“The educational process is dedicated to serving human beings at a time when the poor students have a special status and a place in the Latin Patriarchate Schools which marked two years ago its 160th anniversary in this section of the Latin Patriarchate Diocese, Fr. Dr. Firas Nasrawin, director general of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Jordan, said on Thursday, October 13, 2022.

During the meeting with officials of charity organizations, namely the Bible Society of Jordan, AVSI Foundation, Caritas Jordan, the Karam Imseeh Fund, and the Hearts of Mercy Foundation, he said, “We are in the process of establishing a fund for the poor students in order to ensure a fair consideration of students enrolled in schools across Jordan so as not to embarrass any students and thus be forced to quit Latin Patriarchate schools due to poverty.

The participants in the meeting said that the Latin Patriarchate has maintained this feature in its schools by serving as pastoral schools that takes care of the needy students and that encourages families to have their children enrolled in non-profit private schools. During the meeting, views were expressed on the establishment of a fund for the poor students to be launched shortly whereby aid will be distributed to schools where poor children are enrolled especially in remote areas where families lack stable incomes.

Alongside Fr. Nasrawin, the meeting was attended by Ms. Lina Karam Imseeh; Ms. Sawsan Awad, representing Caritas Jordan; Mr. Hani Khoury, representing the Bible Society of Jordan; Mr. Fadi Hreimat, representing AVSI Foundation, and Ms. Dalal Nino, representing the Hearts of Mercy Foundation.

Another meeting is expected to be held shortly to include representatives of the Pontifical Mission and a  number of charity organizations in Jordan.

The Latin Patriarchate schools in Jordan have over the years contributed enormously to promoting the standard of education in Jordan. Thousands of students who have graduated from these schools, have pursued higher education and excelled by holding key positions either at the governmental or professional levels, which enriched the Jordanian society with batches of people who are qualified enough to pursue the procession of development and progress in Jordan.

The schools of the Latin Patriarchate were created when the Latin Patriarchate was re-established in 1847. The patriarch at the time, Joseph Valerga, saw it as a way to reach Christian families in different towns and villages. Even today, by participating in the education and school education of children, the Latin Church is present daily in the Christian communities formed by families. 

The Latin Patriarchate has at present 43 schools spread across the Holy Land, including Jordan. In these institutions, every effort is made to ensure that students develop in a healthy environment and receive a high-quality education.  The Patriarchate schools currently employ nearly 1,800 teachers, administrators and educators, and provide education at present to more than 19,900 students.

By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org