Philosophy, history, and pedagogy: unfolding Don Bosco’s preventive method in the present Indian educational landscape

Abstract

St John Bosco, popularly known as Don Bosco, was an educator of the nineteenth century. His educational system, the Preventive method, is his best-known endeavour among the numerous ground-breaking efforts at forming the youth of his time. This method of educating young people was radical considering the time and his contemporary educators. This article attempts to study the history and the philosophy of the Preventive method of education. The authors also explore the foundation and history of this method, investigate its three components, namely, reason, religion, and loving-kindness, and offer a brief history of the educational scenario of India. The authors conclude by looking at how the preventive method is incorporated into the present educational setup of India, reflecting its relevance in the current educational framework.