Catholic Centre of Academic Excellence [CCAE]
The Catholic Centre of Academic Excellence provides a non-residential sustained environment so that academically talented Catholic boys and young men can overcome the economic, cultural and social barriers which arise from intense religious discrimination and family poverty. Through CCAE they attain high academic grades and obtain admission to free university and tertiary education on merit basis.
Students attend CCAE for a total of four years: during the last two years of high school and then the two years of pre-tertiary level education. They attend schools daily and then come to CCAE from 4.30-8.30pm Monday to Friday. CCAE course work includes intensive coaching in high school and college class content material. Intensive English is a high priority to ensure that each student achieves excellent speaking, writing and comprehension skills. The aim is to enable them to live and work effectively and successfully in Pakistan’s multi- cultural and multi-religious society. Everything at CCAE is free. 100% commitment by each student is expected and required in return.
Catholic religious instruction, sound moral formation, and social skills are essential to the CCAE programme. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle in the chapel.
Seventy one students are enrolled in CCAE’s four-year program during this reporting period. CCAE is staffed by its Director, eight teachers, the Student Relations Officer who is also the Child Protection Officer, a bookkeeper and three auxiliary staff. All are compliant with CCAE’s Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Minors. CCAE students are assessed academically through the Hyderabad Board of Education examinations and achieve outstanding results.
Forty six CCAE alumni are attending various universities and institutes of tertiary education and 15 are awaiting university entrance results. 310 alumni are university or tertiary level graduates. There are three seminarians including two who are studying in Rome.
It costs Rs.720,000 = AU$3,950 to run CCAE every month which is AU$48,000 per year. This is approximately $2.30 daily per boy and includes the substantial evening meal served every night to all students and to the alumni who use the study facilities available to them at CCAE. We urgently need immediate and long-term financial assistance to continue CCAE. All donations are fully tax deductible.
