As a member of the Xavier University community, XUGS shares the same Ignatian values integrated in the Characteristics of Jesuit Education which stem from the world-view of St. Ignatius. The Philosophy of Education of XUGS embraces the following:
Education as Centered in Our Lord Jesus Christ
XUGS strives to make each learner realize that his or her origin, nature, and destiny emanates from God. All other realities find their meaning and importance in so far as it leads him or her to God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, this God has entered human history and enters into the personal history of each individual to lead each individual and collectively into the fullness of life in the Holy Spirit. For the learners and the rest of the XUGS community, Our Lord Jesus Christ then is made as the Model for human life in His total obedience and surrender to the Father’s will.
Education as On-going Creation
XUGS develops in each learner St. Ignatius’ world-view of the essential goodness of the world, finding God in the entire creation and the realization that he or she is an unfinished product of God’s creation. Endowed with unique gifts found within, he or she is called upon to work with his or her Creator in bringing his or her creation to perfection. He or she becomes more perfect with every human decision he or she makes, with every intelligent use of freedom, with every acceptance of grace offered in our Lord Jesus Christ.
As a social being, man is called to live and grow in a community of men. Using ways appropriate to the pupil’s developmental stage, he or she is called upon to develop in a two-fold manner: to be constantly self-discerning or reflective with great trust on divine providence while being actively involved in the daily activities of his or her community and to contribute to the perfection of others to help build, in a small way, a world where justice and peace, brotherhood and joy prevail.
Education as a Life-long Process
XUGS realizes that education is a lifelong process, a process of assisting the pupils achieve the harmonious development of their physical, moral, spiritual, and intellectual endowment in relation to their ultimate goal which is to become young boys and girls for others who will live not for themselves but for God and His Christ.
The role of the school then, is to provide our pupils who are entrusted to our care with a favorable environment for learning where they can learn how to develop the ability to critically choose what is best for them and what Christian is. XUGS helps each pupil to learn how to learn and to gain the interest to continue learning all throughout their lives, even after their formal schooling.
Education as a Collaborative Endeavor Between the School and Home
Education of our pupils is a cooperative enterprise of the school and of the home. This is especially important in the Pre-School and Grade School levels when the pupils need a lot of support physically, emotionally and psychologically from their parents and other mature models - their teachers. It is the primary concern of parents “to create a family atmosphere so animated with love and reverence for God and men that a well-rounded personal and social development will be fostered among the children.”
XUGS believes that without proper guidance and motivational support from parents, the learning process of our pupils often runs the risk of stagnation or failure. XUGS, therefore, set much importance on a close cooperation between the school and the home in the education of our learners.