School in Northeast of Brazil Practices Seicho-No-Ie’s Education Principle
School Very Popular
In Maxaranguape City, Rio Grande do Norte State in the Northeast of Brazil, there is a school which practices Seicho-No-Ie’s education and there is no end to the people who want to enter.
Called Centro de Educasao Integrada de Maracajau (Maracajau General Education Center), the school is run by the City in partnership with Seicho-No-Ie Brazil Missionary Headquarters. The Brazil Missionary Headquarters oversees the management and education of the school.
The school accepts students aged 6-16 (elementary and middle school age group in Japan) and offers nine years of the first and latter half of the elementary school education. At present there are 273 students and 21 teachers.
This school was established by a member of the Seicho-No-Ie Brazil Prosperity Society, who was running a resort facility on the beach in the coastal area of the State of Maracajau. The children of his local employees were too poor to attend school, their literacy rate was low, and there were also drugs and other social problems. Therefore, he strongly felt the need for education and founded the school in 2002.
In 2007, the man sold his management rights for the resort facility to change his line of business. Regarding the management of the school, he consulted the Brazil Missionary Headquarters. At the Headquarters’ general assembly held in November 2008, it was decided to become involved in the school’s management with the aim to make it a model school to practice Seicho-No-Ie’s education. The resolution went into effect, as of January 2009.
The school has the “Recognition Day,” when all students gather in the athletic field and recite, “I recognize that my inner self is a child of God!” and the “Praise Day,” when they praise one another. These days are set alternately. The school practices Seicho-No-Ie’s education and is showing great results, such as improvement in the students’ attitude and the kinds of words they use.
The principal of the school, Ms. Olga Maria de Melo (Regional Lecturer), commented, “Our school sees the True Image of the students and their parents, believes in their divinity and tries to bring out their infinite potential.”
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“From before I always wanted to have a place to practice Seicho-No-Ie’s education. We have been given a most appropriate school. The school is being highly praised for its excellent results. This is actual proof that Seicho-No-Ie is wonderful. I am very pleased.”