Pius V Thomas
Rome, Nov. 4, 2025 — In an era of rapid technological change and growing educational inequities, a global gathering of Salesian educators in Rome has called for a renewed commitment to participatory learning, spiritual discernment, and synodal governance in higher education.
Held October 27-31 at the Salesian Pontifical University, the conference on Salesian Facilitation in Higher Education brought together some 35 participants from around the world to reflect on how education can become more dialogical, inclusive, and mission-driven. The program was coordinated by Salesian Higher Education Global head Father George Thadathil.
In his keynote address, Salesian Rector Major Father Fabio Attard, former general councillor for Youth Ministry, emphasized that synodality in education must be rooted in communion, participation, and mission—as articulated by Pope Francis.
He urged institutions to move beyond hierarchical governance models and embrace participatory structures where students, faculty, and communities co-create the life of the institution. Synodality, he argued, is not merely a theological concept but a pedagogical imperative.
Participatory learning, now a cornerstone of post-20th-century critical pedagogy, centers the learner through active engagement, peer collaboration, and open dialogue. It resists the systemic indifference and fragmentation that often plague modern education, demanding instead a democratic disposition and the courage to listen, share, and resist market-driven pressures. Service learning, its ethical counterpart, integrates community service with academic instruction, fostering civic responsibility and personal growth.
The conference also revisited foundational insights from critical pedagogues like Paulo Freire, who in Pedagogy of the Oppressed described education as a practice of freedom. Freire’s critique of the banking model of education led to his vision of problem-posing pedagogy—dialogical, humanizing, and emancipatory. He warned against anti-dialogical forces such as conquest, manipulation, and cultural invasion, advocating instead for cooperation, unity, and cultural synthesis.
Nel Noddings, in Education and Democracy in the 21st Century, called for a shift from competition to cooperation, urging educators to embrace ecological cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism, and holistic education. Richard Kahn’s eco-pedagogy, inspired by Vandana Shiva’s “earth democracy,” challenges the instrumentalization of life and calls for a worldview rooted in intimacy, interdependence, and planetary care.
These perspectives gained urgency in light of discussions on the role of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. While AI tools like ChatGPT offer new possibilities, they also risk commodifying learning, replacing human relationships with algorithms, and deepening inequalities. Don Fabio cautioned against allowing AI to fragment human connections, instead proposing its use to enhance synodal processes—facilitating inclusive participation and thematic analysis across diverse communities.
The conference concluded with a reaffirmation of the irreplaceable role of the teacher—not merely as a transmitter of information, but as a relational presence, a spiritual guide, and a democratic facilitator. Education, participants agreed, must be reimagined as a shared journey of meaning-making, rooted in dialogue, spirituality, and justice.
As Father Fabio reminded the gathering, “This requires courage: courage to listen and share, to promote collaborative practices, to offer paths that do not succumb to market pressures, that contradict our mission.” In this spirit, the conference called for a renewed commitment to participatory pedagogy—one that honors the Christian virtuoso, the learner, and the community alike.