By Father Bivan R. Mukhim SDB
In his keynote address, Prof Ashoke Dutta a past pupil of Don Bosco Liluah who has worked for more than 40 years in Multinational Corporations, Indian Business Houses and Public Section Enterprises, recalled his school days at Don Bosco. He encouraged the principals to cultivate in the students to “follow the rule of law” and to “have concern for others around them and be sensitive to their needs.”
Father VM Thomas, Salesian Provincial of the Province of Guwahati, while welcoming Prof. Ashoke Dutta said “as a family member, being the Past Pupil of Don Bosco Liluah, we are extremely proud of his achievement.”
On Saturday November 05 Father Attard gave the inaugural address of the day on “Salesian Education: Preparing a global citizen in the Don Bosco Way” (Profile of the Don Bosco School, Principal, Teacher and the Student). He said, “in my experience in these last years, sharing and reflecting with so many Salesians and lay collaborators around the understanding and application of the Preventive System, I notice two things: the first one is that many of us have been formed to look at the Preventive System simply as a technique to be applied with the students. Second, is about the need to be careful, about the faithful application of the Preventive System, as much as we need to be even more watchful when instances of the use of the repressive system take place.”
He also added that the Don Bosco educational journey is not about an individual, solitary expedition. It is being together, sharing in a coordinated project, made up of different processes, being the result of a common search for understanding and sharing of the gifts of all.
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The second session was by Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati on the theme “Don Bosco Schools: Preparing Young Minds for a Corruption Free Society”. He said, “Don Bosco was ahead of his times when he based his system of education on Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness. Most people think they fulfill their social responsibility best when they denounce the evils they see in society. They forget that they can take on a tone of self-righteousness in this approach, and that what really matters is to do what is possible to remedy the situation. This is Don Bosco`s Way,” Archbishop Thomas added.
The participants on Monday 7th November got the taste of visiting the Kingdom of Bhutan.
At the end of the three-day education seminar the participants rededicated to commit to the cause of education. They renewed the commitment to provide quality education to youth especially to rural and marginalized youth.
