Over one million students around the world who attend Lasallian schools are celebrating the feast of St John Baptist De La Salle, the patron saint of educators. De La Salle dedicated his life to the education of the poor and in Malta there are three Lasallian schools which, during the last 100 years, have given impeccable service in the provision of quality education to pupils and students of different levels and abilities. These are De La Salle College, Stella Maris College and St Benild School.

St John Baptist De La Salle was born into a world very different from our own.

He was the first son of wealthy parents living in France over 300 years ago.

Born at Reims, De la Salle was named Canon of Reims Cathedral at the age of 16. Although he had to assume the administration of family affairs after his parents died, he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on 9 April 1678.

Two years later he received a doctorate in theology.

Meanwhile, he became tentatively involved with a group of rough and barely literate young men in order to establish schools for poor boys.

At that time, few people lived in luxury, and most people were extremely poor: peasants in the country and slum dwellers in the towns.

Only a few could afford to send their children to school and most children had little hope for the future.

Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so “far from salvation” either in this world or the next, De La Salle determined to put his own talents and advanced education at the service of the children “often left to themselves and badly brought up”.

To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools. His enterprise met opposition from the ecclesiastical authorities who resisted the creation of a new form of religious life, a community of consecrated laymen to conduct gratuitous schools “together and by association”.

The educational establishment resented his innovative methods and his insistence on gratuity for all, regardless of whether they could afford to pay.

Nevertheless De La Salle and his Brothers succeeded in creating a network of quality schools throughout France that featured instruction in the vernacular, students grouped according to ability and achievement, integration of religious instruction with secular subjects, well-prepared teachers with a sense of vocation and mission, and the involvement of parents.

In addition, De La Salle pioneered programmes for the training of lay teachers, Sunday courses for young working men, and one of the first institutions in France for the care of delinquents. Worn out by austerity and exhausting labours, he died at Saint Yon near Rouen early in 1719 on Good Friday, only weeks before his 68th birthday.

John Baptist De La Salle was a pioneer in founding training colleges for teachers, reform schools for delinquents, technical schools and secondary schools for modern languages, arts and sciences.

His work quickly spread through France and, after his death, continued to spread across the globe.

In 1900, John Baptist de La Salle was declared a saint. In 1950, because of his life and inspirational writings, he was made the patron saint of all those who work in the field of education. John Baptist de La Salle inspired others in the way of teaching and caring for young people, how to meet failure and frailty with compassion, how to affirm, strengthen and heal.

Today St La Salle is still a source of inspiration for many educators around the world, an inspiration in the way education should be provided to the youth and to children with special needs. Lasallian schools are still found in 80 countries around the world.

Reference

www.lasalle2.org.

Kenneth Vella is media officer at De La Salle College, Cottonera