II. SALESIAN ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

1.1 Salesians in academic schools

The Salesian school originated in the Valdocco Oratory in response to the needs of the young people of that time and became part of an overall plan for the education and evangelization of youth especially those most in need.

The school apostolate has developed greatly in the Congregation in response to the needs of young people themselves, of society and of the Church and it has become a movement of educators of acknowledged quality.

We consider the school:

• as the preferred cultural medium of education in which we can give a systematic response to the needs of pupils proportionate to their growth;
• as an institution that determines the formation of personality, because it transmits a view of the world, of mankind and of history (cf. CS 8); and
• as one of the most important mans of fostering human development and the prevention of marginalization.

We recognize the fundamental value of the school as a setting where the gospel throws light on culture and provides an effective integration of the process of education and the process of evangelization. This integration makes it an important educative alternative in today’s pluralistic society.

We are part of this movement of education and evangelization through the school, bringing the patrimony of the pedagogy inherited from Don Bosco and developed by subsequent tradition. (cf. GC 21, 130).

In this task, we face new complex problems present because of:

• the current social, political and cultural situation,
• the new directives regarding school reform in different countries
• the situation within the schools themselves, and
• the interaction of many, and sometimes opposing, legal, financial, working and didactic aspects.

We try to respond to these challenges with a higher quality of educative, professional and specific expertise, faithful to our charismatic identity.

1.2 Salesians in Technical Schools

Like the academic school, the Technical school has its origins in Valdocco. In his pastoral and educative choice for needy boys Don Bosco was very concerned about the world of work and its more urgent problems facing the young: the immigration of young people to the city, their lack of preparation for industrial work, exploitation, and abandonment. To respond to this tragic situation, Don Bosco quickly set up small workshops in the Oratory which later became schools of ‘arts and trades’, and in Don Rua’s time, technical schools. At the same time he helped young people to find work. To prevent them being exploited he obtained work contracts for them. This service and training would be enriched by the vocation and presence of the Salesian Brother.

Vocational education became the hall mark of the Salesian Congregation and one of the most frequently sought after in society.

Like Don Bosco, the Salesians are convinced that with this kind of work they help working class youth not only to prepare themselves to join the work force in a creative manner, but also in their total development. In this way they foster a human and gospel view of the world of work.

Our constantly developing technological society presents some problems and challenges in the fields of technology, finance, law and education, to which we need to respond courageously with a higher educative quality, faithful to our charismatic identity.

1.3 Some fundamental aspects of Salesian schools

Salesian academic and technical schools are two formal formation structures which have their own distinct characteristics but are also closely connected. There is no real Salesian academic school which does not prepare for work, nor is there a real Salesian technical school which does not also take account of the steady acquisition of culture.

The main features of the Salesian schools could be stated as follows:

1.3.1 It is a center of efficient quality education.

It provides a high quality educative and cultural program:

• emphasizing the educational aspect rather than the merely instructional;
• giving continuous and critical attention to cultural concerns;
• with a pedagogical methodology which encourages educative interaction rather than mere repetitive teaching method;
• guiding the young people individually towards their life’s plan;
• offering a human and gospel vision of work;
• with continually updated professional competence.

1.3.2. An educational center inspired by gospel values, which provides a program for growth in faith

• It has a marked Catholic identity expressed above all:
  • through the witness of the teachers,
  • in the program itself,
  • in its internal organization and
  • in comparison with other educative programs and institutions (cf. CS. 66).
• It provides a program of pastoral education, open to the values of multi-religious and multicultural environments, which
  • organizes all its activities in the light of a Christian view of reality, in which Christ is the center (cf. CS 33);
  • directs its cultural and methodological programs according to a vision of man, of the world and of history inspired by the gospel (cf. CS 34);
  • promotes openness to and reflection on religious and transcendent experience;
  • rethinks the gospel message, accepting the impact of the language and the questions posed by culture.
• It assists the building up of a faith community, which can be the soul of the process of evangelization (cf. CS 53).
• It is in communion with the Church and creatively follows its guidelines.
• It is an educational center with the Salesian spirit and pedagogy. The Salesian schools achieve the final objective in the style, the spirit and the method of Don Bosco (GC 21 131).
  • Animated, directed and coordinated in the oratorian style,
  • Trying to create an educative family, putting at the center the young people who find themselves at home there (C. 40);
  • Emphasizing the personal approach in educative relationships, founded on trust, dialogue, joy and responsibility;
  • Concerned with the whole life of the young people, the educators take part in what interests the youngsters, and promote free time activities such as theatre, sport, music, art;
  • Educating by evangelizing and evangelizing through educating, that is, harmonizing in a single entity human development and the Christian ideal; - Preparing them to face creditably life in the family, society, Church and at work.

Our schools aim at contributing to the building up of a more just society, worthy of man:

• Promoting a systematic social education of their students;
• Concentrating on the vocational education of the young people and guiding them as they enter the world of work;
• Becoming centers of animation and cultural and educational services for the improvement of the environment; emphasizing those subjects, courses, and programs which reflect the needs of the young people of the locality (cf. GC 21, 129,131);
• Adopting a close and supportive approach by making persons and premises available, offering opportunities open to all, and by collaborating with other educational and social institutions;
• Promoting alternative cultural models: a life-centered culture, open to free service and communion; a culture which encourages openness to God.

