The sacred ecumenical Council has given careful consideration to the paramount importance of education in the life of men and its ever-growing influence on the social progress of the age.¹ In fact the education of youth, and indeed a certain continuing education of adults, have been rendered both easier and more necessary by the circumstances of our times. For men, as they become more conscious of their own dignity and responsibility, are eager to take an ever more active role in social life and especially in the economic and political spheres.² The wonderful progress in technical skill and scientific inquiry and the new means of social communication give men the opportunity of enjoying more leisure -and many of them take advantage of it -- and of availing themselves to their birthright of culture of mind and spirit and of finding fulfilment in closer relations both with other groups and even with other nations. Accordingly, efforts are being made everywhere to ensure an ever increasing development of education. The fundamental rights in regard to the education of men, and especially of children and of parents, are being enunciated and made a matter of public record.³ As the number of pupils is rapidly increasing, schools are being established far and wide, and other scholastic institutions are being opened. Methods of education and instruction are being developed by new experiments, and great efforts are being made to provide these services for all men, although many children and young people are still without even elementary education, and many others are deprived of a suitable education — one inculcating simultaneously truth and charity.

For her part Holy Mother Church, in order to fulfil the mandate she received from her divine founder to announce the mystery of salvation to all men and to renew all things in Christ, is under an obligation to promote the welfare of the whole life of man, including his life in this world insofar as it is related to his heavenly vocation;⁴ she has therefore a part to play in the development and extension of education. Accordingly the sacred Synod hereby promulgates some fundamental principles concerning Christian education, especially in regard to schools. These principles should be more fully developed by a special postconciliar commission and should be adapted to the different local circumstances by episcopal conferences.

1. All men of whatever race, condition or age, in virtue of their dignity as human persons, have an inalienable right to education⁵ This education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individuals,⁶ adapted to their ability, sex and national cultural traditions, and should be conducive to fraternal relations with other nations in order to promote true unity and peace in the world. True education is directed towards the formation of the human person in view of his final end and the good of that society to which he belongs and in the duties of which he will, as an adult, have a share.

Due weight being given to the advances in psychological, pedagogical and intellectual sciences, children and young people should be helped to develop harmoniously their physical, moral and intellectual qualities. They should be trained to acquire gradually a more perfect sense of responsibility in the proper development of their own lives by constant effort and in the pursuit of liberty, overcoming obstacles with unwavering courage and perseverance. As they grow older they should receive a positive and prudent education in matters relating to sex. Moreover, they should be so prepared to take their part in the life of society that, having been duly trained in the necessary and useful skills, they may be able to participate actively in the life of society in its various aspects. They should be open to dialogue with others and should willingly devote themselves to the promotion of the common good.

Similarly the sacred Synod affirms that children and young people have the right to be stimulated to make sound moral judgments based on a well-formed conscience and to put them into practice with a sense of personal commitment, and to know and love God more perfectly. Accordingly, it earnestly requests all those who are in charge of civil administration or in control of education to make it their care to ensure that young people are never deprived of this sacred right. It therefore exhorts the sons of the Church to assist in a spirit of generosity in the whole field of education, especially with the aim of extending more rapidly the benefits of suitable education and instruction throughout the world.⁷

2. All Christians -- that is, all those who having been reborn in water and the Holy Spirit⁸ are called and in fact are children of God -- have a right to a Christian education. Such an education not only develops the maturity of the human person in the way we have described, but is especially directed towards ensuring that those who have been baptized, as they are gradually introduced to a knowledge of the mysteries of salvation, become daily more appreciative of the gift of faith which they have received. They should learn to adore God the father in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23), especially through the liturgy. They should be trained to live their own lives in the new self, justified and sanctified through the truth (Eph. 4:22-24). Thus they should come to true manhood, which is proportioned to the completed growth of Christ (cf. Eph. 4:13), and make their contribution to the growth of the Mystical Body. Moreover, conscious of their vocation they should learn to give witness to the hope that is in them (cf. 1 Pet. 3:15) and to promote the Christian concept on the world whereby the natural values, assimilated into the full understanding of man redeemed by Christ, may contribute to the good of society as a whole.⁹ Accordingly the sacred Synod directs the attention of pastors of souls to their very grave obligation to do all in their power to ensure that this Christian education is enjoyed by all the faithful and especially by the young who are the hope of the church.¹⁰

