Fransalian Education
Fransalin Education
Education is a sacred mission visualized by our founder Fr. Peter Mary Mermier for Missionaries of St Francis de Sales (MSFS). Fransalian Education underlines holistic formation with greater emphasis on the growth of spiritual, intellectual and professional dimensions of life always based on values as lived and taught by Jesus and followed by Saint Francis de Sales. The apostolate of education is taken up by Catholic Church as part of its evangelisation to transform society into greater liberation by way of imparting right knowledge, enhancing human awareness of peace and justice as envisioned by our lord Jesus Christ.
Fr. Jacob karamakuzhil MSFS
General Secretary for Education
St. Aloysius School Visakhapatnam Est:1847
SFS School Nagpur Estd:1870
OUR FIRST EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
Our first Educational Institution in India was St Aloysius School Vishakhapatnam established in 1847 followed by St Aloysius school Jabalpur 1869, SFS School Nagpur 1870 and St John’s High School Nagpur 1880. We are in the apostolate of Education for almost 180 years in India. As of today we have about 130 school as per the Sensus of 2022 in India. MSFS Schools cater to a total of 114297 students and provide employment to 5682 people through our schools. Besides schools in India, MSFS have one each school in Switzerland and France. There are number of schools in Tanzania, Kenia, Uganda and Chad Cameroon. Plans are being mooted to established schools in Zambia, Malavi and Mozambique.
St Aloysius school Jabalpur Estd: 1869
St. Johns High School Nagpur Estd: 1880
Our Mission
- To provide a conductive atmosphere for intellectual development.
- To facilitate conviction-based spiritual formation.
- To nurture a sense of the Divine and transcendence.
- To imbue the virtues of gentleness, compassion and optimism.
- To impart authentic leadership training
- To instil wholesome professional ethics.
- To encourage sports, games and work experience.
- To inculcate healthy food habits.
- To promote environmental consciousness
- To extend integral education to all
- To foster a caring and humane society meant to promote the marginalized.
And thus, equip the younger generation with necessary life-skills to become:
- Catalysts of social transformation.
- Votaries of national integration and
- Ambassadors of universal brotherhood.
Our Vision
A holistic society of compassionately, human spiritually, enlightened professionally skilled, socially committed, and culturally integrated persons, based on the values as lived and taught by Jesus Christ and followed by Saint Francis de Sales.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FRANSALIAN EDUCATION:
Every Fransalian educational institution, shall create and nurture a unique Fransalian culture in our educational ministry by: (ref: MSFS Consti. 36,37 & Gen. Dir. 31,32).
- An unconditional adherence to the gospel values of justice and love and the human approach of Saint Francis de Sales.
- Being respectful, Collegial, keeping supportive relations with the staff, and by training them, to share in the Fransalian vision and charism,
- Loving and cordial approach to students, avoiding corporal punishment, effecting healthy discipline, and promoting the Salesian virtues of gentleness, Kindness, Humility, Simplicity optimism Etc,
- Paying attention to every aspect of human formation, so that the students are formed into balanced, mature and integrated persons who care for the environment and Society.
- Nurturing Cordial and healthy relations with parents, Local public and alumni by providing a true Fransalian atmosphere in our educational institutions by our leadership.
- Speaking to students and teachers, and teaching them about the Salesian virtues of gentleness, patience, optimism and humility, Etc,
- Promoting social harmony and common Brotherhood by lived-in experience.
- Educating students and staff to accept and respect differences, based on religion, culture language or region, or any other matter and thereby becoming an agent of social and societal transformation,
- familiarizing students, staff and parents about the life and virtues of Saint Francis and Fr Peter Marie Mermier.
- Displaying the vision and mission of our educational apostolate in our institutions.
- Making known Saint Francis de Sales and servant of God Fr Peter Mermier to every Stakeholder (Students, teachers, parents) of our educational institutions.
- Erect Statues of Saint Francis de Sales and putting up busts and pictures of Fr Peter Mermier and displaying inspirational quotes from them at strategic points of our institutions.
- Making space for God for prayer and respecting human persons as image of God.
