Philosophy, history, and pedagogy: unfolding Don Bosco’s preventive method in the present Indian educational landscape

Abstract

St John Bosco, popularly known as Don Bosco, was an educator of the nineteenth century. His educational system, the Preventive method, is his best-known endeavour among the numerous ground-breaking efforts at forming the youth of his time. This method of educating young people was radical considering the time and his contemporary educators. This article attempts to study the history and the philosophy of the Preventive method of education. The authors also explore the foundation and history of this method, investigate its three components, namely, reason, religion, and loving-kindness, and offer a brief history of the educational scenario of India. The authors conclude by looking at how the preventive method is incorporated into the present educational setup of India, reflecting its relevance in the current educational framework.

Keywords:

• preventive method
• Don Bosco
• education
• India

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 St John Bosco, commonly known as Don Bosco, was born on 16 August 1815, in Murialdo near Castelnuovo d’Asti to Margaret Occhiena and Francis Bosco as the youngest of three children. He lost his father when he was just two years old. As a young boy, John Bosco struggled because of the ordeals he had to face to study due to his poor financial background. During the seminary days at Chieri, besides Latin and Italian, he studied Greek, Hebrew and French. After his priestly ordination on 5 June 1841, he entered the St. Francis of Sales Institute for Higher Studies on 3 November 1841, founded by Don Guala. It was also known as Convitto Ecclesiastico. His spiritual director Fr Joseph Cafasso encouraged him to begin an ‘Oratory’ for the young people of the city of Turin in 1846. Fr John was very creative and began to organise classes for the boys, who migrated to the city of Turin from the villages in search of work, first with the help of other professionals and then with his students who had mastered various trades. He had more than eight hundred boys at one time in his oratory. He educated them, trained them to become employable, got jobs, and ensured they lived dignified lives. His mother and several others came to help him with this work.

Some of his students were attracted by his way of life and wanted to join him. He, along with his students, founded the Salesian Society in 1859, took St Francis de Sales as the Patron of the Society and named it Society of St Francis de Sales. From the word ‘Sales’ comes ‘Salesian.’ To care for the young girls, he, along with St Mary Dominica Mazzarello, started a congregation, Istituto Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice (FMA), in 1872. She adopted the preventive method of education of Don Bosco. Don Bosco also began the movement of Salesian Co-operators. He breathed his last at 4.45 am on 31 January 1888, was beatified on 2 June 1929 and was proclaimed a saint of the Universal Church on 1 April 1934.

2 Don Bosco used the expression sistema preventive. Over the years, several writings have used the word ‘method’ instead of ‘system.’ This distinction is pivotal, suggesting flexibility, adaptability, and a dynamic nature inherent to a ‘method,’ as opposed to the rigidity often associated with a ‘system.’ It underscores the organic and evolving nature of Don Bosco’s approach, emphasising its relevance and applicability across diverse contexts like India. I align with this perspective and label it a ‘method’ rather than a ‘system.’

3 Popularly known as the Radhakrishnan Commission (1948–49), since this Commission was appointed under the Chairmanship of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan.

4 It was also known as the Mudaliar Commission (1952–53) since it was set up under the Chairmanship of Dr A. L. Swami Mudaliar.

5 The Kothari commission report had a great influence on this education policy. The recommendations of this commission is highly valued and incorporated in this policy.

6 This is also known as Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.

7 The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), initiated in 2003 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) along with seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Science, stands as a monumental project aimed at democratising quality education. It offers a comprehensive range of courses, relevant to students at all levels of higher education, cover a wide array of subjects in engineering, basic sciences, and selected humanities and social science subjects, along with exposure to pertinent tools and technologies. Since 2013, it began offering 4-, 8-, or 12-week online courses through its portal (http://nptel.ac.in). Notably, enrolment in and access to these courses are free of charge. This initiative has resulted in NPTEL becoming the world's largest online repository for educational courses, with its website amassing over 471 million views and its YouTube channel becoming the most subscribed educational channel globally, featuring over 54,000 h of video content. In March 2014, NPTEL began offering courses along with in-centre and proctored certification examinations.

