“We are called to be mystics - men of God, daily in tune with God. We work for the poor and abandoned youth and therefore, we should be close to the poor youngsters. Since it is the community that runs the school and not an individual, let us work together for the common mission. A greater responsibility of every confrere is to take care of his personal vocation. Let us be transparent with regard to money and movement with lay people. We need to encourage the Lay collaboration and share more responsibilities with them. As Salesians, our duty is to promote the ‘Salesian family spirit.’ As we see tremendous development taking place in the world, it is a must that we have to update ourselves by cultivating the habit of reading. We need to be aware of Child Protection Policy and let us create an awareness about this in the schools. And, as educators of the young, let us create a culture of education,” pointed out Rev. Father Maria Arockiam Kanaga.

Father K.M Jose, the Provincial, shared some of his thoughts, “You must create a vision for your institution by giving motivation and inspiration to the students. You must be a deliverer of the vision of our founders by providing good coaching for the development of the Institutions. Get to know your teachers and students by bonding well with them.”

Points for strengthening an effective leadership:

Be a communicator by listening and interacting with students and teachers.

Educate the mind and heart.

You should be an envisioned person, looking for the best interest of the pupils.

Be a facilitator building relationship and developing skills.

Be a culture builder by communicating through your talks and actions.

Be an activator to personally encourage an individual.

You should be ready to adapt to any situation.

By being a character builder, you should be a trustworthy role model to bring about positive results.

Key Performing Areas

Father Y.L. Irudhayaraj, School Review (Adhyayan), highlighted six key performing areas – Leadership, Teaching & Learning, Infrastructure, Community, Partnership and Curriculum. He insisted that every school must have the Past Pupils Association and enroll all the students as life time members.

Exploring best practices

Father Don Bosco, Vice Provincial said that Teachers need to be animated at least 40 hours, one hour every month. The Weekly Pulse (TWP) should be held on the last day of the week reviewing what was taught during that week. A Special Education Departure (SPD) called as ‘coffee morning’ should enable the teacher and parents meet on a regular basis. They should meet the staff, non-teaching staff and the helpers every day. Streamline the students according to their performance in each subject. The top ten and bottom ten students of 10th and 12th should be met regularly. Spoken English coaching should be given every morning.

The students should be made aware of the Learn, Earn and Pay Fees scheme. Maintain a Pupil Appraisal Register (PAR) for interest-based learning.