1.3.5. It is an educational center for the people.

"A Salesian school should be for poorer people: this should be reflected in its setting, its culture, its curriculum and its choice of students. Services to meet local needs should be provided, such as courses for cultural and technical training, literacy and remedial programs, scholarships and other initiatives." (R. 14) .

For this reason our schools

• are located by choice in working class areas and give preference to the most needy;
• they are open to all social classes of people (GC 21 131);
• avoid every kind of discrimination and look only for acceptance of those values which the SEPP proposes;
• emphasize the criterion of catering for all rather than selecting the best;
• seek to create the "economic" conditions which provide equal opportunities.

2. THE EPC IN SALESIAN SCHOOLS

The establishment of the EPC in the schools requires agreement on intentions and convictions on the part of all those involved (cf. CS 59). They direct their energies to setting up the EPC, which is at the same time the subject and the context of education.

2.1 Tasks of the EPC in the schools

In recent years there has been an attempt to move from the institutional to the community model of the school; from the responsibility for education in the hands of a few specialists dedicated to it (religious, teachers ... ) to the active involvement of all those who have an interest in the educative process. The EPC is the new subject responsible for education.

In chapter III devoted to the EPC its characteristics and basic functioning have been dealt with; now we shall develop the specific characteristics of the EPC of Salesian schools:

• Cultivate educational professionalism through well prepared ongoing formation

The EPC of the school needs to create a happy synthesis of the necessary professional competence and formal scholastic structures with the typically Salesian family atmosphere.

• This implies:

  • fostering among all those involved a sharing of the educative values expressed in the SEPP; by means of discussion and reflection moving from agreement on fundamental human values to explicit Christian values and objectives;

  • ensuring that plans and programs are formulated, shared and evaluated with the involvement of everyone;

  • ensuring a systematic process of ongoing formation for all the members of the EPC to update their educational, teaching and Salesian skills, and develop their vocation as educators and Christians;

  • seeing to the good functioning of different structures, fixing particular tasks and areas for decision making of the different sections of the educative community, taking care to evaluate and seeing that the different roles and responsibilities are respected.
• Animate systematic and educational processes by:
  • a close linkage between the pastoral, educative, and teaching aims;
  • a constant review of the educative value of the contents of the individual subjects and cultural areas;
  • the good quality of teaching methods and educational activities;
  • providing quality vocational and personal guidance;
  • a systematic assessment of the educational results obtained in the light of the objectives set out in the SEPP.

• Encourage relationships according to the preventive system, which foster:
  • the regular and adequate exchange of information between the different departments and various levels of the EPC;
  • the helpful presence of the educators among the young people encouraging the involvement of the adults in the activities of the young people;
  • relationships based on trust and dialogue between the educator and the young person, between the management and departments, between the staff and the students regarding teaching and other educational activities;
  • a just, efficient, and effective management, always attentive to the needs of individuals.
• Develop a specific relationship with the parents and families of the young people:
  • encouraging their collaboration in establishing the overall educational programs, in giving economic and material support for the school and in the evaluation of its effectiveness;
  • fostering a systematic program of formation and educational competence;
  • ensuring times for dialogue and meetings among them and with other members of the EPC.
• Establish criteria and strategies to deal with the complexities of legal, and economic matters and relationships with the government, etc., which can influence the realization of the Salesian educative and pastoral objectives.
• Become actively involved in the cultural, educational and professional dialogue existing in the area and the local Church:
  • Trying to offer positive suggestions;
  • Setting up regular contacts with the business world to facilitate the just insertion of the young people in the world of work and their ongoing education.

2.2 Structures of involvement and responsibility

These structures are aimed at providing the conditions for an ever greater communion, sharing and collaboration between the different sections of the EPC at the service of the cultural and professional, human and Christian formation of the young people.

These structures vary according to the laws in different countries, and so here we can only indicate some basic aspects not to be lost sight of.

2.2.1. Individuals with special responsibilities

• The Rector of the Salesian community, who is the one primarily responsible for the EPC, the source of unity and guarantor of Salesian identity. (GC 24, 172):
• The Headmaster / Teacher who directs and coordinates the educative aspect according to the SEPP, follows the development of scholastic and technical programs and courses, coordinating the various teams of educators;
• The Pastoral Coordinator who animates the evangelizing aspect, ensuring its in depth integration into the teaching and educative process;
• The different heads of departments, who collaborate at different levels in the development of the didactic, educative and evangelizing aspects.

2.2.2. The other structures of participation voice the similarities of their experiences, the complementary nature of their expectations, the sharing of their deliberations and the results of individual consultations,

• Senior Management Committee: which includes those with primary responsibility in different sectors for collaboration with the center they have the tasks and role of the Council of the EPC (GC 24 160, 171);
• School Council: in which the teachers, the parents, the pupils, and other members of the EPC are represented; it collaborates in the animation and coordination of teaching, educational and pastoral activities;
• Pastoral Team: which collaborates with the Pastoral Coordinator in the animation of the evangelization aspect of the whole of the EPC;
• Staff Committee, whose task is to organize the educational and teaching programs;
• Heads of Subject Departments who attend to particular sections, see to their integration and discuss programs and their realization.
• Committees or associations, such as those for pupils, parents etc.