8 Also known as Institutes of Eminence (IoE). These institutes are best institutes of higher education in the country.

9 The Salesians reached Tanjavur on 5 January 1906 under the leadership of Fr George Tomatis, an Italian. There were six persons: 5 Salesians including a Salesian Brother and cleric, and an aspirant. For more on the early history of the Salesian in India, Ref. Joseph Thekkedath (2005), A History of the Salesians of Don Bosco in India; From the Beginning up to 1951–52, Vol. I & II, Bangalore, Kristu Jyoti Publications.

10 Salesians came to northeast India, which today comprises eight states, in 1922. For more on the Salesian work in the northeast part of India, Ref. George Maliekal, Joy Kachappilly, Josekutty Thomas, Jose Chemparthy (Ed.), (2022), The Salesians of Don Bosco in Northeast India; A Hundred Years of Evangelizing Mission (1922–2022), Vol. I & II, Guwahati, Don Bosco Publications.

11 The data is of 2018. There are several schools started after. These are not included here.

12 This was the first college started in the Salesian Congregation.

13 Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) situated in Guwahati, Assam comprises of three campuses offering PhD, Master and Graduate level programmes in various steams in Science, Commerce, and Humanities. The university has over 3700 students in its campuses and another over 1000 students for its Open and Distant Learning (ODL) Programmes. For more visit, dbuniversity.ac.in.

14 The Don Bosco South Asia Forum for the Young at Risk (DBF-YaR) operating 72 centres has contacted more than 2,87,121 children wandering in the streets of various cities of India and placed 1,01,065 in their homes. Salesians also run tuition and remedial centres for the young. There are 99 ‘Oratories’ and several youth centres managed by them. Don Bosco Youth Counselling Centres supported by the Salesian Psychological Association (SPA) has 20 dedicated centres, in addition to counselling facilities provided in various schools and colleges. There are 56 Don Bosco Youth Animation Centres helping 130342 young people annually. The Don Bosco Centres for Career Guidance and Employment offers career guidance and job placement services with 9 regional offices and 52 help centres. There are 141 Boardings and 74 Hostels in India, adhering to a policy of offering the poorest opportunities for education and a better life. There are 84 night schools across India managed by the Salesians. With over 13 centres under the banner of Don Bosco Communication, the catalogue of Boscom-India lists over 200 book titles and numerous multimedia productions from various Salesian publishers in India. Furthermore, Salesian College Sonada in Darjeeling, established in 1938, run a community radio; Radio SALESIAN 90.8 FM. The 11 ‘Don Bosco Provincial Development Offices’ in India cater to thousands of poor, especially in the villages with various types of social development works. For more Ref. Maria Charles (2019), donboscojobs.org, salesiancollege.ac.in/90-8-radio-salesian, dbya.in and donboscoindia.com.

15 A research study done in Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu clearly shows that the Salesian work in Tamil Nadu mostly caters to the poor in the rural areas. Ref. P. Rajadevan. 2012, Historical Development of Don Bosco’s Educational Movement with Special reference to India, Madurai: Department of History & Tourism, Madurai Kamaraj University.

16 Don Bosco Tech was established in 2006, aiming to offer employment-linked, market-driven vocational courses of short duration to economically and socially marginalised youth. For more visit, dbtech.in

17 The Salesian Family of Don Bosco is a network of organisations and groups that follow the spirit and method of education promulgated by St John Bosco to care for the young. At present, there are 32 member groups with a total of 254,327 individual members. Though they are founded in different parts of the world, with five in India, 12 have their presence in the country.

18 This is part of the ‘Article 1’ of the Charter of the Charismatic Identity of the Salesian Family (CCISF). There are a total of 46 articles in the charter that the members who are part of the family are expected to follow.

19 Among the 12 Salesian family members in India, the prominent ones are the FMA (279 institutions), MSMHC (144 institutions), SMI (103 institutions) Disciples (163 institutions) and VSDB (29 institutions).

20 In several places, he makes references to Ignatius of Loyola, Philip Neri, Charles Borromeo, Francis de Sales, Aloysius Gonzaga, Vince De Paul etc.

21 Some of them are ‘Sin and gloom, away from my room,’ ‘Salve! Salvando Salvati!’ (By saving others, save yourself) etc.

