A THREE-DAY ANIMATION CUM MEETING OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS OF SHILLONG PROVINCE
3rd February 2025, Silchar: The Salesian Province of Shillong successfully hosted a three-day animation cum meeting of its School Principals from 1st to 3rd February 2025 at Boscotech, Silchar, Assam. The meeting brought together 31 Salesians, including the Provincial and his councillors, under the theme:"Education is a Matter of the Heart" – emphasizing that education should be based on Reason, Religion, and Loving Kindness. The animation cum meeting commenced on 1st February at 5:45 pm with a short inauguration in the conference hall of Boscotech. The Vice-Provincial, Fr. Jeevan Lakra, extended a warm welcome to all the participants, setting the tone for the meeting. This was followed by Fr. Babu Stephen, the Delegate for Education and Culture, who presented the report of the previous meeting held in August 2024.
The first session was conducted by Fr. John Zosiama, the Provincial, who elaborated on the theme "Education is a Matter of the Heart." He provided an in-depth explanation of the three core principles:
Reason – Encouraging rational and logical approaches to education.
Religion – Instilling moral and spiritual values in students.
Loving Kindness – Ensuring a compassionate and student-friendly environment.
In addition, Fr. John Zosiama shared crucial updates on school administration and province-related matters, equipping the principals with valuable insights.
The second day saw extensive discussions on important school policies:
Fr. Babu Stephen led a session on admission, concession, and detention policies across the province’s schools. After thorough deliberation, several key decisions were made to streamline these policies.
Fr. Genesius Wanniang, the Economer, conducted an impactful session on financial management and documentation in schools, which was highly appreciated by the participants.
The day also featured presentations on new technologies in education, including:
Tata Class Edge (Kolkata) – Digital Panels for schools.
ED SOLS (Bangalore) – AI and Robotics Labs in schools.
Extra Marks (Noida) – Digital Panels.
3Q ABACUS (Hyderabad) – Abacus-based learning solutions.
These sessions provided the principals with valuable insights into modern educational tools and digital transformation.
Fr. Babu Stephen conducted sessions on School Websites, Facebook, Instagram, and School ERP systems, which were highly enriching. Discussions on School Diary, Mini Boscoree, and Bosco Olympics provided clarity on upcoming events. Saji Stephen presented a session on Centralized Notebook Policy, while Br. Regi delivered an engaging session on School Uniform Policies.
The principals also discussed the upcoming NECDBS (National Educational Conference of Don Bosco Schools) scheduled for November 2025.
The three-day event concluded with a final message from Fr. John Zosiama, who summarized the key discussions and outlined the way forward for the effective management of Salesian educational institutions. The event formally ended on 3rd February at 5:00 pm with a vote of thanks by Fr. Babu Stephen.