austraLasia #2357

School managers Day in Hong Kong

HONG KONG: 13th February 2009 -- China Province hosted School Managers Day on 7th February at Tang King Po School in Kowloon, inviting School Management Committee (SMC) members, a.k.a. managers, from Salesian schools in HK for an afternoon gathering. The aim was to allow managers from different schools to get to know one another and achieve consensus on performance of duties. This was the first such event hosted by China Province in Hong Kong.
    "It is not an event to welcome you to our family", said Fr Simon Lam, provincial, to the 31 participants from 11 SMCs, "but rather as you are already a family member as a manager, this is an event of family gathering".
    The Managers Day began with ice-breakers led by Fr Andrew Fung, vice provincial. In the seminar session to follow, Mr Lee Kam-Hung, principal and one of the managers of the hosting school, discussed the duties and conduct of a manager. "Everything should be considered for the benefit of the students", Mr Lee said. "We always have to ask ourselves: are we making decisions which help students in their learning and teachers in their teaching?" His address was well-received by his listeners. A group discussion followed based on an exercise where participants, divided into groups, prepared an SMC meeting agenda for a mock Don Bosco Secondary School. Three priority issues emerged across all seven groups, reflecting currently critical issues in HK - they included language policy and the new academic structure.
    It gave a lead to Fr Lam to conclude the afternoon's event stating that SMCs must always be wise about priorities. "We can never put the cart before the horse when making decisions", said Fr Lam. "what do you think is more important: to get the best students we can find, or to ge those who are in need of our care? If we only pursue academic results, we are certainly messing up our priorities". He also suggested that confreres SDB and Cooperators ASC should work together for the school's future. "God gives us children to look after and we respond by teaching them. Let's help each other in this mission".
  _________________
 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org

Title: australasia 2357
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces CIN schools
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2357