Student Reflections About «The Red Chair Project»

This year, St. Aloysius Technical School participates in The Red Chair Project (La Silla Roja) project. In our Ethic course, teachers introduce the international project initiated by the Spanish Jesuit School to the students. Since people’s life Taiwan is quite affluent, each student enjoys a compulsory education in our country. For students, it is hard to imagine that there are many children and young people in the world who do not have the opportunity to study.

We spent two hours in Lenten period, helping students to know the reasons why other students are out of school. Students made red chairs in groups, and there are also many red chairs on campus, in order to allow students to remember the issue of children out of school.

Teachers also encourage students to help children through practical actions by eating less biscuits, drinking less soft drinks in their daily lives, students save money to donate. This action help poor children to go to school, to study and learn a skill. All the teachers in our school also joined the event. Finally, our donation was donated to Caritas. These donations were enough to provide tuition for 10 children for one year.

After The Red Chair project, many students felt very shocked, let them begin to reflect on whether they cherish their education and change their own attitude. Many of the students wrote profound and touching reflections. We believe that this little seed will sprout and thrive in their hearts.

Here are some reflections of St. Aloysius students:

I didn’t like to learn before. When I got home, I started playing. After I heard my teacher introduce that many children who were out of school in the world, I realized that how happy I was. I live in a stable country. I don’t have to fight. I don’t have to work. I don’t have to worry about the next meal. In this world, there are many children who have to take on these things. They want to learn but can’t learn, and they want to have a meal but only hunger waiting for them. It makes me heartbreaking. Therefore, I would like to save my entertainment money and share it with those who need it. Help them to pick up the books and start learning. (鍾協翰,Zhong Xiehan)

 

Red chair project is an ethical subject in our course, I can’t help but reflect on it. I often complain that the study is very hard, and my pressure is so great. I often ask myself a question: how is my life so tired? After knowing this project, I reflect a lot. For them many things are not easy. I began to understand how they feel: they must eager to learn, to know the world. I found that my life is full of happiness. My teacher said that we should not forget those who are often forgotten by world. I will give them my hand. (潘坤呈,Pan Kuncheng)

 

There are more and more children out of school now, I am very happy that I have a school to learn new things, and I also make many new friends at school. We should stop complaining that our school is very bad and thinking that we don’t want to study. Because children who are out of school have no books and no friends, we are very happy enough. I want them to have a book too. So I donate the changes that I get in the supermarket. This is my biggest help. (You are happy, I will be happy too.) If everyone does this, the world will change. Especially rich people, if they help more poor people, money is more than paper. Only money is used in the right place, money can be money. (盧德諺,Lu Deyen)

 

In Taiwan, almost everyone has education. This policy guarantees everyone’s right to education. But not all countries in the world have opportunity. There are many children in backward countries who have never been educated in their lives. They have to go to work at a young age. Girls are even more pitiful. They may be forced to marry a man, 20- to 30-year-old stranger. This makes me very shocked and very sad. The living conditions of these children are very inferior. To say nothing of going to school, the food and clothing can’t be satisfied. All I can do is to cherish my opportunity to go to school. In fact, in addition to donations, I don’t know if I can help them. I hope that I can help these children. Education brings us knowledge, common sense, and international sight. If you are not educated, you will be trapped in a cage like a bird. I hope these children will be able to go to school as happy as we are one day.(賴惠如, Lai Huiru)