CENTENARY YEAR

I. INTRODUCTION

A) MOTTO
DOCE NOS VIAM BONAM  (TEACH US THE RIGHT WAY)

B) MISSION STATEMENT

ST. BEDE’S STANDS FOR –
LOVING RELATIONSHIPS, INTEGRITY AND EXCELLENCE

Explanation

1. Loving relationship with God, self, neighbour and nature is our goal.

God is our loving father, from whom we come and to whom we go.  In him we live, move and have our being.  Don Bosco’s saying, “God sees you,” is a constant reminder of his loving presence and impels us joyfully to cast our cares upon him. We accept ourselves as we are, realize our dignity as children of God and endeavour to become fully alive.

Loving kindness seasons all our relationships with people, especially the disadvantaged, in whom we see the image of God – “As long as you did it to one of these, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40). Our loving relationship with mature lies in our ability to see all created beings as good in themselves and to love and protect the natural world. Any violation of relationship with God, self, neighbour or nature is sin, which we avoid at all costs.

2. Integrity is the basis for our relationships.  There can be no loving relationship without truth and honesty.  A solid relationship is based on trust.  Without trust in our communications and actions, human society would grind to a halt.  Honesty can cost a great deal: blame, criticism and punishments.  However, it creates an atmosphere of truth and trust that allows genuine relationships to flourish.

3. Excellence is our joyful endeavor.  Aware of our innate longing for God who is infinite goodness, truth and beauty, we joyfully strive for excellence in all that we do.  This striving does not imply selfish competition to grab the first place.  Instead, it recognizes our uniqueness as individuals and the need to develop our potential to the best of our ability, in a spirit of cooperation and interdependence.  Joy and optimism underlie all our endeavors, since, holiness for us consists in being happy and sharing our happiness with others.

C) EARLY HISTORY

Some time between 1820 and 1830, San Thome Orphanage for poor children of European parentage and Anglo-Indians, was established by a Portuguese, Augustinian friar, Manuel de Ave Maria, Episcopal Administrator of the Diocese of Mylapore. It was one of the oldest orphanages of its kind in India. At that time the orphans were accommodated in the lower portion of the ancient palace of the Portuguese Governor of San Thome, then the residence of the Bishop of Mylapore. It had a very humble beginning with just 15 inmates. But it marks the first step towards a great dream – an institution for Anglo-Indian children. From then onwards thousands of Anglo-Indian children have benefited from this great institution. Before the San Thome High School was opened some time around 1886, the inmates of the orphanage attended St. Francis Xavier’s Middle School and later the San Thome High School.
In 1906-1907 Lord Curzon announced the new scheme of European education for the whole of India.  His Lordship, Dr. Theotonius Emmanuel Ribeiro Vieira de Castro, then Bishop of Mylapore, decided to open a school separate from the San Thome High School for the benefit of Anglo-Indian children. Thus St. Bede’s high school was born. The school was first situated in a rented building, the present School for the deaf and dumb. The school opened with 55 pupils – 17 inmates of the San Thome Orphanage, who were studying in San Thome school were brought on the rolls of the new school. The school continued in this building till April, 1914. A new boarding – the St. Bede’s boarding was started with just three inmates. The first batch of high school candidates from St. Bede’s appeared for the European High School Examination in December 1909 and one of its students secured the first place in the Presidency in the European High School Examination. The new school building was inaugurated on 29 April, 1914. The three institutions – school, orphanage and boarding house grew in popularity and were soon filled to capacity. From 1924 onwards the management started thinking in terms of another new building for the school and the boarding. The Foundation Stone for the new building was blessed on March 5 1930. In the silver jubilee year – 1932, the new building was inaugurated.

