Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Jul 3, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Auxiliary Bishop Amancio Escapa of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, said last week that education is the foundation upon which nations are built and that those responsible for it should ensure that children and young people receive an integral formation.
During a Mass marking Teacher’s Day in the country, Bishop Escapa lamented the shortage of classroom space to meet the demand for education, saying such a problem poses a great risk to society. Without education, “an honest, just society that respects the rights of others, that respects itself and enables the development of all” cannot be achieved.
The bishop said that it is not enough to complain about social ills; one must work to eradicate them. “We complain so much about the negative things. We all reject them but few of us volunteer to lend in hand in solving them,” he explained.
Likewise, he called on educators to ascertain the qualities of each student and “to build the edifice of culture and intellectual development oriented toward life upon them.” Bishop Escapa noted that there is no greater satisfaction for a teacher than to see the integral growth of his or her students, committed to building a better future.