HONG KONG: 6
December
2013
-- The
Salesian Family work as one where schools are concerned in
China
Province. Below is an account of the second of two seminars on
the
Preventive System - this time for Secondary School teachers:
Teachers
from10 secondary schools belonging to the Salesians, Daughters
of Mary
Help of Christians and Sisters Announcers of the Lord
respectively,
gathered in HK recently to learn, share and discuss the
Preventive
System and its application in school.
Before the seminar day, the organising committee had
distributed
materials to each school for its internal preparation and
discussion.
Each school divided the teachers into different groups and
they focused
on several aspects: religion, discipline and counseling,
academic
studies and activities. Through this internal preparation, the
teachers
were invited to reflect on and discuss problems in schools.
They then
sought solutions by using the Preventive System. This process
encouraged the active participation of the teachers in both
internal
and later inter-school discussions.
Mr. Lee Kam Hung, the representative of the organising
committee,
commented that he could see better active participation and
commitment
of teachers during the discussion session. Through these 2
levels of
discussion, the teachers were able to consolidate the
foundation,
deepen the understanding of the application of the Preventive
System.
During the sharing session, 10 school principals shared their
unique
experience in the Preventive System in their schools. At the
end of the
sharing, David, a past pupil of St Louis School and Emily, a
recent
student of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Siu Ming
Catholic
Secondary School, shared their personal experience in school
and the
Preventive System.
David said that during one of their reunions they had noted
that none
of them had fallen foul of the law. They called the teaching
of the
Salesians and believed that the Ten Commandments had become
their core
values in life over time, as they were asked to recite them as
youngsters in school and some of them were not even Catholics.
He also
mentioned the “strong admonitions” which had brought many bad
students
back on track. They also played soccer at school from Monday
to Sunday.
This was extremely helpful in preventing students from meeting
gang
members outside.
Emily thought that the role of teacher was very important for
students.
She mentioned that one word from the teacher had a greater
influence
than a thousand of words from parents. Even a small gesture of
care
would have great impact to motivate and energize students,
such as
postponing the deadline for homework submission for a few more
days.
Moreover, the friendly sharing among students and teachers
would become
their future memorable memories.
Mr. Lee said that the student sharing could encourage
teachers, and
that teaching according to the Preventive System would bear
fruit for
many years to come.
