NT Reporter
Margao
Educators of the Archdiocese Board of Education (ABE), while celebrating All Goa Catholic Educational Institutions Day on Friday, were urged to practise mindful living, particularly in guiding students in the digital age.
To mark the occasion, the ABE organised a programme at Margao where 107 teachers who completed 30 years of service were felicitated for their contribution.
Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province, Fr Pedro Rodrigues, speaking as a chief guest, said, “Our children today are growing in a different world. They live in a digital age where information is abundant but wisdom is less. They are connected to the world through a screen yet sometimes disconnected from their own families and even themselves. But why only children, what about us adults? We live in the era of infinite scrolling. We are more connected than any generation in human history yet we are arguably the most distracted. We are disconnected from self, others, purpose and God.”
Speaking about contemporary challenges, he spoke about digital addiction and constant distraction, anxiety, stress and mental health struggle, pressure to perform and fear of failure, instant gratification, changing family structures and migration, the future of identity and value.
“Many young are silently asking who am I, what is my purpose and does my life matter. This is why education is more relevant today than ever before. We are not only called to prepare students for exams but prepare them for life,” he said.
He told educators that they are not just instructors but mentors, role models and sometimes even a second parent. “A small act of kindness can restore hope to a struggling student,” he said.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, who presided over the event, said education is one of the greatest gifts offered to the young, especially in their growth as social beings.
