THE TERM “mission schools” reminds us of the history and heritage of our Catholic schools in Singapore. From the mid-19th century, religious brothers, sisters and priests came from abroad with the mission of providing education to those who could not afford it, and to transmit Christian values to believers and non-believers alike. Through their selfless generosity and discipline, many Singaporeans were exposed to Christian values. Their achievement of those missionary educators is not only evident in the number of students that went on subsequently to embrace the Faith but also in the way they managed to shape the values and character of those students that were never baptized formally.

Thus it is unfortunate that many Catholic schools today are plagued by an absence of this sense of mission. Indeed, many have been losing their distinctive religious character that distinguish them from their secular counterparts. Save for the token masses and prayers said, it would appear that many Catholics schools are running on ‘auto-pilot’, functioning just like any other government school.

There are many reasons for this loss of sense of mission. The first is the state’s role in providing universal education to all. This has lessened the need for religious orders who were there to provide education to those who cannot afford it. Reflecting a general decline in vocations, the numbers in religious teaching orders have also dwindled. Little effort has also been made to recruit Catholic teachers who are willing to take up the gauntlet of educating our young in the widest sense of the word. The final, and perhaps most devastating, factor is the introduction of the school ranking system which has resulted in a shift of emphasis towards academic performance instead of the spiritual and character development of students. Particularly because of the last factor, many Catholic parents themselves no longer send their children to Catholic schools.

Although these factors are beyond the control of Catholic educators, they should not excuse the current state of Catholic education in Singapore. Instead, let these factors move us to re-examine and redefine the mission of Catholic schools.