Education

EDUCATING YOUNG ONES FOR LIFE IS SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR’S PRIORITY

As the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur all over the world participate in the liberating mission of Christ through the apostolate of education especially for young women and poor children, the sisters in Nigeria unit are not left behind.

Our pupils are taught assertiveness and self-confidence.  Most of our pupils could stand out in the public boldly to deliver a message and read without fear.

Moreover, our pupils are taught to care for the earth by avoiding any kind of environmental pollution. The school has provided some waste bin at every corner of the school in order to help the pupils dispose properly.

 

EDUCATION SUMMIT

Thirteen Nigerian SND Educators attended National Education Summit

By Sr. Christiana Sidi, SNDdeN

The director of education, Sr. Christiana Sidi, SNDdeN along with twelve SNDdeN head teachers of the Nigeria province, had the privilege of participating in the just concluded 3^rd National Education Summit attended by over a thousand participants. The summit was organized by the Education Unit of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria from 15^th-18^th October, 2018 at Durumi, Abuja, Nigeria.

I have no doubt that, the papers presented at this summit and the experiences we gathered there will go a long way to help us improve the quality of educational services that we give in our schools, as Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. It becomes even more imperative in our chaotic and degenerating society today, that every SND school is rooted in proclaiming God’s goodness, especially among the impoverished, marginalized and abused in any form.  We will continue to strive to “teach the children whatever they need for life” in our schools by living the hallmarks and characteristics of St. Julie’s philosophy of education.

The aim of the summit was to remind Catholic educators and their stake holders of the Church’s mission to go and teach all nations (:28:19). The speakers also challenged the participants to respect the dignity of young people wholistically and protect them from all forms of abuse. The Chairman of the Education Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) Most Rev. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo, admonished catholic educators “to dig out best ways to help redirect the course of education through the Church in Nigeria, especially by creating a secure environment for children”. We were equally encouraged to make the catholic ethos visible and alive in all Catholic schools.

The theme of the summit: Catholic Education in Nigeria: Challenges of Child Protection and Human Sexuality was extensively discussed. A keynote address was delivered by His grace, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso of Kaduna Archdiocese. Relevant and contemporary issues affecting our schools and society were treated by erudite and versatile scholars. They include: Impact of New Media on Adolescent Sexual Activities and Behaviour of Students in Nigeria, Legal Implications of Child Abuse and Catholic Institutions, Catholic Ethos as the Foundation for Ideal School Leadership: A Contemporary Challenge, and School Health Program for Catholic Schools: Strategy for Safeguarding Educability and National Productivity. Group discussions were also used to engage participants.

As C.P. Varkey SJ, the renowned educationist and counselor asserted,

“Many factors contribute to good education. We will need more facilities in our schools and classrooms, less crowded classrooms, better text books, lighter work-load for teachers. We will make progress in the area of teaching aids making use of modern technology. Even if all these were available, the role of the teacher in education will remain paramount. He or she alone can create the congenial climate for learning”.

My sincere hope and prayer for all our schools is that, all Sisters of Notre Dame and their co-teachers can truly help our learners become more humane so that together, we can all witness to the goodness of God in our world. God is indeed good!!!