Education should focus more on morals and ethics and should fight against fundamentalism, St. Joseph’s College principal Friday Ambrose Pinto said on Thursday. Education for the poor too is a vital aspect that should be taken up, he added. As Pinto speaking at ‘with relevance Excellence “, a conference of Catholic College of Karnataka on Thursday.

Speaking on ‘Vision of Christian higher education and its overview, and implications of Christian education, education Friday Pinto said should make people more moral and humanizes them. “While maintaining the highest standards, its demands that we produce a radical change in the person we educate - from selfish concerns to generosity to others.”

Emphasising on education for the poor, Pinto said Friday: “Education should struggle against unjust society, it should cater more to the poor and programmes should be taken up to empower them. Principal of St. Stephen’s in New Delhi, Dr Anil Wilson called for steps to rediscover the real meaning and purpose of education. “Let systemic changes be a reasoned response to needs and not a knee-jerk reaction to the time.”

The objective of the day-long conference was to create a model which is yet local to global, spiritually vibrant, socially relevant, emotionally balanced and leading to human enrichment. Deliberations also included topics like, if excellence in education can be fused with greater accessibility to Christian institutions.

Among the other speakers were Professor Jose and PD Leader of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Rev. Joe Fernandes, Vice-Provincial, Salesians of Don Bosco, Bangalore and Head and Professor, Department of Christian Studies, University of Madras, Joe De Mannath .