SANTHOME ORPHANAGE AND SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO

From the time the Salesians of Don Bosco arrived in India in 1906, Bishop Theotonius De Castro, bishop of Mylapore had repeatedly requested the Salesians to take over the San Thome orphanage. In January 1909, assisted by two newly arrived clerics, Fr. Tomatis took up the responsibility as director of San Thome Orphanage. The Salesians lost no time in reorganizing the boarding. Under their management the institution improved in every way, a chapel being one of the first improvements to be made. They provided the boys with new sets of clothes, better food, text books and note books and above all they gave special attention to the spiritual needs of the boys; none of them had yet received Holy Communion. After the reception of the Holy Eucharist a radical change was noticed in the boys. Slowly happiness and contentment radiated on their faces. Within a few years the strength rose to 105. Fr. Tomatis organized a brass band, a large stage was built, new toilet facilities were provided and a new kitchen was built and all within six years. The performance of the orphans in the scholastic field also improved. In November 1925 the orphanage suffered a great loss. Fr. Tomatis was suddenly rendered unconscious by a stroke and he died on November 25. It was a great blow to all who had known and loved him, in particular the boys. He was laid to rest in the Quibble cemetery in Santhome. The San Thome Orphanage grew from thirty-five boys in 1909 to 280 boys in 1928 when the Salesians handed the institution back to the Diocese of Mylapore

DON BOSCO COMES BACK TO ST. BEDE’S

In 1952 the two dioceses of Madras and Mylapore were amalgamated and St. Bede’s came under the new Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore. A Salesian, Archbishop Louis Mathias, known for his daring and foresight took over the leadership of the archdiocese. When the new buildings were ready he combined the orphanage with the boarding, making a single viable institution. In 1956 the archbishop invited the Salesians of Don Bosco to take over this institution and a group of Salesians headed by Fr. Hugh Tuena as rector and Fr. John Mallon as principal took over in January 1956.

Fr. Tuena visualized a private school which would serve as a “feeder school” for St. Bede’s. Accordingly he purchased a spacious two-storied building across the road and dedicated this new school to St. Dominic Savio on July 15, 1957. The Dominic Savio Preparatory School, thus born, had a very humble beginning indeed, with only ten boys on the roll. Fr. Charles Restelli was its first principal. Fr. John Mallon was the next principal, not only of Dominic Savio but also of Don Bosco Matriculation school, which started with stds. V, VI and VII in the Dominic Savio Preparatory School. Dominic Savio Preparatory School then passed through the capable hands of many principals, each of whom contributed much to the development and growth of the school. Today the school has 551 pupils on its rolls. In 2005 it was made into a Matriculation school. This year the school is celebrating its Golden Jubilee.

St. Bede’s continued to grow from strength to strength under the watchful care of succeeding rectors and principals, each of whom contributed significantly towards the development of the school. In July 1978 the school adopted the higher secondary pattern of education, offering the students three groups. In order to provide the additional classrooms and laboratories a new extension block was added in the year 1980. On September 9th 1990, the Rinaldi block was inaugurated with the primary classes in the ground floor and dormitories in the first and second floor.Today the school has 1517 students on its roll and 100 Anglo-Indian boarders. St. Bede’s Orphanage and Boarding has given a breath of life to thousands of Anglo-Indian boys. Anglo-Indians associate St. Bede’s with the boarding. Many of the past boarders are doing very well in society today. The boarding in the campus has educated thousands of Anglo Indian boys freely or with minimal token of fees. St. Bede’s boarding can also boast of a brass band known in the city as one of the best school brass bands. They are much sought after by other schools and parishes

SPORTS
Very early in its existence St. Bede’s was known for its involvement in the field of sports. The Bedeans soon distinguished themselves by winning the Prize for the highest score at the Coronation sports, held in December 1911. In 1916 the Government allotted to St. Bede’s jointly with San Thome high school, the large grounds at the South end of Marina. In 1919 it was leveled by the Public Works Department and form that year the students and the boarders have made regular use of the grounds. We are grateful to the government for providing our boys with a large playground which is still being used by the students and boarders. St. Bede’s won the European Schools championship for four years in succession from 1923 to 1927 an again in 1929 and 1930. They were also successful in sports such as hockey and football. This past glory has faded a bit but the flames are still kept burning bright. One should witness a Sports Day in St. Bede’s to understand the importance given to sports. Many Anglo-Indian boarders have excelled in sports, hockey and football in particular. Even today St. Bede’s is associated with sports. Parents think of sports and think of St.Bede’s

D) OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

A) ORIGINAL AIM AND PRESENT STATUS

Right from its origin in the year 1907, St. Bede’s had one objective, that of providing a thorough Catholic education for Anglo-Indian boys of Catholic parentage. For admission in the school, priority is given to Anglo-Indians, Catholics and children of the locality. At present the School has 1552 students on rolls, of which 488 are Catholics, 98 Protestants, 270 Muslims, 691 Hindus and 5 of other faiths.  The teaching staff comprises 47 members including 3 full-time Salesians. Of the teachers, 17 are men and 24 women. Catholic teachers number 42 and the non-Catholics, 2. There are also 10 non-teaching staff and 3 Office staff members.
The Dominic Savio Preparatory School begun in the year 1957 as a feeder school for St. Bede’s, was upgraded to a Matriculation School in the year 2005. At present, it has 625 students on rolls, with 203 Catholic boys from KG to Std. VI. The teaching staff comprises 24 members, 23 women and one male staff, of which 23 are Catholics. There is 1 female office staff, 2 peons and 3 domestic female staff members, of them one is a non-Christian.
There are 80 Catholic Anglo-Indian boarders in the Orphanage, from Std. VI to XII, mostly from the Archdiocese of Chennai-Mylapore and from poor family backgrounds. As a policy we admit only Catholic Anglo-Indians to the boarding.
The PTAs of both the schools are very active this year because of the golden jubilee and centenary celebrations. The Rector animates the parents during the PTA meetings. The School’s Past-Pupils unit, under the name of Old Bedean Association (OBA), has 3000 registered life members, 200 ordinary members, 3 former National Presidents and 1 International Vice-President.

The ‘originality’ of Salesian Schools and Technical Training Centres
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 ministry has developed greatly in the Congregation in response to the needs of the young people themselves, of society and of the church and it has become a movement of educators of acknowledged quality on the educational front.
We consider the school as the preferred cultural medium of education in which one can give a systematic response to the needs of those growing up; as a determining institution in 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 ways of fostering human development and the prevention of marginalization.
We recognise the fundamental value of the school as a setting where the Gospel throws light on culture and provides an effective integration of the educational process 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 pedagogy inherited from Don Bosco and developed by subsequent tradition. (cf. GC21: 130)
In this task, the current social, political and cultural situation, the new directives regarding scholastic reform in different countries and the current situation within the schools themselves, with the interaction of many and sometimes opposing legal, financial, working and didactic aspects,   present new complex difficulties and challenges to which we try to respond with a higher quality of educational, professional and specific expertise, faithful to our charismatic identity.

1. Evangelization and Catechesis

To evangelize young people is the fundamental goal of our mission.  Our program is radically open;  it’s purpose is to help young people achieve full maturity in Christ (Cf. Const. 31) and grow in the Church.  Spiritual formation is the very heart of personal development (CG23, 160).  We assist and foster human growth by providing an itinerary of evangelization and education in the faith (CG23, 102-111).
      To evangelize is to proclaim the Good News of Christ in every area of society, so that we might transform society from within (Cf.  EN 18).
      Evangelization is a complex  process involving diverse elements (renewal of interior life,  witness,  explicit proclamation and catechesis, adherence of the heart, entrance into the community,  apostolate initiatives …);  but the central element of evangelization is the explicit proclamation of Jesus Christ as our only Savior (Cf.  EN 24  and Ecclesia in Asia 19).
Ultimate Goal
      An education which evangelizes and an evangelization which educates,  this is the characteristic of the Salesian youth apostolate.  Its ultimate goal is a synthesis of faith and culture in life.  This implies

To accomplish this, evangelization must do the following:

A.SITUATION ANALYSIS

1. Both catholic and Non Catholic boys have moral science and catechism classes daily for 35 minutes.  On Mondays and Thursdays we do not Catechism and Moral Science because of the school assembly. The XII boys have catechism and value education only twice a week.
2. Once a month we have the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for Catholic boys, normally on first Fridays. The Catechism teachers are in-charge of organizing the monthly confession for boys. At the same time the non-Catholics have some animation programmes. Both the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the animation programmes are well arranged. The class teachers take up the animation of the mass. Adoration (of the Holy Eucharist) services are also conducted during catechism class (class wise, depending on the interest of the teacher concerned).
3. As one of the centenary projects, a special book of prayers and guidelines has been published by the school, to help the students to prepare themselves for the celebration of the Sacraments, in particular, the Eucharist and Confession.
4. We conduct the annual retreat for students from stds. VII to XII class wise. Most of the retreats are animated by the Jesus Youth. Our students enjoy the retreats conducted by these young people. Fr. Rector celebrates the Holy Eucharist and our confessor helps out with the confessions. Once or twice a year we pray the Rosary with all our students and they are also given rosaries.
5. We have training programmes only for catechism teachers organized by Deepagam.  Hence the moral science teachers have not been sent for such programmes. The Dominic Savio school teachers are not being sent for such training programmes.
6. During the Centenary of the arrival of Salesians a lot of knowledge about Don Bosco was imparted to the students through quiz programmes, talks, films etc. A picture book on St. Dominic Savio was published by us for the spiritual benefit of both our schools. The parents and teachers were also made to know more about Don Bosco and St. Dominic Savio through two original musicals, one on Don Bosco and one on St. Dominic Savio.
7. Very few boys and teachers make visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Only the boarders are used to making visits to the chapel. Also because the chapel is a part of the private area of the house. The teachers and boys in Dominic Savio are asking for a chapel.
8. Though Catechism is being taught, we do not see much of creativity or any special plan to give the children a good foundation in our faith and God experience. Very little is done for inter-religious dialogue or prayer.
9. St. Bede’s and Dominic Savio organize the inter-school Catechism (skits, dances etc.) competition on a regular basis.
   
