to reduce school abandon and juvenile delinquency developing some alternative solutions of Sunday school type. Therefore, activities as: sessions of formation for all priests and religion teachers who work with children within the catechesis classes, contests on religious themes for children and camps of Christian creation were set up for the purpose.
