A Discussion with Sister Béatrice Ndour, Teacher at the Institute for the Daughters of Christ the King, Mbour, Senegal
With: Béatrice Amy Ndour Berkley Center Profile
July 22, 2015
Background: As
part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student
Sabrina Khan interviewed Sister Béatrice Ndour, a teacher at the Institute for
the Daughters of Christ the King (l'Institut des Filles du Christ Roi), a
Catholic preschool located in Mbour, Senegal. In this interview, conducted in
July 2015, Ndour discusses her views on the Catholic education system and the
role of Catholicism in preschool education.
What do you like the
most about your work?
I experience great joy when I see that students follow and understand their coursework. I also like seeing them form relationships with one another during recreation, or showing their parents what they learned in school during the holidays.
Why you are interested in teaching, and in particular, Catholic education?
Daughters of Christ the King is a congregation dedicated to education. Our founder, Father Joseph Gras, told us in his writings: "Daughters of Christ the King, dedicated to the vocation of education, must exercise it as an apostolate." According to Father Gras, it is education that can transform society. He defined as “a second creation and apostolate.”
In your opinion, what is the importance of a Catholic education for small children?
Each person has the right to know Christ, either explicitly or implicitly. Our founder, Father Gras, says: “Daughters of Christ the King teach light, goodness, and honor in their classrooms, but they also teach by their works. We must clearly illuminate the souls of children and youth and beautify their heart, not only by lessons through books, but also by living examples of virtue ... this is the method they use in all their centers of education.”
What differences are there between Catholic and public preschools?
I think the biggest difference is that, in the Catholic preschools, people take their job as a mission. They have the dedication and especially the concern that their work is of an apostolate, i.e. an explicit or implicit proclamation of the kingdom [of God] and salvation in Jesus Christ and a witness of life. We must also recognize that in school, we are a family. Children need to feel at ease to learn well. “To educate children, you must love them. Love teaches you to teach,” said our founder.
Are there Muslim children in your preschool? If so, why do you think their parents chose Catholic schools?
Muslim children are the most numerous in the school. Parents enroll them here because they know that our work is serious, and that the children are well cared-for; and they are not merely instructed, but educated. Many parents are proud to say anywhere that they studied in a Catholic school.
I experience great joy when I see that students follow and understand their coursework. I also like seeing them form relationships with one another during recreation, or showing their parents what they learned in school during the holidays.
Why you are interested in teaching, and in particular, Catholic education?
Daughters of Christ the King is a congregation dedicated to education. Our founder, Father Joseph Gras, told us in his writings: "Daughters of Christ the King, dedicated to the vocation of education, must exercise it as an apostolate." According to Father Gras, it is education that can transform society. He defined as “a second creation and apostolate.”
In your opinion, what is the importance of a Catholic education for small children?
Each person has the right to know Christ, either explicitly or implicitly. Our founder, Father Gras, says: “Daughters of Christ the King teach light, goodness, and honor in their classrooms, but they also teach by their works. We must clearly illuminate the souls of children and youth and beautify their heart, not only by lessons through books, but also by living examples of virtue ... this is the method they use in all their centers of education.”
What differences are there between Catholic and public preschools?
I think the biggest difference is that, in the Catholic preschools, people take their job as a mission. They have the dedication and especially the concern that their work is of an apostolate, i.e. an explicit or implicit proclamation of the kingdom [of God] and salvation in Jesus Christ and a witness of life. We must also recognize that in school, we are a family. Children need to feel at ease to learn well. “To educate children, you must love them. Love teaches you to teach,” said our founder.
Are there Muslim children in your preschool? If so, why do you think their parents chose Catholic schools?
Muslim children are the most numerous in the school. Parents enroll them here because they know that our work is serious, and that the children are well cared-for; and they are not merely instructed, but educated. Many parents are proud to say anywhere that they studied in a Catholic school.
Opens in a new window