   B.OBJECTIVES
   
   1. To assist our teachers to understand their mission and be prepared to teach Catechism and Moral Science with greater faith, enthusiasm and a lot planning and creativity.
   2. To form in our non-Christian students a sense of God and give them some God and prayer experience, so that they, in moments of sorrow and pain, may have recourse to God, the loving Father. 
   3. To educate our Christian students in the faith and prepare them to face life with Christ like attitudes and become Him witnesses. To give them the gift of God in the Holy Eucharist and to receive the forgiveness of God in the sacrament of penance.
   4. To enlighten our teachers and parents on the values of Christ and His Kingdom.
   5. To have a plan for indirect evangelization.
   6. To enable the students to have a deeper knowledge of our founder Don Bosco.
   7. To stress the need of knowing the Bible and to make it the foundation of our Catechism and value education classes.
   8. To give to our teachers and Catholic students a sense of belonging to the Church
      
      

      C.LINES OF ACTION

   9. All our teachers will get a chance to attend the PACE and PAVE progammes organized by Deepagam. The headmaster will draw out a plan of formation (keeping in mind those who have already attended this course) for the coming three years. Fr. Rector will follow up this plan. Catechism teachers could be given opportunities to attend updating course held at the Citadel.
   10. At the school level the Rector will organize a seminar for teachers once a year and periodically animate the teachers regarding Catechism and Moral science classes.
   11. For the centenary year Fr. Rector will organize a special seminar for the teachers of the Anglo-Indian schools in Chennai on the theme: “Adding value to our Catechism and Moral Education classes”.
   12. Bro. Mervin will be kept free to screen Bible films, film of Don Bosco and other value based films during the catechism and moral science periods. Fr. Rector will make sure this is done in a systematic way.(New equipment has been bought for this purpose).
   13. On every First Friday of the month (or another suitable day in keeping with special feasts) the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated in both the schools for the Catholic students and teachers and an animation programme or prayer service for the others. This year Mr. Keith and his team (liturgical group) will see to the distribution of responsibilities for the animation of the Holy Eucharist, with an understanding with the Rector. Fr. Thomas and Fr. John Peter will be in-charge of organizing programmes for the non-Catholics.
   14. The Catechism teachers will be in-charge of getting priests for confession for their catechism class students. Fr. Rector and the Confessor will assist them. The school liturgy group will also organize Rosary service for our students twice a year.
   15. The teachers will be encouraged to use the new prayer book published by us to help our students prepare themselves for the Sacraments (Holy Eucharist and Confession). The Catechism teachers should make sure that the children know their prayers (mass, confession, Rosary etc.) and other important Biblical texts like the Ten Commandments etc.
   16. The Jesus Youth will continue to organize the class-wise retreats for our students (from VII to XII). Fr. Rector and the confessor will assist them by celebrating the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The annual retreat will be organized in a planned manner for our teachers and the Rector is responsible for this.
   17. Once a year we will organize a half-day retreat with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist for our Catholic parents. Fr. Rector and the Liturgical team will see to its implementation.
   18. Invite outsiders (a religious or a lay person), involved in specific ministries like de-addiction centers, street children, children of the prostitutes, unorganized labour, etc.,  to come and share their personal experiences with the students and the teachers.
   19. During the month of November an inter-house “DB Quiz” will be conducted. The ELA team will be responsible for this.
   20. Bible Day and Bible Exhibition should be organized once in two years in both the schools. Parables may be enacted by the High School boys. This will also include a Bible quiz. The Liturgical group and the Dramatic club will be in-charge of organizing such events. Fr. Rector will assist them.
   21. A passage from the Bible will be read on Assembly days and through the intercom on the other days. The Salesians will not shy away from proclaiming Christ during talks and seminars.
   22. The administrator will study the possibility of distributing free or subsidized Bibles. He will submit a plan before the end of the first term.
   23. We will introduce a five minutes silence before the school prayer.
   24. In view of the major feasts of other religions (Deepavali, Ramzan etc.) we shall have a special assembly combined with a prayer service.
   The house council will work on a plan for evangelization and catechesis (including curriculum and methodology).
   