- Respecting creation as a reflection of God’s Beauty, grandeur, loving Mankind and taking care of the environment.
PROFILE OF A FRANSALIAN SCHOOL
- A place of learning with a scientific temper and critical thinking.
- A place of character formation and personality building
- A place where its members live by values of mutual respect, accepting individual and cultural differences.
- A place where every child feels welcomed, cared for, loved and appreciated.
- A place where children are taught to protect the environment and promote the gifts of nature.
- A place where the formation of the heart and the effective dimension receives due priority.
- A place where co-scholastics and life skill training are imparted with urge.
- A place where young citizens are groomed to be catalysts of social transformation, votaries of nation and ambassadors of universal brotherhood
- A place where safe environment is provided for the students and the vulnerable in society.
- A place where every student learns to love God and respect one another.
PROFILE OF A FRANSALIAN PRINCIPAL/HEADMASTER
A Fransalian principal is the academic head of a Fransalian educational institution.
He is the visible head of the congregation, he represents to the public.
He remains a true disciple of Saint Francis de Sales, his patron and imitates him in his virtues of gentleness patience, humility, simplicity, etc.
He knows his patron’s life and works thoroughly and follows him in his life and activities in his daily conduct.
He Faithfully discharges as duties and tasks on behalf of the congregation he represents as a faithful steward. He knows his mission is a mission of the congregation which is within the mission of the church. He knows his duties and responsibilities as delegated powers which come from the authority of the congregation.
He works in union and communion with his confreres in the community. He understands his mission of education as a mission of the community.
He is aware that his apostolate of education is the task of a team and so he builds up his team with a confreres in the community and the staff in the school.
He is a role model for the teachers, as he is the head teacher of the institution, for a simplicity honesty, integrity, transparency, dependability, devotion and dedication to duties, etc.
He treats his staff with collegial respect. He develops the competence and efficiency of the staff, and guides them to greater effectiveness and leads them to put it to good use for the welfare of the institution.
He is the father figure to the students through his loving approach, concern for the welfare of every student, listens to every one patiently, corrects their mistakes and challenges them to soar to their full potential.
He maintains good discipline, keeps the compound neat and clean and spares no effect for the good and growth of the institution.
He dreams of the greater interest of the institution in all his efforts.
He works for the institution even if the fruit of his labor is not achieved during his time of service in the school but by someone else at a later period…
On transfer, he introduces his successes to the school and hands over all the relevant documents of the institution in the presence of councilor in charge of education or secretary or provincial delegate.
PROFILE OF FRANSALIAN CORRESPONDENT / MANAGER / SECRETARY / SUPERIOR
He is the head of the Fransalian Educational institution on behalf of the MSFS.
He is the liaison officer to the Provincial.
He works always in the best interests of the institution.
He works in close collaboration and consultation with the principal / headmaster of the school for infrastructural, academic and other aspects of the institution.
He is a team man and so he unites the confreres and builds up the team and makes the apostolate a teamwork.
He is accountable to the major Superior, transparent in his accounting like a faithful steward.
He’s a good P.R.O. and keeps a good relations with the public.
He seeks report and accountability from the members with him, does not curtail their freedom, and provides space for their growth knowing fully well that growth takes place in freedom.
PROFILE OF FRANSALIAN ADMINISTRATOR
Fransalian administrator, appointed by the provincial, manages and administers the finance and temporal goods of the institution.
He walks in close collaboration and consultation with the principal and the Correspondent / Manager.
He executes and coordinates the works entrusted to him by the Principal and Correspondent / Manager / Superior as decided by the Community.
He works as a faithful steward, transparent in all financial and administrative dealings.
He is accountable to the concerned authorities.
He handles the finance and monitors the day-to-day, running of the institution.
PROFILE OF A DESALITE TEACHER
A DeSalite teacher is one belongs to the teaching faculty and shares the vision and mission of Fransalian education.
He/She considers teaching not as a profession but a mission with a passion, a mission not by chance but by choice.
He/She remains an integral part of the institution and commits himself or herself totally and wholly to the tasks entrusted to him or her by the competing authority of the educational institution.
He/She cooperates and collaborates with the head of the institution for the welfare of the students.