22 Convitto Ecclesiastico, under the guidance of Fr Guala, emphasised the teachings of St Alphonsus Ligouri. Through this, he succeeded in uprooting the last remnants of Jansenism present at that time. He printed and sold at low cost or at times donated, The Way to Love Jesus Christ, The Glories of Mary, The Great Means of Prayer and Visits to the Blessed Sacrament. A number of these books were in the hands of almost all young people in the area. Fr Guala printed the two volumes on moral theology and the abridged edition of Homo Apstolicus (The Apostolic Man) and distributed to priests. Fr Cafasso, his helper, later his successor, and Fr Felix Golzio, at the Convitto completely agreed on the teachings of St Alphonsus. It definitely influenced young Fr John Bosco.

23 On 05 November 1875, Don Bosco spoke to the boys about St Charles Borromeo. He emphasised on receiving communion at a young age and gave the example of Bishop Charles giving communion to St Aloysius at a young age. He told them that Charles was endowed with ‘many heroic virtues’ like St Aloysius and they should imitate him. He spoke to the boys about Charles’ insistence with his parish priests on teaching catechism to young people. Don Bosco was very much influenced by the life of this holy bishop and tried to imitate him and follow his example in many things that he did. Ref. Eugenio Ceria, The Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco Vol. XI, 434ff. In 1909 the Salesians brought out a biography of Saint Charles Borromeo. Ref. Virginio Civati (1909), S. Carlo Borromeo, Nelle Opere E Nello Spirito, Milano, Libreria Salesiana Editrice.

24 Borromeo had organised his helpers in Milan to care for the dying, administer to the sick and build relief shelters for the homeless. Similarly in 1854, Don Bosco with his oratory boys went out to help the people affected by the plague in Turin city.

25 He called the members of his society ‘Salesians’ (from ‘Sales’). Today the followers of Don Bosco are known as Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB).

26 Lemoyne, one of his biographers writes, ‘The work he had undertaken for the welfare of boys required unruffled calm and forbearance, and therefore he wished to place himself under the special protection of a saint who had been a perfect model of these virtues’ Lemoyne, Biographical Memoirs, Vol. II, 197.

27 In 1841, before saying his first mass, he wrote, ‘The charity and gentleness of St Francis de Sales are to be my guide’ Ref. Lemoyne, Biographical Memoirs, Vol. I, 383, Vol. III, 68.

28 In his regulations for Festive Oratories published in 1852, he wrote, ‘This oratory is placed under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales because those who intend to dedicate themselves to this kind of work should adopt this saint as a model of charity and affability.’

29 Jean-Baptiste de La Salle established the Institute of the brothers of the Christian Schools in 1680 to provide an excellent education to young people, particularly the children of artisans and the impoverished. The Christian Brothers are also referred to as the De la Salle Brothers.

30 The brother priests Antonio Angelo Cavanis (1772–1858) and Marco Antonio Cavanis (1774–1853) founded the ‘Charity Schools’ for poor and abandoned youth.

31 The ‘Pavonians’ was a religious order founded by Lodovico Pavoni (1784–1849) in 1821, as a clerical religious congregation and was approved on 24 September 1892, to provide; primary education, secondary education and technical education, assistance to manual workers, and to promote press and publications. They were originally known as the Sons of Mary Immaculate (FMI). Ref. https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100025073 and http://www.gcatholic.org/orders/171.htm

32 Alessandro Maria Teppa wrote,

If one wants to master the hearts of young people, one must try first and foremost to win their love. If a person is loved, he will readily be heard and obeyed. But there is no way to win love except to love. Ref. Kapani 2022, 380

33 Michael Rua joined Don Bosco as a young boy. He later became his collaborator and one of the first to join him when he founded the Salesian society. He became the first successor of Don Bosco as the Superior General of the society. For more, Ref. Peter Lappin (1972) The Wine in the Chalice, New Rochelle: Salesiana Publishers., Francis Desramaut (2010) Life of Fr. Michael Rua: Don Bosco’s First Successor, Giraudo Aldo (Ed.), Bangalore: Kristy Jyoti Publications.

