Catholic Board of Education

The Catholic Board of Education is the arm of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan responsible for education. Each diocese has its own board. Collectively the Catholic Church runs 534 schools, 8 colleges, and 7 technical institutes in its 2 archdioceses, 4 dioceses, and one Apostolic Prefecture.

The Government of Pakistan nationalised most church schools and colleges in Punjab and Sindh in 1972. Elite schools such as St Patrick's High School, Karachi, St Joseph's Convent School (Karachi) and St Michael's Convent School were never nationalised.

The Government of Sindh oversaw a denationalization program from 1985 to 1995, and the Government of Punjab began a similar program in 1996. In 2001, the Federal Government and the courts ordered the provincial governments to complete the denationalization process. In May 2005, the Sindh Government announced its intention to handover St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's colleges to the Catholic Board of Education.

The Society of the Daughters of the Holy Heart of Mary came to Karachi in 1954. One of them, Mother Doyle, an American educationalist, was instrumental in establishing the Catholic Board of Education. The Catholic Board of Education in Karachi was established in 1961 to "maintain and manage all present and future educational institutions belonging to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi." The Archbishop of Karachi appoints the board and is also the ex officio chairman of the board.

The board is registered with the government under Societies Registration Act 1860. In 2004 the Catholic Board of Education maintains and manages 56 primary, secondary and high schools (18 English medium and 38 Urdu medium) for boys and girls which are attended by around 50,000 students.

A conference entitled "Education and Curriculum Policies in Pakistan: Impact On Interfaith Harmony and Peace" was organised as part of a countrywide effort by the Catholic Church to tackle the new education policy. The Jan. 11-13, 2007 conference's 30 participants included Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, chairman of the Catholic Board of Education.

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