SECRETARIAT FOR SECONDARY AND PRE-SECONDARY EDUCATIONSOCIETY OF JESUSRome
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE APOSTOLATEOF JESUIT EDUCATIONICAJEROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EDUCATION DELEGATE
September 2021
In the International Congress of JESEDU-Rio 2017 “the delegates ask the Secretary forEducation and ICAJE to help them define the role of the Education Delegate regarding theexpectations for promoting the Global Network” (Action Statement). Moreover, Fr. General
Sosa wrote a letter to all Major Superiors inviting them “to adopt the set of actions proposedin the Action Statement as fundamental directions for the development and consolidation ofthe educational apostolate in your Provinces and Regions” (December 18, 2017).
As a response to both requests the Secretariat for Secondary and Pre-secondary Education
and ICAJE (International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education) present now
some reflections, recommendations, and expectations on the role of the provincial delegate.
During JESEDU-Rio 2017 the participants agreed that the Province Education Delegate is not
only responsible for the local network of Jesuit schools in one’s Province/Region, but also coresponsible for building the regional and global networks. We also agreed that it would be
helpful to clarify the role and responsibilities of the Education Delegate as co-responsible forthe global network.
Through a survey (in three languages), we have consulted a total of 55 Education Delegatesfrom the six regions and discerned with them these questions: How do we proceed on this
together? How do we build or strengthen the global network together?
We have invited the Education Delegates to reflect on three relationships that impact theirrole and work of the Province Education Delegate:(a) the Provincial/Regional Superior,(b) the schools in their local network, andRoles and Responsibilities of the Education Delegate(c) the Conference Education Delegates (i.e., the members of ICAJE).
While there is a great diversity among our Education Delegates, we have culled the more
important roles and responsibilities, as well as identify the support that we hope to arrange
for them. We now present them to the consideration of provincials, provincial delegates andconference delegates.
Roles and Responsibilities(These are recommendations based on the best practices discerned by ICAJE)
Towards a PROVINCIAL
To act as the Provincial’s adviser regarding the Secondary and Presecondary school
apostolates.
Some of the best practices in this regard are:
1. To play a key role in appointments of the Directors of Work of the schools according to
the customs and legal frameworks of each province.
2. To serve as the Provincial’s liaison for communicating with the schools.
3. To maintain good communication and coordination with the local Jesuit communities
involved in the schools.
4. To support the companion schools of the provinces, where such exist. To help theprovincial to have a clear MOU with them and support them so that they can really
become companions in missions as Fr. General has explained in his letter to All Major
Superiors Schools Companions in Mission of September 17, 2020.
5. To build the school network in the Province/Conference by:••

Coordinating efforts for common projects with the Conference network
Leading or assisting in the crafting of the strategic plan for the province
education ministry (very important function but, according to experience, it
requires a clear mandate from the Provincial to do so).

6. To promote safeguarding, at all levels of the schools as an important dimension of
our holistic education today, making sure that schools do have the necessary

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protocols and ongoing training programs to create and maintain a culture ofsafeguarding in the schools.
Towards SCHOOLS
1. Conducting “Sponsorship Reviews” (practice suggests at least one every 5 years) ofschools for some kind of accreditation, sponsorship or confirmation as was agreed bythe Delegates during the Congress JESEDU-Rio 2017 and confirmed by Fr. General in hisletter to all Major Superiors on December 18, 2017
2. To exercise influence over the school heads--and when possible or desirable, oversightof the schools based on authority delegated from the Provincial--provided this oversightis done not so much in the manner of an inspector, but in the manner of an apostolic
supporter and ally.
These are some of the possible ways the influence can be exercised:○○○

Meeting regularly/annually with school leadership.
Receiving regular (at least annual) reports from schools from a templateapproved by the provincial.
Playing a key role in appointments of Directors of Work as possible according
to the legal frameworks of schools and provinces.

3. Promoting the mission and identity of Jesuit schools by:○○

Serving as an ex officio member at school boards or as the Provincial’s
representative--or alternatively, sitting in on the board meetings. May also
simply be a resource person for identifying possible board members. In
provinces that the number of schools is too great for just one delegate analternative arrangement can be found. The important element here is thatthe delegate has a clear way to connect to the legal structure of the schools.
Offering key staff formation programs for the schools, and/or building andsupporting teams that offer such formation.

Towards CONFERENCE DELEGATE and the JESUIT GLOBAL NETWORK of SCHOOLS
1. To serve as the primary liaison between the schools and the CONFERENCE Delegate,
ICAJE and the Secretariat for Education of the General Curia.
2. To support conference and global events (e.g., Staff Workshops on the conference level,
the Global Gatherings: Colloquium, Seminar, Congress) by encouraging school

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participation and his/her active involvement.
3. To attend regular meetings of the Education Delegates at the Conference level.
4. To contribute to building the global network by:○

Encouraging school participation in Educate Magis events and activities.

○

Promote active participation of the schools and their leadership teams in thecycles of global gatherings: Colloquia, Seminars and Congresses supported by
the Secretariat and ICAJE.

○Attending the International Delegates’ Congress.

○Promoting the Jesuit Global Network of Schools in the activities and eventsof their local networks by promoting among the schools a philosophy and asense of being part of a global network.

○

Active participation in building a Jesuit global identity among their schoolsand their educators.

○

Use of the contemporary documents that define Jesuit Education Today:
Characteristics (1986), Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach (1993),
Human Excellence (2015) and A Living Tradition (2019).
Support Needed

What will undoubtedly be helpful to our Education Delegates is a clear mandate from theirProvincial about their role and the authority delegated to them. ICAJE respectfully asks
provincials to offer delegates of education a written document with some concrete
guidelines, a description of his/her role, adequate resources and a well-defined mandate
toward the schools. ICAJE believes that this present document offers some important anduseful recommendations that can assist provincials in this important task.
The Education Delegates also need some sufficient resources to be able to carry out their
responsibilities effectively. Among the resources made available to Education Delegates indifferent parts of the world that have proved to be necessary to carry on their mission are:● Budget from the Province and/or based on School Contribution.

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Roles and Responsibilities of the Education Delegate● Staff/Personnel: Size, dedicated exclusively to this office or shared, and whether fulltime or part-time, to be decided per Province and according to the size of thenetwork and her/his responsibilities.
● Office Space, when needed.
Some Questions for the Discussion of the Delegates
1. Aside from the diversity of how our work is done, what else have you learned fromthis description of the roles and responsibilities of your fellow Education Delegatesfrom around the world that can help you in carrying out your role in your Province,in your Conference and in the Global Network?
2. What area or aspect of your work can you explore--perhaps with your Provincial--toenable you to serve your mission more effectively?
3. Given your context, what concrete course of action and what types of support would
help you perform your work more effectively?
4. Do you have any suggestions for the Secretariat of Education or ICAJE to improve thisdocument and make the work of the delegate more apostolically effective? Pleasewrite to jesedu-dir@sjcuria.org
September 9, on the feast of St. Peter Claver SJ, Patron of Human Rights, 2021
*Original Version English

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