“Parents should train their children to be true to God under all circumstances and in all places. They should surround them with influence that tends to strengthen character. With such a training, children, when sent away to school, will not be a cause of disturbance or anxiety. They will be a support to their teachers and an example and encouragement to their fellow pupils. Counsels on Parents, Teachers and Students p. 150
On July 09&10, 2023, many parents, teachers and students gathered at Spicer Adventist University auditorium for a conference conducted by Southern Asia Division Education department. Expanding the boundaries of learning in partnership with teachers, students and parents was the central theme of this meeting.
The principal goal of the conference was to re-vision the future of Adventist Education in Southern Asia Division. The importance of connecting the three stake holders i.e., parents teachers and students to come together to reap the maximum benefit of holistic education was discussed at length.
The speakers of the conference included: Dr Edison Samraj, Education director, SUD, Dr G Immanuel, ICSE Council chair, Dr Santhosh Mishra, Living Though director, Dr Priyanshu Shinde, Visitant director, Pr Paulmoney, Stewardship director, Mrs Rosenita Christo, Home & Family director, Mr Srikanth Shendikay, SUD, Dr Bhaskar Pai, Funtodo founder, Mr Karthik, WriteWiz director and Dr Austin, Living Springs director.
The challenges in Adventist education
Dr Edison Samraj, Education director, SUD, presented a paper on the 3-fold challenge of Adventist education in Southern Asia Division.
The 3-fold challenges are
- The integration of faith in the learning process
- Developing a triangular partnership between parents, teachers, and students to make learning more effective
- To create platforms of knowledge to make the learning experience holistic
Redemptive education was the central focus of his presentation.
Impact of pressure of academic success on the mental health of students
The other widely appreciated presentation was made by Shrikant Shendikay. The students, guests listened in rapt attention as he made a presentation on the impact of academics on mental health of the students. Many students were able to relate to this presentation.
According to a case study presented by TimesNow on World Mental Health Day 2022, 81% of Indian students are victims of depression due to pressures they face to succeed in their academic lives. This alarming statistic highlights the need to address the issue of academic success while also prioritizing the mental health of students.
In order to tackle this challenge effectively, it is crucial to foster collaboration between parents and teachers, he said. It is imperative to create a supportive environment that promotes both academic success and mental well-being among students.
The key objectives of this session were:
- Helping parents and teachers understand the importance of creating a supportive home and school environment where open communication is encouraged – emphasizing the need to balance both academic success and mental well-being
- Provide parents and teachers with strategies to support students’ academic success while safeguarding their mental well-being – ensuring a holistic approach to education.
- Promote teamwork among parents, educators, and health professionals – emphasizing the need for comprehensive approaches that prioritize both academic success and the mental wellbeing of students
The strategies that will help achieve these objectives are listed below:
- Foster open communication
- Support Organizational Skills
- Balance academic success and Mental well-being
- Establish routines and structure
- Collaborate with Educators
- Promote self-care and self-expression
Health professionals
Implementing these strategies will help parents and teachers to work together to create a supportive environment that nurtures the students’ academic success while prioritizing their mental well-being, he concluded.
To close the conference the following resolutions were adopted:
- SUD Education department resolved to partner with Resilient Learning International to provide digital motivational courses for the teachers, students and parents
- To organize educational tours regularly
- To bring back traditional games into the school system
The issues that led to a broken blueprint of the Adventist educational system need to be addressed. The emergence of the church as a spiritual entity to foster a culture of Salvation is an argument that needs to be advanced and reinforced among the Adventist educators. The school being a church entity has the same goal of winning people to Christ by presenting Christ in the classrooms – this concept should make a comeback. So Adventist education is eventually redemptive. This is the outcome that the organizers would like to see come out of this conference.
These meetings helped raise awareness of the Church’s redemptive education focus and the role of Adventist education in nurturing students that pass through the portals of our educational institutions, to grow spiritually as well as academically.