   

   2.EDUCATION AND CULTURE

   Our educational work is directed to developing a person who can accept life as it is and live it well.  We seek to develop a person who can face himself, others and society at large with a wealth of values and meaning.  He will possess convictions and the ability to judge  and interpret events, to make choices and accept responsible commitments (Cf. Const. 32).

              
   This process of personal growth takes place in a specific social and cultural context.  Within a given type of  cultural heritage, we are not confined to the physical, intellectual or moral education of young people, nor are we limited to helping them acquire jobs and technical skills.  We are concerned with instilling  a vision of the world and developing a way for them to live as  persons.  We seek to act as cultural mediators, to help them discern and find their place in their own culture.  At the same time we endeavor to promote a positive evolution of human culture towards a synthesis of faith and life

B. Objectives

1. The house council and the staff council will evolve and work on a concrete discipline process, for which real team work is needed. We have to motivate and involve all the teachers in this process. We should not waste a lot of time on disciplining students and hence an intelligent and reason-based process is needed, using the Preventive system as our method. The house council will initiate this process and put it on paper. The headmaster will be responsible for implementing it with the help of the asst. headmasters and the Dean of studies.
2. Every year two professional training programmes or workshops on education and culture will be organized for our teachers. During every staff meeting we will also have an animation session. Fr. Rector will be responsible for programming this initiative. The house council will make an annual plan and also include moments of evaluation. Fr. Rector should also meet the teachers individually on a regular basis.
3. The teachers have to be trained to look at education as a more holistic process than just teaching a subject. Culture should be taught through the regular classes. A lot of emphasis has to be placed on value education and the formation of personality through group dynamics etc. The headmaster and the delegate for youth pastoral will be responsible for planning these programmes.
4. The house council will work on a new code of conduct for teachers and make them follow this code of conduct. Fr. Headmaster and Fr. John Peter will be responsible for this.
5. This year being the Centenary year we have asked Mr. Nathan (Principal of Bala Vidya Mandir), our past pupil to organize an external audit of our educational mission. He will meet the various groups (management, staff, parents and students (present and old) and this will lead to a plan of action.
6. This year we will decentralize our strategies and form various committees involving the teachers and some parents also (Sports, cultural, academic, discipline, etc.). The teachers will also meet as groups (maths teachers, science teachers, language teachers, primary teachers, middle school teachers, Higher secondary teachers, etc.) to evaluate and plan for better quality teaching and efficiency. The headmaster and asst. headmasters will be responsible for this.
7. We will work hard to improve the academic performance of our students. Personal follow-up of students is essential. Each class will be divided into three categories of students: 1. The intelligent/clever students 2. the average students, and 3. the weak students. The weak students can have extra classes in the evening. The parents should also be involved in this process. Fr. Headmaster and the asst. headmasters will be responsible for its implementation.
8. We will organize encounter groups and group dynamics activities for students of Stds. V to IX. Every teacher will organize projects for Stds. V to IX so as to make the learning more effective.
9. We will start reducing the number of students in each section, since Dominic Savio is also a matriculation school now and we also have started a new section in the primary section. Fr. Headmaster and the house council will be responsible for this.
10. The Youth Pastoral delegate will make a plan for a better use of the CCA period and rejuvenate the clubs and groups or sodalities in our school. The league system has to be better planned and made interesting for the students (Fr. John Peter, our Youth Pastoral delegate, will be in-charge this year).
11. This year the Rector will animate all the parents in keeping with the Rector Major’s Strenna ‘Letting ourselves be guided by God’s love for life’. .More seminars and workshops should be organized for our parents and students to help them cope with the new social and cultural changes, especially with regard to the media (sex, violence, consumerism etc.).
12. The Youth Pastoral delegate will also organize seminars on human rights, political education and plan to make it a part of our curriculum, and also seminars related to media education and education to love and education to peace. DBICA will be asked to help us with media education. The delegate for youth pastoral will finalize the dates.
13. Bro. Leo and a team of teachers are in-charge of the library. They will update the books and with an understanding with the Headmaster and asst. headmaster they will take boys for reading. We will also introduce library periods, during which boys can read specific books and write a summary of the same.
14. We should make use of the school assemblies and the notice boards as pedagogical tools. This year we have decided to have a separate assembly for the primary school children, so that we can creatively communicate messages and values to them. This year we could also introduce news headlines reading and other general knowledge and cultural initiatives.
15. We should expose our children to the cultural art forms of our State and country. The TLA and the dramatics club will be responsible for this. Our students should learn to know and appreciate Indian culture.
16. The dramatics club and the ELA should find ways and means to make our students smarter by organizing inter-house quiz competitions and debates on a very regular basis. Every teacher in the school must encourage children to ask questions and make them answer questions also. Language teachers must encourage and promote communicative language skills.

