Customer Reviews

Educational Philosophy of Saint John Bosco

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Morrison provides a very thorough and scholarly explanation of St. John Bosco's Preventive System. Very little information is available on Don Bosco and Morrison's book is a very welcome contribution and a refeshing and moral alternative to John Dewey's philosophy. Don Bosco's Preventive system is based on the Christian concept of Faith, Hope, and Love which Don Bosco terms Reason, Religion and Kindness. Basically, Bosco describes a learner-centered pedagogy in which the teacher's duty is to discipline through affection, be present among his students, keep the students interested, active and tailor the curriculum to the students' needs and interests. A big part of what students' need is religion and guidelines on how to behave and this is Don Bosco's significant difference from other philosophers like Dewey. The Preventive System offers a learner-centered method that prepares students not only for their professional life in adult society but also helps students acquire Christian ideals and virtues. In this day and age when there is an obvious need to teach traditional morality in schools again, Morrison's description of Don Bosco's methods is a timely reintroduction of a well-tried method. This book should appeal to those looking for an alternative to the atheistic philosophy of John Dewey, anyone interested in Catholic education, or educators looking for a moral and learner-centred approach to education.