In times when information is one click away, it is important to remember the essence of education, and to distinguish the difference between teaching our children and educating them.

Whereas teaching usually relies on stating facts and presenting content, educating focuses on inspiring to acquire knowledge, skills, abilities, implanting the eagerness to learn, while stressing great values of respect, critical thinking, empathy, and most importantly kindness.

Why do I always emphasize kindness? It is because, year after year, I have noticed major loss of compassion toward others, absence of belonging to our community, excessive reliance on–if not addiction to–social media, and regression in human interactions, loving human interactions which are the foundation of our Christian life.

Once we instil true Christian love in our students, our society will be a better place to live in. Learning to love themselves first, by accepting themselves as they are, forgiving themselves for their mistakes, and then learning from them, will automatically lead them to love their neighbours, understand them, and empathize with them.

Imagine what a wonderful world it would be, once our children Learn to Love, and how happy and fulfilled they would be once they Love to Learn.