b. Objectives

1. To ensure that the resources of the individual are developed and utilized fully in group initiatives that promote fellowship and social transformation.
2. To offer to our students opportunities to interact with one another with love, respect and to form values related to social values like solidarity, peaceful co-existence, non-violence, harmony etc.
3. To promote socially responsible behaviour and values.
4. To create a suitable ambience for forming responsible leaders and to offer a systematic training to all our students and in particular to our student leaders.
5. To develop in our students a sincere love for the poor and awareness of social responsibilities and human rights.
6. To revitalize the existing groups and movements, while starting new clubs for games which are regularly played by the school students to give more opportunities to students who want to enroll.
7. To make use of group dynamics and other tools to foster acceptance, solidarity and brotherhood.
8. To provide opportunities for students of with various interests, aptitude and abilities to develop their talents.

1. All the students will be encouraged to belong to a group or club. The Youth Pastoral delegate will be responsible for this.
2. The teachers will be motivated and trained to form these groups and make it a real group experience for them. The rector, headmaster and Youth Pastoral delegate will be responsible for this. The teachers will also be trained in leadership skills. Fr. Rector will organize these training sessions.
3. Each group/club will present a plan of action (objectives, time for meeting and work, group experiences and two or three concrete proposals for the year). The Youth Pastoral Delegate will ensure that this happens.
4. Each house (of the four houses) and the groups and clubs will be given some common to time to plan their activities and formation moments. The school assembly, notice boards, in-house magazines should be made use of to make these groups to function in an efficient manner. The Youth Pastoral Delegate will be responsible for implementing this.
5. A whole year’s plan for leadership training will be formulated by the Youth Pastoral delegate with the help of the asst. headmasters.
6. Teachers will identify boys who have difficulty in relating with others and send them to our students’ counselor.
7. Each teacher and group leader (head of the houses and clubs) will identify talents and find ways of nurturing these talents and put them at the service of the community.
8. The sports groups have to be well formed and a policy for sports has to be formulated and this policy should be made known to all the teachers and parents. The headmaster and asst. headmasters together with the PT masters and coaches will formulate this policy and make sure that it is communicated to all our beneficiaries.
9. The management could also start thinking of offering various courses in music, dance, martial arts etc in our campus after school hours.
10. Social awareness camps will be conducted at two levels for all our students. The senior students will have the experience of staying in a village for two or three days. All the other students (class VI to X) should have the chance to visit a home for the aged or a street children home etc. The Delegate for Youth Pastoral and the asst. headmasters will be responsible for implementing this action plan.
11. The school will organize moments of interpersonal relationship training for our boys through group dynamics and other group related activities. Fr. Rector will be in-charge of this initiative.
12. The class picnics will be well planned in order to give our students a good experience of relating with one another. The headmaster and the asst. headmasters will be responsible for this.