34 The people who are in training to become Catholic priests are known as ‘clerics.’

35 Ferrante Aporti began the first pre-primary school in Cremona, Italy, in 1829. He devised a pedagogy that was a balanced mixture of moral, intellectual and physical education. In his educational system, he emphasised manual work and made education along with pupil involvement. He wanted young people to be familiar with discipline, friendly with the system, and pious.

36 Rosmini had such influence on Don Bosco that at one time he even thought of joining the society, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, started by Rosmini. He considered Rosmini as a saintly priest. Ref. Eugenio Ceria (1983), The Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, Vol. XIII, New Rochelle, Salesiana Publishers, 7ff.

37 Founder of Little Brothers of Mary or the Marist Brothers. His pedagogical orientation of the ‘salvation of souls’ as the ultimate aim of education, forming of heart, conscience and devotion to Mary are found in the method of Don Bosco.

38 Founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she gave importance to the education of girls. Her idea

cultivate and protect very accurately the minds and hearts of the young girls while they are young in order to hinder as far as possible the entry of evil into them …  keep the girls far away from anything that could in the least corrupt their mind and heart

was something special in those days.

39 Adolf Kolping worked for the cause of young workers through the Kolping familie. For him the heart was at the centre of the educational method so also, friendship and family spirit. The president of the group as a fatherly figure in the structure, the joyful atmosphere present in the educational set up, were all very important for him.

40 He was a Franciscan worked for the freed African slaves with the two congregations that he started Friars of Charity for boys and Franciscan Elisabettine Sisters for girls. He gave importance to cleanliness, physical and moral hygiene, work and culture, and religiosity and duty.

41 A priest who was known for his catechetical activity in Marseille. He gave them catechetical instruction, preparing students for first communion besides working for the grown-ups through ‘Catechisms of perseverance.’ He encouraged games, other recreational and cultural activities like singing, music etc along with religious instruction. It was something new at that time.

42 A friend and helper of Don Bosco. He even looked after one of his oratories. Later he took over the Collegio degli Artigianelli. He wanted to make ‘honest and virtuous citizens out of poor boys.’ Don Bosco would have been definitely influenced by him as he had done an enormous amount of work for the poor working-class young people.

43 Bishop of Orleans, France. He also was interested in the preventive education. He thought that ‘Christian education should forestall evil and inculcate the practice of virtue through example and instruction.’

44 Don Bosco wrote the Il Sistema Preventivo nella educazione della gioventu only in 1877.

45 Camillo Benso, Count di Cavour (1810–1861), generally known as Cavour, was a Piedmontese statesman and a conservative politician who played a significant role in the unification of Italy in 1861. He became the first Prime Minister of the kingdom. Ref. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camillo-Benso-conte-di-Cavour

46 Urbano Rattazzi, (1808–1873) was a Piedmontese politician who held many important cabinet positions in the early years of the Italian Republic, including that of Prime Minister. Ref. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Urbano-Rattazzi

47 Though the method is an amalgam, Don Bosco preferred to retain the term ‘preventive method.’

48 The Expressive Method of Education: Based on the educational thoughts of Jean Jacques Rousseau, this method helps the young to grow and prosper by giving them opportunities through experiential learning by nurturing their talents, abilities, and skills. This also takes care of the training for various employment opportunities, which will help the young to have positive self-esteem to live as honest citizens of a country.

49 Mario Casotti, an Italian historian writing on the method of Don Bosco states that ‘preventive’ as used in the educational literature distorts the actual meaning that Don Bosco intended. Ref. Michael Ribotta (1995) footnote no. 2.

50 The word ‘preventive’ or praevenire conveys the sense of ‘to go beforehand,’ ‘to support right from the start,’ ‘to foresee,’ ‘to be vigilant’ ‘to provide’ to guard against, and to ward off. It also means to meet beforehand or to anticipate; an objection, question, command, desire, want, etc. For more, Ref. https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=prevent

51 Literally it means the physical movement of persons; that comes (arrive) or goes before something else, to appear before. Ref. ‘Preventive’ in James A. H. Murray et al. (1970) The Oxford English Dictionary, Vol. VIII, Oxford, At the Clarendon Press, 1337–1339.

