Dear Teachers/ Parents/Students,

EDUCATION TOWARDS FORMATION OF THE HUMAN PERSON.

Sagaya Matha family welcomes you cordially with great enthusiasm at the stroke of this new academic year. I am sure we await for fresh beginning at this Neo Normalcy, normal mode that the pandemic has left us, which brings new challenges and new hopes. Sagaya Matha Matric School, being a minority and catholic institution, always upholds the values that speaks its identity and destiny. In publishing, the Instruction on the Catholic identity of educational institutions, the Congregation for Catholic Education, Vatican City, 25 January 2022, Feast of the Conversion of St Paul the Apostle, underlines the “fundamental principles” regarding Christian education, especially in schools. In the first place, education, as the formation of the human person, is a universal right: “All men of every race, condition and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal, their ability, their sex, and the culture and tradition of their country, and also in harmony with their fraternal association with other peoples in the fostering of true unity and peace on earth. For a true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share” (Gravissimum educationis).

Therefore, the education at Sagaya Matha aims not just at academic excellence alone, but fundamentally on value based holistic education. No doubt, the post pandemic has made a leap change in all arena of education system, and yet we are not exhausted in brining back the quality in processing and promoting values in our education policies. Let’s hope in building a strong society that nurtures gospel values which can permeate at all walks of lives of our families. Ours, being secular societies, we always consciously and constantly give ear to the voices of our brothers and sisters of all other faiths, for faith formation of teachers and students is not just monologue but dialogue. We strongly believe and profess that the multicultural setting at education institutions, promotes values of tolerance and respect for each other, irrespective of all linguistic, religious and ethnic differences.

At the outset, as I referred at the start, we the catholic institution, build the future with strong fundamental principles of values and that’s our identity and hallmark. We follow Jesus’ model in recruiting teachers and educating students, model is quite clear, ‘option for the weak and fragile’. Our concern and focus are very much pointed in escalating the weak and fragile, both socially and economically.

I wish and pray that this new academic, would bring fruits of success and serenity in all members of our Sagaya Matha family.

God Bless.

Rev. Fr Leo Joseph