4. VOCATIONAL AND CAREER GUIDANCE

The individual, in the singularity of his existence, is at the center of our program of education and evangelization.  It is aimed at helping him carry out his own life’s work in conformity with God’s call (vocation).  For this reason the vocation apostolate is always present in every stage, activity and phase of our educational and pastoral work;  it is its natural and concrete outlet  (Cf.  Const. 28; 37).
      In our vocation apostolate we should emphasize three aspects:
      -   guidance for all young people involved in our educational activities;
      -   constant effort through appropriate activities to discover and foster  vocations that show a commitment to society and the Church;
      -   a particular responsibility to the Salesian Charism in its many forms, displayed in our zeal to discern and foster in young people the seeds of a consecrated or lay Salesian vocation.
      These three concerns support and complement each other.  They constitute the domain of the Salesian vocation apostolate  (Cf.  CG21, 110).
 Ultimate Goal
Through this dimension of the Salesian Youth Apostolate  we intend

This contribution can be understood in two complementary ways:
-   it is an attitude on the part of the subject who takes responsibility for his own existence;

A. Situational Analysis

B. OBJECTIVES

• To help young people face their future with an attitude of availability and generosity, to pre-dispose them to hear the voice of God, and to guide them in making their own life plans.
• To propose the call to priestly, religious and Salesian life and to promote and care for vocations.
• To make parents and teachers aware of the need to promote vocations and to dispel wrong notions about priesthood.
• To create awareness among the students and parents about the various life options and career choices and help them to discover their aptitudes and guide them in the right direction.

C. LINES OF ACTION

• The house council should work on a concrete plan for vocational guidance and career guidance. The rector will be responsible for implementing this.
• Parents and teachers should be motivated to understand the importance of the calling to priesthood, religious life and Salesian life through retreats, information and seminars. Fr. Rector will be responsible and this will be a part of our plan.
• Once a year the school will organize a good, professional career guidance sessions with the help of past pupils and Vazhikatti. They could also make use of aptitude tests etc. The school will also display information regarding future career in a prominent place. The headmaster and the delegate for Youth Pastoral will be in-charge of implementing this programme.
• The Rector will meet all the Catholic senior boys personally and in groups and in the course of such meetings he will also propose the various types of vocations. He will also organize meetings for the probable candidates to priesthood and Salesian life.
• Every year we shall celebrate ‘Vocation Day’ in our schools. Next year we could also print it in the school calendar.
• The retreats should also be made use of to clarify the concept of being called by God. Fr. Rector will be responsible for this.
• Catechism classes could be made use of to screen films on Don Bosco and other important saints and their way of life.
• Salesians should be fully involved in religious instruction and we should also be present among the students. This will foster vocations.
• We will invite the vocation director and missionaries to talk to our Catholic boys about vocation to priestly and religious life.
• The school will also try to appoint a full time student counselor by the end of this first term.
• The management will organize seminars on education to love and human sexuality for the various classes. Fr. Rector will be responsible for this.

5. SOCIAL DIMENSION

In a country like India, where a vast majority of people still live in poverty, where child labour is rampant and where illiteracy and human rights violations are common (caste system, human rights violations against women and children), we look at the social responsibility of the individual as an important dimension of one’s life. This becomes imperative since our parents and other elders in our settings do not get involved or motivate the children to be socially involved. Hence, the school and other institutions have a lot to do with regard to this dimension.

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

• In general there is a lack of awareness regarding social issues, justice and human rights issues, political involvement etc.
• The school does not have a holistic plan to educate our children to social consciousness and action.
• The community works for the poor but at times we do not get fully involved directly. We do not network with people who are involved.
• We run an evening study centre for poor children of the locality which is admired by many, but we have not gone beyond that to get involved in the neighbourhood.
• We have been sending our brothers to the Corporation schools in the locality and we have organized programmes for them, but this year we are not able to get the needed permission to work in these schools.
• We notice a lack of civic sense among pupils. They do not care about their environment (e.g. throwing plastics everywhere). They do not have any awareness regarding the care for nature and our environment.
• Every year we collect gifts which are distributed to the poor during Christmas season. The Dominic Savio children are generally more generous. The senior boys do not show any interest in such initiatives.
• The school does not conduct rallies and social awareness programmes though we participate in other rallies. The NSS and JRC visit the old age homes and Cancer institute etc. The XI std. boys have started going for their Social Awareness Camp from last year onwards.

B. OBJECTIVES

• To create an awareness about the social problems and issues among the students, parents and teachers and to inculcate a zeal for social transformation.
• To prepare good leaders and good citizens.
• To create an awareness about our environment and to help our students to love nature.
• To make our students participate in the building up of our nation, by working for the eradication of poverty, ignorance and social discrimination.
• To get involved in a more passionate way in our neighbourhood.

