The Catholic Education Unit of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has dedicated 2025 Education Week celebration to the shepherding roles of Catholic School Teachers in the contemporary time.
Scheduled to take place from Sunday, January 26 to Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Catholic Education Week Celebration is an annual event for Catholic Basic and Secondary Schools across the country which usually starts in the last Sunday in January and ends on first week of February.
The Week which is a national celebration of Catholic education is an opportunity to recognise the importance, the value, and the contributions of Catholic education to the Church and the world.
The theme for the 2025 week-long celebration of Catholic Education Week to be launched on Sunday, January 26, 2024 in all Catholic Churches with Schools is “Catholic Education: “The Catholic School Teacher, a Good Shepherd in our Contemporary Time.”
The Education Week is an annual event commemorated nationally in Catholic Schools with a series of week-long activities. The General Manager of catholic Schools in Ghana usually issues a Message to mark the Week.
The National Office of the Catholic Education Unit at the National catholic Secretariat has put together some suggested activities to be marked during the week. School Heads in consultation of Local Managers could adjust the activities to suit their situations at their school levels.
On Sunday, January 26, 2024, the week is expected to be launched during Holy Masses in Parishes either by the Heads, Local Managers (Priests) or a Catechist.
On Monday, January 27, the pupils of Basic Schools and students of second cycle Schools are expected to embark on a march pass with placards through some principal streets of the town the Schools are located accompanied with Christian or Catholic songs.
Local Managers are expected to celebrate Holy Masses on Tuesday, January 28, 2024 with the Pupils and students and after, give a talk on the theme of the Week celebration which is on the Shepherding role of a Catholic School Teacher. They are also expected to highlight on St. Thomas Aquinas Day and the need to celebrate him as Patron Saint for all students.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025 is dedicated to exhibition of talents of Pupils and students-singing, still live drawing, painting, dancing, poetry recitation.
On Thursday January 30, 2025, quiz competitions are expected to be organised to be participated by all pupils and students. Meanwhile other activities like career or traditional day might be organised during which the pupils and students are expected to dress in their future career costumes to school or dressed in traditional attire to School.
On Friday, January 31, 2025, a durbar is to be organised aimed at focusing on maintaining Catholic identity in Schools. It is expected to be attended by Local Managers, Priests, Education Committees, Religious Men and Women, members of the School Management Committees, Parent-Teacher Associations, Old students, traditional leaders, Assembly members and other Church members.
A thanksgiving Mass in a Catholic Church to be attended by pupils and students climaxes the week-long celebration on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
As Schools prepare to launch this Week-long activities this Sunday, the General Manager of Catholic Schools in Ghana, Mr. Francis Batadjon is charging all Catholic Schools through their teachers to consider the Unit’s Vision, Mission, Goal, Mandate and Core Values in the discharge of their duties.
The Unit has as its vision –To provide education based on gospel values and Mission -To contribute to the efforts of government in the provision of formal education and the development of the physical, social, intellectual, mental, moral, emotional and spiritual dimensions of the individual to become God-fearing and imbued with the Gospel’s spirit of humility, service and love for one’s neighbours and country.
The Church also aims at nurturing and assisting young people to realize their vocation to serve God and humankind.
The Unit also has as its goal-To create opportunities for young people to achieve their potentials through comprehensive religious, culturally oriented and learner-centred education.
Its core values are to impart gospel values, knowledge and skill and form  and develop of the whole person, spiritually, intellectually and physically.
By Damian Avevor
