[ Back ]

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Fr. Dr. J. Felix Raj, SJ

Education – Challenge to Change

Education is for transformation, to be able to think by oneself, to be able to relate to others meaningfully and to understand the world and society clearly. Without education one cannot discern what is good or bad? What is right or wrong? What is true or false? What is lovely or ugly? The purpose of education is, therefore, to make human beings capable, competent and wise to meet the challenges of life.

Jawaharlal Nehru declared that if all were well with our educational institutions, all would be well with the nation. Educational institutions are intimately linked with society at large. They are the temples of knowledge. They are the agents of social change and transformation. Therefore, the general condition of our schools, colleges and universities is a matter of great concern to the nation.

We are in the third millennium, marked by the phenomenon of “ Global Village”. There is a process of global and cultural unification. Revolutions in the scientific and technological fields and cybernetic and electronic information transmission are sweeping the world. The institutional education is becoming an obscure one. We are faced with a challenge to change.

In such a situation, the relationship between the institutions and the student community, between the teachers and the students is bound to undergo major changes. For instance, the students’ active participation in the process of learning on their own initiative will remove the one-sided authoritarian teacher-student relationship. The teacher’s authority will now be based on his ability and creativity to contribute and help students to learn on their own.

The changes heralded by the recent technological progress will bring about greater flexibility in the educational system, in particular in regard to admission, attendance, the examination, assessment and rewarding system.

The Kothari Commission has beautifully said: “The destiny of India is now being shaped in her classrooms. This we believe is no mere rhetoric. In a world based on science and technology it is education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of people. On the quality and number of persons coming out of our schools and colleges will depend our success in the great enterprise of national construction whose principal objective is to raise the standard of living of our people”.

We stand at the crossroads of global history and an unsettling hour of transition and crisis. As Xaverians we must aspire to reach the highest pinnacle of education. Creative breakthroughs that shatter complacency, adventure of ideas that stimulates the intellect, joy of learning that wipes out boredom, freedom of thought that transcends mental barriers and finally efflorescence of character that radiates beauty and aroma in a world of suffering from poverty of spirit and the curse of violence – are the need of the hour.

The doubts, if at all have faded away by now. The road ahead will be long and our climb will be steep, but then we believe in “Nihil Ultra” (Nothing Beyond). St. Xavier’s is an institution with one history but many stories; one fire with many sparks, a fire that kindles many fires. It is where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. As the 150th anniversary theme suggests, St. Xavier’s is truly “seemar majhe ashim”.

God bless All.