C. LINES OF ACTION

• This is one of the main goals for our centenary year. The school community would like to adopt a village or a poor school as a centenary project. The house council will be responsible for this. This will be done in consultation with the provincial council and in collaboration with the teachers, students and parents.
• We will make a more extensive and concrete plan for our neighbourhood ministry. We should also strive to know our nieghbourhood better and involve our parents, other religious, our teachers and our students in the neighbourhood ministry. We have to think creatively and find new ways of reaching out to the poor of this area.
• We will also employ a lay person who will also assist us with an analysis of the neighbourhood. He will help the Salesians to carry forward this mission. We will also involve the parents, Salesian Cooperators and Past Pupils in this venture. Fr. Rector and Fr. Administrator will be responsible for this mission.
• The Salesian community will also make a plan for our non-teaching staff and their welfare. The administrator will work on this plan and submit it to the house council.
• The house council together with the teachers will make a concrete plan for social awareness, experience and action for our students. Fr. Rector and the headmaster will be responsible for this initiative. This plan will include SAP, visits to the old age homes, and street children home etc.
• Every year we shall organize a blood donation camp or a medical camp, a social rally and a tree plantation camp. The Youth Pastoral delegate and asst. headmasters and administrator will be in-charge of this initiative.
• The community will make a plan to give boarding and lodging to some poor young men who come from our rural settings. The Rector and administrator will be in-charge of this.
• This year we will start a Spoken English Academy to assist the poor youth of the neighbourhood. Fr. Rector and Fr. Administrator will see to its implementation.

6. SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

Openness to the world of communications

Nowadays we cannot think of the SEPP only in reference to internal Salesian work;  every institution and especially every educational institution is part of a vast network of communications with which it must interact and to which it must measure up.  Social communication and the media have a great impact on society and the young in particular and hence we should educate our young people to live in this modern world.

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

• That students are attracted to the media in all its forms, especially the audio-visual forms is a known fact and our students are no different. The average use of media (print/electronic) exceeds 2 hours per day. They spend more qualitative time in front of the media than with their books.
• Pornography has a great impact on young people today. The institution is not doing enough to counteract this threat.
• No common strategy has been yet organized to understand the impact of media for all sections, namely, parents, teachers and pupils. No concrete plans have been made to impart media education to all our students.
• In today’s world communication is all important (oral, audio, video, presentation skills). We notice that our boys have not been trained in communication skills.
• The students are also addicted to video games and mobile phones.
• The students are also trapped by the network of oppressive consumerism and materialism which is one of the curses of this century.

B. OBJECTIVE
To enable our students (of both the schools and our night school) to live with confidence in this world of global media.

C. LINES OF ACTION

• The house council will work on a concrete proposal to educate our youth to understand the world of media and to use it and consume the media and their products with a critical mind. The parents should also be trained to help their wards handle the media with intelligence and a sense of purpose. The Rector will be in-charge of implementing this with the help of DBICA.
• Our value education and catechism classes and good morning talks should speak about the negative impact of consumerism on youth and help our young people handle this problem.
• Our language teachers will make a concrete plan to make our young people communicate powerfully in more than one language. Spoken English, Tamil and Hindi should be emphasized in this plan.
• The school will keep updating their website and the online project. Fr. Rector and the online team will be responsible for this.
• We will start a media club in our school and they will in turn create awareness about the media, start a school newspaper etc. The delegate for Youth Pastoral will be in-charge.

IV. CONCLUSION

      Together these four dimensions and the other two dimensions specific of our Province constitute the internal dynamic of Salesian Youth Ministry.

• The educator encounters young people at the point in which he finds them;  he encourages and assists them to develop all their human resources to the point that they are open to the meaning of life and the search for God;
• He directs them towards an encounter with Jesus Christ and the transformation of their life according to the Gospel;
• He brings their experience of the group to maturity,  to the point that they can see in the world a communion and a harmony of hearts.
• He helps them discover their own vocation in the over-all commitment to transforming the world in the light of God’s plan.
• He helps them to become aware of the social condition of every neighbour in need and reach out in meaningful ways to transform society.
• He helps them in live in this world of globalization and globalized media.

For these reasons: