EDUCATION MINISTRY

Formal Education has always been an important apostolate of the Congregation especially in mission countries with the focus of serving the mission either in faith formation, or as source of vocations to priestly and religious life. Confronted with the poverty and illiteracy of people a missionary finds educational apostolate as a meeting point in which faith and human potentialities can be trained, deepened and directed to realization of the fullness of life which Christ came to give mankind. Education becomes a tool for the integral and wholistic development of the human person, the living image of God perfected in the perfect icon of God, Jesus Christ. Fr Mermier advocated the wholistic education when he understood education of the heart as the heart of education.

Education of the young is one of the prime apostolates of our Congregation, and it is considered as a sacred call for evangelisation. The educational and formal value of our presence as priests and religious, as principals will create a Catholic culture and ambience in our educational institutions. MSFS consciously commit themselves to the apostolate of education as part of the mission of Christ and as a means to promote and strengthen the renewal of faith and God-experience of the students and teachers. “Our schools and colleges should provide means of God-experience for the students through our way of life and our commitment to Gospel values. (MSFSConst No.38)

To sustain the imparting of Salesian and missionary vision of education, our Constitutions encourage us to discern and launch where possible in colleges and institutions of higher learning. This is a new direction shown by the revised Constitutions of 2007. The Congregation has full-fledged 2 graduation and post-graduation colleges, and many junior colleges that cater to the needs of the students.

The global network of Fransalian schools consisting of primary, secondary and higher secondary, in number speak of the urgency to deepen and retain the insertion of education in the apostolate of mission as envisioned by our Founder, Fr Mermier.

Our schools and hostels have always served as means for evangelization. Many of the schools have taken steps for the establishment of clubs, associations, participatory approaches in education by forming PTA and Alumni associations, and introduction of value-based education and curriculum on human rights and education for life. Most of the schools have displayed the vision and mission of Fransalian education. Some of the schools have organized remedial classes or tuition centres for students. Animation on Child rights, abuse and violation of child’s rights for select group teachers from all our schools was provided. During the last six years, we also undertook construction of village schools and renovation and repairs of some old schools. Basic facilities were improved in most of the schools and plans for new buildings are also underway in certain missions of the Province.

The province is heavily engaged in educational ministry, with 17 High Schools, 3 Higher Secondary Schools, 18 Middle and Primary Schools, a College, 1 Technical School and a number of village schools. In the changing scenario of this ministry (due to competition in the field, dropping of enrolments in our schools, stricter rules and regulations often effected by the unfriendly political governments, etc.) calls for greater preparedness to face these challenges and to revisit our education ministry as a tool of evangelization and development.

Our schools and hostels have always served as means for evangelization. Many of the schools have taken steps for the establishment of clubs, associations, participatory approaches in education by forming PTA and Alumni associations, and introduction of value based education and curriculum on human rights, and education for life.

Most of the schools have displayed the vision and mission of Fransalian education. Some of the schools have organized remedial classes or tuition centres for students. Animation on Child rights, abuse and violation of child’s rights for select group teachers from all our schools was provided. We also undertook construction of village schools and renovation and repairs of some old schools. Basic facilities were improved in most of the schools and plans for new buildings are also underway in certain missions of the Province. Our Hostels provide better opportunities for the children.

The Province is in the process of bringing all the SFS Schools under a common platform in terms of policies and programmes.  Teachers training and academic empowerment of the teaching staff have been carried out by a common resource person in most of our schools.  A common lesson plan is in the process of getting implemented and a province level training for teachers at various selected regions has been implemented.  Inter SFS School, cultural and sports events, along with Province level students Olympiad and teachers Olympiad have already been conducted. A common service rule for teachers of all the schools is being initiated.  A common school management software named “Desalite Connect” has also been used by many of our schools and it has improved the efficiency of the whole system.