For the right to an education: Reimagining the Church’s mission

Jan 03, 2025

PRAYER PRISM - Fr Fabian Dicom

As we step into January 2025, Pope Francis calls us to pray for a renewal in how we think about education. The Pope’s prayer intention for this month is: "Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected." This intention highlights the importance of education for all, not just for children and the young but for people of all ages, as a pathway to hope and dignity. How do we, as a Church in Malaysia, respond to this urgent call?

A Challenge Rooted in the Gospel
In Malaysia, this intention holds deep relevance, resonating with the challenges faced by our society. Our nation’s diversity is both a strength and a challenge, as disparities persist. Migrant and refugee communities, including stateless children, are often denied access to quality education. These groups remain invisible to a system that fails to recognize their worth.

As individuals and as Church, we must ask: How have we responded to this reality? Are we fulfilling the Gospel’s call to love our neighbour and defend human dignity, or have we grown comfortable with an education system favouring the privileged?

Rethinking Our Legacy
Christian education in Malaysia has a proud history of forming leaders and building communities through mission schools. These schools, once vibrant centres of holistic education rooted in Gospel values, have over time lost much of their autonomy due to the political agendas of those in power, which led to policy changes and laws that shifted control away from the Church. Today, key aspects such as curriculum, teacher placement, school administration and admittance are largely determined by the Ministry of Education, leaving the Church with minimal influence over their direction and ethos.

The Church now faces a crossroads: Will we continue to direct much of our resources and attention toward schools and institutions that primarily serve those already advantaged, or will we reimagine our role as champions of education for the marginalised? While certain dioceses have made commendable efforts to provide learning centres and programmes for migrants and refugees, these initiatives remain insufficient given the scale of the need. Malaysia hosts over 180,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR, many of whom are denied access to formal education due to their legal and economic status.

Scriptural Foundations
Proverbs 31:8-9 calls us to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Education is one way we can defend the dignity of the poor, migrants, and refugees, granting them access to knowledge and opportunity. Hosea 4:6 speaks to the devastating effects of rejecting true knowledge: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” While this verse addresses spiritual ignorance, it also carries a broader lesson. Knowledge — understood as both wisdom and the understanding of God’s law — is essential for the well-being of individuals and communities. Denying access to education, particularly for marginalised groups, perpetuates cycles of poverty, exclusion, and disempowerment. As a society, we are called to break these cycles by ensuring that all people can learn, grow, and flourish in both spirit and mind. In this way, true knowledge leads to life, justice, and dignity for all.

Implicitly, the call of the Pope’s prayer intention echoes the teachings of Jesus, who spent His ministry empowering and restoring dignity to the marginalised. Whether welcoming the Samaritan woman, healing the sick, or teaching the crowds, Jesus consistently uplifted those excluded by society. As His followers, we are called to do the same — offering education as a path to dignity and hope for all, regardless of their background.

Insights from Church Documents
The Church’s teachings on education provide a good foundation for understanding its importance as a universal right rooted in human dignity.

The Vatican II document on the Declaration on Christian Education — Gravissimum Educationis, highlights this by declaring that all people, regardless of race, condition, or age, possess an inalienable right to an education that aligns with their ultimate purpose (n 1). This call extends especially to those who are marginalised, urging Christians to pay special attention to those “who are poor in the goods of this world” (n 9). Education is thus not a privilege reserved for a few but a fundamental necessity for the flourishing of every person.

Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, connects the Church’s mission to serve the marginalised with the very heart of our faith in Christ, who “became poor and was always close to the poor and the outcast” (n 186). This faith compels the Church to work for the integral development of society’s most neglected members, emphasising that such work is not peripheral but central to the Gospel. The Pope, further challenges us to go beyond addressing immediate needs like food and shelter, envisioning a society where everyone enjoys “general temporal welfare and prosperity” (n 192). This vision includes ensuring access to education, healthcare, and dignified employment - elements that not only fulfil basic needs but also allow individuals to express and enhance their dignity. The call to justice in education aligns with this broader vision, emphasizing that it is not just an act of charity but a necessary step toward creating a just and inclusive society.

A New Vision for Catholic Education
The Pope’s intention urges us to create a bold and inclusive vision for education that prioritises the marginalised. Reimagining Catholic education means shifting from serving the elite to walking with the poor, the displaced, and the forgotten. What might this look like in practice? 

• Innovative Partnerships: Collaborate with NGOs, civil society, and other faithbased organisations to establish community schools, vocational training centres, and scholarship programmes for marginalised groups. 

• Alternative Models: Develop mobile classrooms, skill-based learning programmes, and holistic educational spaces tailored to the needs of refugees, stateless children, and the urban poor. 

• Parish Involvement: Equip parishes to be hubs of learning by offering language classes, tutoring, and mentoring programmes for vulnerable communities.

A Call for Personal Commitment
This mission is not solely the work of the Church as an institution. Each of us, as Catholics, is called to make education a priority in our lives and communities. Here are concrete ways you can contribute:

1. Advocate: Speak up for inclusive policies that grant all children, including migrants and refugees, access to education. Use your voice in parish gatherings, social media, and community platforms to raise awareness.

2. Volunteer: Offer your time and skills by teaching or mentoring children and youth in need. Many communities or NGOs run programmes where your talents can make a difference.

3. Contribute Resources: Pool funds or donate to scholarships and learning initiatives for marginalised communities. Even small contributions can change lives.

4. Foster Parish Engagement: Encourage your parish to create or support educational programmes for the poor and marginalised, making it a core part of its mission.

5. Lead by Example: Show Christ’s love in action by supporting and uplifting the excluded, reminding them of their worth and potential.

Hope for the Future
Reimagining Catholic education is not just a strategy but a spiritual call to embody Christ’s love and justice. The Pope’s prayer intention inspires us to take bold steps forward — building schools, programmes, and spaces that empower the poor and uplift the marginalised. Let us unite in prayer and action, trusting that our efforts will make education a beacon of hope for all.

Fr Fabian Dicom is the National Director of Caritas Malaysia