The Colloquium of Jesuit School Board Members was held in Cebu, Philippines on August 3 – 6. There were 47 participants coming from Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Philippines, Micronesia, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia and Indonesia. More than half of them are lay.

Fr Thomas Roach, the Society’s Secretary for Education, gave a talk about the challenges which the Jesuit schools are facing today. Mr. Neville Harpham, from Australia, shared his experiences in his many years of involvement in the board of Jesuit schools, and now as member of the Council of Education of the Australian Province. Fr Adolfo Nicolás guided the participants in several sessions to reflect about good education and the characteristic of Jesuit Education. Fr Nicolás followed the Japanese version, which is an application of the Characteristics of Jesuit Education in an Asian Context.

Fr Eric Velandria, Director of Sacred Heart Jesuit High School, as the local host, successfully mixed the seriousness of the meeting with an entertainment of Philippine cultural performances. At the end, most of the participants expressed that this kind of reflection on good education can become a source of inspiration for developing Jesuit educational institutions. As a souvenir, the participants were given a CD containing all funny pictures and the Powerpoint presentation of Fr Nicolás.