We have communication from a third set of schools that have joined the Global Education Pact, five in total. Three are from the Philippines and two from Brazil:
- St James Catholic High School, of Maasin, Iloilo
- St Joseph School, of Guimaras
- Manresa School, Parañaque
- Obra Social Nuestra Señora de Fátima, at Montesclaros
- Centro de Educação Popular Stella Maris, Rio de Janeiro
Everyone sends photographs of one moment or another of their membership. Through them, they share their creativity and the joy of knowing that we are educators for a better world.
The Pact was presented, welcomed, and endorsed in the educational communities. St. Louis Joseph gives very expressive signs of his commitment processaltogether, each one, two by two, in larger groups, final celebration…
We could say of all the work that has been done mainly in the cloisters, but also in other sectors. Manresa School has presented it to the teaching and non-teaching staff and to the religious community itself:
Last January 7, 2023, the new teachers had their meeting on Pope Francis’ Global Pact on Education, given by Sr. Gemma K. Doguiles and Sr. Edhen Parranga, FI. One of the highlights of the meeting was when the teachers realized how the objective of the Global Compact was closely related to Our Characteristic Way of Educating.
In addition, the maintenance personnel had their meeting on the same subject on January 23, 2023. The session was given by Sr. Mary Juelar, FI. The session made the maintenance staff realize that they are part of the embodiment of Pope Francis’ Global Compact. They are very grateful and feel valued.
As the educational community of Manresa, we strongly affirm our adherence to this Global Compact for Education.
The following is the evaluation made by some teachers of the meeting on the Global Compact on Education:
The topic was very timely and will help us teachers plan how to provide an adequate and quality education to our students.
Thank you for introducing and discussing with us the Global Compact on Education and how it is already aligned with the school’s characteristic way of educating.
This session helps me to understand more about what the Global Compact on Education stands for and its advocacy activities. There are parts of the session that illuminate some thoughts about myself as an educator.Thank you so much for this session, sisters! Thank you very much for this session, Sister Gemma and Sister Edhen! It enlightened me again on the attitudes and values we must have as effective educators to help our students develop their potential.
I liked that this newly introduced concept is not so different from the education we are already familiar with. So, in a way, it diminishes the idea that there is a whole new concept that we have to apply.
Gemma Doguiles, FI.
The photographs received sometimes show the moment of reflection and dialogue of the educators, or the commitment expressed with signatures or hands, or with the photograph of the team next to the seal or the seal of the Pact at the entrance of the school and on the web. But if a person enters into St. James Catholic High School we could say that the seal is not lost in our sight at any time.
The Obra Social Nossa Senhora de Fatima has reached this commitment “through the motivation of its employees, in a collaborative, citizen and promoter of solidarity links with the defense of life and the care of the common home”. They look at each of the seven aspects to manifest their hopes, but we pick up these two wishes:
“To unite our forces to a humanizing, inclusive education, capable of listening patiently, of mutual collaboration between school and family, based on the pedagogy of Jesus” and “to educate for a social, economic and sustainable policy that involves the entire educational community beyond our walls”.
Stella Maris expresses:
“In the dimension of an education that generates community commitment, we seek to carry out educational actions in a positive way, committed to society and with an eye on everyone (students, families, teachers, employees, and partners), assuming that we are co-responsible for life and that everything is interconnected, where every detail, gesture, and decision is important. Aware of this, we unite the processes, because an integral approach to education contemplates human, social, environmental, economic, and cultural aspects”.
And they send photos of previous projects, which are aligned with the Covenant (family and school, economy, etc.).
A common feeling and commitment, a unique expression of each one of us, but which makes us feel linked as a family.
Maria Teresa Pinto FI
