ASIA/INDIA - Catholic schools and professional training centres receive government acknowledgement

Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - Throughout India it is widely acknowledged that Catholic schools offer a qualified service highly appreciated by politicians, intellectuals, academics and families of many different religious communities.
“We cannot fail to acknowledge the precious contribution offered to our country by Catholic schools", India's minister for Education and Development of Human Resources said recently.
One of these schools is Don Bosco Tech India DBTI run by the Salesian fathers and placed among the best experiences of professional training by India's planning commission for development, in a survey on structures to promote employment. DBTI is part of a network of Salesian training institutes all over the country. In recent years Don Bosco Tech India has intensified efforts to share energy and resources training young people for jobs in electronics, telecommunications, IT, mechanics and crafts work.
Catholic efforts to provide education are not only appreciated in India they are essential since, according to UNICEF, as many as 60 million Indian children have never been to school even for a day. Despite excellent results in many universities, 35% of the population is still illiterate and in the poorest areas the percentage rises to 55%. On the other hand intellectual, scientific and technological progress especially in districts such as Bangalore in Karnataka, have made the sub-continent a world point of reference for the production of computer software. The deep gulf between rich and poor has spread to the field of knowledge with millions of Indians denied access to even basic instruction. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/7/2007 righe 26 parole 267)