Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Paalak Mahasangh (MP Parents’ Association) has sought the intervention of the Pope to rein in schools run by Catholic missionaries in the city.
The association has urged the Pope to ask missionary schools not to prescribe costly textbooks or force parents to buy them from specific shops.
In a communication addressed to Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City, the association stated that it wants him to immediately direct all Church-run schools under Bhopal Archdiocese to implement an NCERT-based curriculum and prescribe affordable textbooks. It also urged him to instruct schools to desist from asking parents to buy books published by private publishers from specific sellers.
State general secretary of the association Prabodh Pandya told Free Press that he was compelled to write directly to the head of the Roman Catholic Church as A Arokia Sebastin Durairaj, the Archbishop of Bhopal, refused to meet the delegation.
“After informing his office in advance and seeking permission from the district administration, our delegation reached the Archbishop's House to apprise him of the irregularities being committed by missionary schools functioning under his jurisdiction. But we were informed that he was not available,” Pandya said.