He/She updates himself or herself with the new methods of the pedagogy and the latest technology and becomes innovative in teaching
He/She familiarizes himself or herself with the principles of Fransalian Pedagogy.
He/She understands that training and forming of the heart is the heart of education.
He/She knows that students learn not only from the textbooks but also from his or her very life which should remain exemplary, a living gospel for the students to emulate.
He/She understands that the school is run by the MSFS who attach great importance to values while educating and he or she is a partner with it.
He/She also learns about the MSFS missionaries, Saint Francis de Sales, and his life and works and Father Peter Mermier, the founder.
He/She speaks well of the school of which he or she is integral part.
He/She pays individual attention to each and every student in the class and never lets anyone lag behind.
He/She takes remedial measures if any of his or her students is found wanting or lagging behind.
He/She is a part of her team and works collaboratively with the rest of the staff, both teaching and non-teaching.
He/She prepares his or her lessons thoroughly to make the class interesting, informative, innovative, educative and attractive.
PROFILE OF A DESALITE STUDENT
A DeSalite student is a diligent and studious member of the student community of a Fransalian school.
He/She is a member of a Fransalian school not by chance but by choice and who chooses to be formed and educated by Fransalians in a Fransalian way.
He/She practices the Salesian virtues of simplicity, honesty, gentleness, humility, optimism, etc.
He/She knows the life and works of Saint Francis de Sales, the Patron, and Fr Mermier, the founder of the Fransalians who manage an administer the Fransalian educational institution.
He/She respects and obeys teachers, parents and elders.
He/She develops human qualities together with intellectual formation.
He/She comes regularly to school, does his or her daily duties and follows the directions of the staff.
He/She is God fearing prayerful and follows the rules of the school in letter and spirit.
He/She relates with others in a mature and balanced way irrespective of gender, language, age, cast, creed or economic status and promotes brotherhood and sisterhood.
He/She accepts and respects the differences among them and allows to live as brothers and sisters.
He/She lives and promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle and does not destroy nature; rather he or she promotes it.
He/She is punctual and ready to accept corrections and guidance from elders and teachers.
He/She does not speak negatively about the school, management and staff.
He/She keeps the school campus neat, clean and green.
FRIENDS OF FRANSALIANS
Friends of Fransalians (FoF) is the student wing who are our friends and associates in our Ministry of Education, constituted by the head of the institution.
FoF are chosen and selected from our students of high school or higher secondary school or college.
FoF are chosen basing on their character, leadership, merit and qualities.
FoF follow Salesian virtues of Simplicity, Humility, Gentleness, Optimism, Cheerfulness and Hospitality.
FoF know that they are called to imbibe the spirit of their patron St Francis de Sales and imitate his life and virtues.
FoF execute the duties and responsibilities assigned to them voluntarily without counting the cost and expecting any reward.
FoF are called upon to work for and serve the institutions whole heartedly to promote its objectives.
FoF are role models for other students in their studies, discipline and relationship and polite behaviour.
FoF are obedient and respectful to the teachers, parents and elders.
FoF are always law binding and help others to follow the same.
FoF are known for their cheerful availability for any service and are happy to give their valuable service wherever occasion arise.
FoF have their own separate identity in their educational institutions, having their own badges, uniforms, and roles.
The FoF are leaders chosen for service and Community.
MSFS SCHOOL GOVERNANCE:
As per the revised constitutions of the MSFS, we have the three-tier administrative forum of education. They are fransalian education forum-province (FEF-P), Fransalian Educaion forum Regions( FEF-R) and fransalian Education Forum International (FEF-I). According to the new governance passed in 2007, the Apostolate of Education is animated and co-ordinated by a General Councillor who serves as the General Secretary to the Apostolate of education. He is assisted by a councllor each from seven Indian Provinces along with the secretaries to the province forums. They come together as and when require to propose, evaluate report policies and programs for all Education Institutions in India. They frame common education policies . They work in line with the policies and programs of Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India- (CBCI)There are annual meetings both province and regional forums. The Province forums works with all the members involved in the administration of the schools. There are seminars conducted for all educators on every alternative years.