Indian Region: De Sales Academy
The Oblates’ commitment to education goes well beyond the US and extends to De Sales Academy, in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The Academy has been in operation for 13 years and educates over 1,800 students each year between the ages of 3 and 17. With an Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), one of India's highest curriculum certifications, and 200+ dedicated teachers and administrators, the school has an excellent reputation despite financial constraints.
Most students come from families who otherwise might not have access to a quality education. India’s Regional Superior, Fr. Johnson Mathew, OSFS, explained, “We established a school, not for the high-profile people, but for the poor and the lower middle-class families, to give all children an equal opportunity for a brighter future.”
Beyond academic excellence, De Sales Academy a nurturing and structured environment. Teachers administer a yearly assessment to examine students’ capacity and capability for learning. Using this assessment as a roadmap, they work with each student individually to help support their needs. The Academy is committed to providing an inclusive education, no matter the student’s ability. This represents their ongoing commitment to providing students with the best possible education, regardless of their differences or challenges.
The Academy also has a mentorship program to connect students with leaders who can provide guidance and support, counseling services for students’ emotional and mental well-being, and medical camps to promote the importance of physical health. Extracurricular activities like yoga, sports, music, and dance add a more comprehensive learning approach beyond academics. These activities offer a creative and physical outlet that supports holistic development, nurturing leadership, independence, and resilience to help children build a strong foundation for future opportunities. Having access to these services, which they otherwise wouldn’t, Fr. Johnson explains, changes the children’s lives.
The Academy dedicates great effort to providing quality education to as many students as possible. To accommodate more students this year, they have added 16 new classrooms! Additionally, the Academy is proud of its low fees, which allow low-income families to give their children the opportunity for education to help their future. Additionally, families still unable to afford the low fees are given a free education. They are more committed to giving children a chance at an education than earning a profit.
To promote Salesian Spirituality, each classroom has a Salesian Corner. In this corner, every student writes one virtue on a sticky note and places it under a picture of St. Francis. This helps to promote the continual practice of virtue. Fr. Johnson describes commonly seeing the virtues of gentleness, love, care, and humility while the students proudly place their notes on the wall. St. Francis writes, “Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing is so gentle as real strength” (S IV 9).
At (or in) Salesian Corner, students actively engage in self-reflection and are reminded daily that practicing kindness and humility is a powerful way to navigate life. The Academy reinforces the Salesian belief that true strength is found in kindness, patience, and compassion.
De Sales Academy is trying to expand its operations and open a second location, about half an hour's drive from its current campus since they are At the campus right now, they are operating at max capacity. Opening a new location will provide more opportunities for students. The second reason is that around 200 to 300 students at the current campus come from the state where the new location will be. This will allow the academy to divert these students to the campus closer to their homes and open new spaces for students in the vicinity of their current location. Overall, this will allow them to continue their mission of helping as many students as possible.
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