Teachers, parents, and students are already on their ‘back to school’ preparations. Business firms seem to be more excited than anybody else:

 “You are one in a million – make your school bag truly yours.”

“Head – to – toe fashion.”

“Find wear-on-repeat faves and sweet first-day looks.”

“We’ve got your back (pack).”

“Teacher, go to the head of the class with styles.”

According to NRF report, ‘Back – to – class’ spending is expected to reach 80.7 billion this year. The cost of shopping per student is $696.70 for grade schoolers and $976.78 for college students.

Parents spend money and students go to school and college with hope of obtaining education. Education comes from the Latin roots: “educare,” which means to train or to mold, and “educere,” meaning to lead out. To ‘bring out’ what is inside and ‘mold’ the student accordingly is the goal of education.

Parents’ sacrifice, teachers’ expertise and students’ intellectual quest and active participation in curricular and extra-curricular activities will mark the quality of the school year. As we welcome students, teachers and parents back to school, we wish them success in their endeavors.

The bell of ‘Back to School Education’ resounds ‘Back to Religious Education’ also. As schools welcome students for education, our church welcomes back students for Religious education.

Religious education teachers are faith-filled volunteers. They are younger and older, so as to accommodate the various age groups of students and suitably teach them about the God we believe in and the Faith we practice.

In 1542 AD when St. Francis Xavier baptized my ancestors in India, they were all illiterate. It was his custom to gather children in the streets by ringing a bell. He would teach them the prayers he had memorized because he himself did not know our language. Then he would ask the children to teach their parents the prayers they had learned.

This year’s curriculum includes greater involvement and investment on the part of parents as “the principal and first educators of their children.” Our teachers will try to involve parents in the faith formation of their children.

Students, plunge into the ocean of education to gather precious pearls of knowledge and wisdom! We wish you all success in all your undertakings! Become better citizens, better humans and better grace-filled persons!