3. As it is the parents who have given life to their children, on them lies the gravest obligation of educating their family.¹¹ They must therefore be recognized as being primarily and principally responsible for their education. The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. It is therefore the duty of parents to create a family atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men which will promote an integrated, personal and social education of their children. The family is therefore the principal school for the social virtues which are necessary to every society. It is therefore above all in the Christian family, inspired by the grace and the responsibility of the sacrament of matrimony, that children should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor, in accordance with the faith which they have received in earliest infancy in the sacrament of Baptism. In it, also, they will have their first experience of a well-balanced human society and of the Church. Finally it is through the family that they are gradually initiated into association with their fellow-men in civil life and as members of the people of God. Parents should, therefore, appreciate how important a role the truly Christian family plays in the life and progress of the whole people of God.¹²

The task of imparting education belongs primarily to the family, but it requires the help of society as a whole. As well as the rights of parents, and of those others to whom the parents entrust some share in their duty to educate, there are certain duties and rights vested in civil society inasmuch as it is its function to provide for the common good in temporal matters. It is its duty to promote the education of youth in various ways.

It should recognize the duties and rights of parents, and of those others who play a part in education, and provide them with the requisite assistance. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, when the efforts of the parents and of other organizations are inadequate it should itself undertake the duty of education, with due consideration, however, for the wishes of the parents. Finally, insofar as the common good requires it, it should establish its own schools and institutes.¹³

Education is, in a very special way, the concern of the Church, not only because the Church must be recognized as a human society capable of imparting education, but especially it has the duty of proclaiming the way of salvation to all men, or revealing the life of Christ to those who believe, and of assisting them with unremitting care so that they may be able to attain to the fullness of that life.¹⁴

The Church as a mother is under an obligation, therefore, to provide for its children an education by virtue of which their whole lives may be inspired by the spirit of Christ. At the same time it will offer its assistance to all peoples for the promotion of a well-balanced perfection of the human personality, for the good of society in this world and for the development of a world more worthy of man.¹⁵

4. In the exercise of its functions in education the Church is appreciative of every means that may be of service, but it relies especially on those which are essentially its own. Chief among these is catechetical instruction,¹⁶ which illumines and strengthens the faith, develops a life in harmony wit the spirit of Christ, stimulates a conscious and fervent participation in the liturgical mystery¹⁷ and encourages men to take an active part in the apostolate. The Church values highly those other educational media which belong to the common patrimony of men and which make a valuable contribution to the development of character and to the formation of men. These it seeks to ennoble by imbuing them with its own spirit. Such are the media of social communication,¹⁸ different groups devoted to the training of mind and body, youth associations, and especially schools.

5. Among the various organs of education the school is of outstanding importance.¹⁹ In nurturing the intellectual faculties which is its special mission, it develops a capacity for sound judgment and introduces the pupils to the cultural heritage bequeathed to them by former generations. It fosters a sense of values and prepares them for professional life. By providing for friendly contacts between pupils of different characters and backgrounds it encourages mutual understanding. Furthermore it constitutes a center in whose activity and growth not only the families and teachers but also the various associations for the promotion of cultural, civil and religious life, civic society, and the entire community should take part. Splendid, therefore, and of the highest importance is the vocation of those who help parents in carrying out their duties and act in the name of the community by undertaking a teaching career. This vocation requires special qualities of mind and heart, most careful preparation and a constant readiness to accept new ideas and to adapt the old.

6. Parents, who have a primary and inalienable duty and right in regard to the education of their children, should enjoy the fullest liberty in their choice of school. The public authority, therefore, whose duty it is to protect and defend the liberty of the citizens, is bound according to the principles of distributive justice to ensure that public subsidies to schools are so allocated that parents are truly free to select schools for their children in accordance with their conscience.²⁰

But it is the duty of the state to ensure that all its citizens have access to an adequate education and are prepared for the proper exercise of their civic rights and duties. The state itself, therefore, should safeguard the rights of children to an adequate education in schools. It should be vigilant about the ability of the teachers and the standard of teaching. It should watch over the health of the pupils and in general promote the work of the schools in its entirety. In this, however, the principle of subsidiarity must be borne in mind, and therefore there must be no monopoly of schools which would be prejudicial to the natural rights of the human person and would militate against the progress and extension of education, and the peaceful coexistence of citizens. It would, moreover, be inconsistent with the pluralism which exists today in many societies.²¹

Accordingly the sacred Synod urges the faithful to cooperate readily in the development of suitable methods of education and systems of study and in the training of teachers competent to give a good education to their pupils. They are urged also to further by their efforts, and especially by associations of parents, the entire activity of the schools and in particular the moral education given in them.²²