52 Don Bosco speaks about making the boys ‘good Christians and honest citizens,’ the ultimate aim of the preventive method. He lived and worked in a Christian and predominantly Catholic background as a Catholic priest. He also worked with a homogeneous gender (male). Working in a multicultural and religious context like India, where most Salesian educational institutions are heterogeneous and students are from varied ethnic, and religious backgrounds, making the student ‘a good believer and an honest citizen’ is the ultimate goal. The values of Christ and the moral and spiritual principles of Christianity could be shared. Peter Gonsalves speaks about ‘honest citizens and true believers.’ Ref. Peter Gonsalves, (2017). Educating for a happy life in Don Bosco's way. Mumbai: Tej-Prasarini Don Bosco Communications.

Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Affari Vos, uses the expression, ‘good Christians and honest citizens.’ Ref. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_08121897_affari-vos.html.

53 Some of them are; the Memoirs of the Oratory, the Confidential Advice to Directors, the Treatise on the Preventive System, the Letter on Punishments, the Letter from Rome, the Letter on Books and Readings in Salesian House and Schools, the Spiritual Testament and his personal letters.

54 In many of his writings, he speaks of frequent confession, reception of communion, retreats and others practices in the church.

55 It is a Sanskrit mantra from the Advaita tradition, typically translated as ‘I am Brahman.’ It is also translated as ‘I am divine’ or ‘I am sacred.’ It is an expression to show the unity of Atman with Brahman that God is within oneself. Ref. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8231/aham-brahmasmi

56 Don Bosco envisaged a caring private admonition which is meant to animate, support, correct, persuade and motivate the young, which he called ‘word in the ear’ or ‘Parolina.’ It is an informal corrective method, used mainly during the time of recreation. Here the teacher is expected to communicate personally and if possible in a soft voice in the ear of the educand, without hurting, what he/she wants to say.

57 As per the data collected in 2018, 164 schools of the Salesians out of 267 are in the villages.

58 Of which 400 are of Salesians of Don Bosco.

59 The literacy rate in India have gone up from 18% in 1947 when India received its independence to 77.70% in 2021. Ref. https://www.findeasy.in/indian-states-by-literacy-rate/#google_vignette

60 For example, the literacy rate in Meghalaya, where the Salesians have several educational institutions, has seen a notable increase from 49.1% in 1991 to 74.4% in 2011, showcasing the impact of Salesian educational efforts. Even in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, with the second lowest literacy rate in the country, the literacy rate has gone up from 41.4% in 1991 to 65.4% in 2011. It is interesting to note that the Salesians began to work in the state only in 1992. The 16 Don Bosco schools, hostels, and a college, along with 2 centres of youth animation, 2 literacy centres, and 10 other institutions run by the Salesian family in the most rural areas in Arunachal Pradesh have contributed much to this growth. The other religious congregations and dioceses have followed the example set by the Salesians. In the other States in the north-eastern region, such as Manipur with a literacy rate of 79.85% and Nagaland 80.11%, the Salesians have contributed much. For more on the contribution of Salesians to Northeast India, Ref. George Maliekal, et al. (Ed.) (2022), The Salesians of Don Bosco in Northeast India: A Hundred Years of Evangelizing Mission (1922–2022), Vol. I & II, Guwahati, Don Bosco Publications.

 

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Josekutty Thomas

Josekutty Thomas is a member of the Salesian Society, assistant professor at Don Bosco college, Itanagar and a research scholar at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya. After having completed his Masters in History, Education, and Christian Studies and Mphil in Tribal Studies, he has worked as principal of various Don Bosco schools, taught in colleges and university. His areas of research interests are India’s northeastern tribal cultures and the preventive pedagogy of Don Bosco. He has published papers, conducted seminars and workshops on these topics for educators, student teachers, university students and faculty and school students.

Kunja Kusum Kakati

Kunja Kusum Kakati has been a faculty of eduction and principal of college for several years. She has won the Siksha Rattan Ruraskar award for her contribution to education in 2012. She has been associated with National Council for Teacher Education and a member of visiting team, Indian Adult Education Association, All India Association for Educational Research, All India Council for Teacher Education, and North-east India Education Society. She is also a guide for research works of PhD aspirants at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, India.