The Don Bosco School Excellence Mission (DBSEM) Principals’ Meet was held on 23 January 2026 at Mario Hall, Provincial House, Panbazar, Guwahati, bringing together Principals of Salesian institutions under the Province of Mary Help of Christians, Guwahati. The meet, centred on the theme “Children Against Child Abuse (CACA),” focused on strengthening the Salesian commitment to child protection, value-based education, and holistic formation of the young.
Addressing the gathering, Fr Sebastian Kuricheal SDB, Provincial, strongly reaffirmed the mission and educational vision of the Salesians. He reminded the Principals that the core of the Salesian mission is “to be educators of the young in order to form them to be honest citizens.” Highlighting the context of North East India, he noted that the region is blessed with a large number of young people who are searching for a life greater than themselves, and that knowledge, guidance, and accompaniment are essential to help them make meaningful life choices.
Emphasising the heart of Salesian education, Fr Sebastian underlined that children must always remain at the centre of all educational endeavours. He urged educators to live and practise the principles of Don Bosco, especially the Preventive System. “Don Bosco has given us the Preventive System, and no education is possible without the value of love,” he said. Drawing inspiration from the Founder, he added that children in Salesian institutions must be made to feel genuinely loved. Addressing the Principals in particular, he insisted that collaborators and teaching staff should constantly be reminded of their responsibility to care deeply for young people. “By being with the young, we can prevent them from doing wrong things,” he remarked. The Provincial concluded his address by encouraging Principals to be proud of the Salesian system of education and to grow continually in the way education is imparted to the young.
Rev Fr Jayaprakash Anthonimuttu SDB, Economer, spoke on key administrative and safeguarding concerns. He stressed that all Salesian schools must have a clear and well-implemented Child Protection Policy, and that appointment letters of newly recruited staff should mandatorily include this policy. Highlighting the leadership role of Principals, he reminded them that their responsibility extends beyond office work. “The role of the Principal is not only to sit on the chair, but to walk around and see the day-to-day running of the school,” he said. He further informed the gathering that by the end of the scholastic year, all schools should move towards online collection of fees, sale of books, and related services.
The session also benefited from the inputs of the resource person, Mr Pradeep, who addressed issues related to child protection in the school context, in keeping with the theme of the meet. The programme was sponsored by Madhuban Publishers, whose support was gratefully acknowledged.
Rev Fr Alex Kattakayam SDB, Coordinator of DBSEM, formally welcomed Fr Sebastian Kuricheal, the resource person, and all the Principals, expressing gratitude for their presence and active participation. The Principals’ Meet served as a timely reminder of the Salesian commitment to a loving, preventive, and value-based educational approach, rooted deeply in the charism and spirit of Don Bosco.
