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Hyderabad

Educators Explore Participatory Models to Strengthen Salesian Education

2 September 2026

News reported by: Fr Thomas Aquinas SDB

Forty-one educators from schools and colleges across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and South Odisha took part in a three-day workshop on “Participatory Models of Education” at Don Bosco Provincial House, Hyderabad, from August 27 to 29.

Sponsored by IUS and the Youth Ministry Department of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Rome, the workshop aimed to help educators move beyond conventional educational approaches towards participatory processes centred on dialogue, discernment, shared decision-making and collective action.

Envisaged by Fr George Thadathil SDB, the initiative sought to strengthen participatory practices within Salesian educational institutions. It brought educators together to learn methodologies applicable to classrooms, staff teams, institutional planning, and youth animation.

The sessions were facilitated by Dr Tomy Kallerakkal, Dean, School of Commerce, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru; Fr (Dr) Maria Antony Raj SDB, Secretary, Don Bosco Higher Education India (DBHEI); and resource persons from Rome. Together, they combined conceptual presentations with practical exercises, enabling participants to experience participatory learning rather than merely study its principles.

A major feature of the workshop was its experiential approach. Participants engaged with four participatory methodologies — World Café, Open Space Technology, Technology of Participation (ToP), and Liberating Structures.

World Café encouraged participants to examine key questions through small-group conversations, while Open Space Technology allowed them to identify issues of concern and lead discussions around them. Through ToP, participants learnt structured processes for moving from observation and reflection to interpretation and decision-making. Liberating Structures then introduced practical ways to ensure broader participation and to allow every member of a group to contribute.

These methodologies were then applied to contemporary educational challenges and the changing needs of young people. Discussions focused on student engagement, institutional culture, communication, leadership, participation, and the creation of educational environments in which young people experience a greater sense of belonging and ownership.

Participants also examined the realities and concerns emerging within educational institutions of the Salesian Province of St Joseph, Hyderabad. Through structured conversations and collaborative exercises, they identified priority areas and developed a practical roadmap to strengthen the Province's educational mission, giving the workshop a clear set of outcomes.

The participation of educators from both schools and higher education institutions added diversity to the discussions. As a result, experiences from different geographical, social and educational contexts enabled participants to identify common challenges as well as needs specific to particular institutions and communities.

The final phase of the workshop focused on translating learning into institutional action. Accordingly, participants and institutional teams identified concrete measures they could implement in their respective settings, highlighting the workshop's outcomes.

The organisers said the workshop sought to promote not merely new facilitation techniques but a broader approach to educational leadership based on listening, inclusion, dialogue, shared responsibility and collective ownership. As a result, continued sharing and follow-up among participants are expected to support the exchange of experiences, resources and practices as institutions implement the approaches explored during the workshop.