Saint Ignatius Loyola, the Founder of the Society of Jesus, discerned education as a means for transforming the world. Education institutions are viewed as places where "learning and living" improves for those who teach and those who are taught. Since the opening of the first Jesuit school in 1547 at Messina, Sicily, in Italy, the intention has always been to form men and women for and with others-individuals who will go out into the world inspired by a profound sense of justice, compassion, and a relentless pursuit of truth.

The aim of Jesuit Education is to equip students with the tools to navigate the growing complexity of modern life, to confront questions of meaning and purpose, and to place credence in faith, justice, service and love. Saint Ignatius saw education as a means of transforming the world. While Jesuits educate for faith, we also ensure that this resonates strongly with the challenges and opportunities of our contemporary world. Central to that vision is to stay acutely attuned to the changing profile of a 21st-century student educated in our tradition.

A young person is envisioned as who embodies the principles of the "Magis" - striving for excellence with depth, embracing challenges and constantly seeking to grow. Such a student is characterised by intellectual curiosity, a global perspective, and a commitment to social justice. A 21st century student educated in Jesuit tradition possesses a breadth of knowledge and skills, as well as the ability to adapt in a rapidly changing world. Jesuit education helps learners to venture out into the world as transformative individuals, reshaping their own families and society as they play a role in determining the future of their nations.

In 1551, Fr. Polanco was instructed to write a letter to the provincial superior of the Portuguese Jesuits outlining Ignatius’ vision for establishing schools, wherein he wrote:

From those who are at present merely students, in time some will depart to play diverse roles – one to preach and carry on the care of souls, another to the government of the land and the administration of justice, and others to other occupations. Finally, since young boys become grown men, their good education in life and doctrine will be beneficial to many others, with the fruit expanding more widely every day (Ganss, 1956).

Saint Ignatius was overseeing 35 Jesuit Colleges at the time of his death in 1556. The Jesuits were conducting 640 secondary schools in various parts of the world by 1773, as well as 176 seminaries for the training of priests and 15 universities.

In 1583, the fourth Father General Claudius Aquaviva commissioned six Jesuit education experts to produce the first draft of a document known as the Ratio Studiorum—“a manual of practice on how to conduct a class, what courses were to be taught year by year in the Jesuit schools, what classroom method was to be like, what books were to be used, what authors were to be treated” (The Jesuit Mystique, 1995). Withits final publication in 1599, Jesuits effectively established the first education system across the world.

Jesuit Education draws its inspiration from the life of Ignatius, the Constitutions of the Society and the best practices in vogue at that time. These last mentioned were put together in what is known as The Ratio Studiorum of 1599. The Ratio gives Jesuit schools a vision and a system that bound them together into a unity and infused a sense of purpose in what was being done in Jesuit schools all over the world. It earned the Jesuits the nickname, "the great schoolmasters of Europe". As a system it was in use for two centuries, but its influence was felt for 500 years.

Due to increased governmental involvement in education, it has become impossible to have one common system for Jesuit schools all over the world. However, a strong need was felt all over the Society to have a common vision in spite of local differences in the way education may be imparted. Accordingly in 1986 December, Fr. General, Peter Hans Kolvenhach, promulgated "The Characteristics of Jesuit Education". It was meant to do for our times what the Ratio did in the 16th and 17th centuries, namely, give a vision and mission to Jesuit Education. There are eight major characteristics that define Jesuit education: Person-oriented, Integral, Value-based, Pursuing Excellence, Adapting for Relevance, Towards a Just Society, Participative, and Faith-inspired. However, vision and mission alone are not enough. The teacher wanted the wherewithal to make the Characteristics come alive in the classroom and in the daily life of the school. Accordingly, in 1993, the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE) prepared the Ignatian Pedagogy Process (IPP) to introduce into the classroom and school life an Ignatian Way of Teaching and Administering. The IPP draws its inspiration from the dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises and has five important elements: Context, Experience, Reflection, Action and Evaluation. These are now applied to the ministry of teaching and learning.

As per the data of ICAJE, Jesuit Education is offered in over 79 countries in 2024 providing access to 17,05,974 students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Jesuit Education reaches out to over 3452 schools that focus their education towards the poorest and most marginalised people, particularly in parts of South America and South Asia. There are 22 Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) education projects offered across 19 countries. Moreover, 1791 Jesuits work alongside over 10,000 staff to educate nearly two million people.

 

Coverage of Jesuit Global Network of Schools

Formal Education
Conference/Network	Schools	Students	Jesuits	Other Faculty	Countries
Africa & Madagascar - JASBEAM	59	44,759	194	3134	17
Asia Pacific – JCAP Education	44	70,563	118	5971	10
Europe - JECSE	225	174,372	145	16,113	21
Latin America - FLACSI	96	130,588	242	10,049	17
North America - JSN	91	55,800	196	8354	4
South Asia – JEASA	422	412,245	826	14,140	3
Total	937	888,327	1721	57,761	72
Network	Schools	Students	Jesuits	Other Faculty	Countries
Fe y Alegria	2127	589,429	57	41,961	22
Jesuit Refugee Service	388	228,218	13	3662	19
Total	2515	817,647	70	45,623	41
JGNS	Schools	Students	Jesuits	Other Faculty	Countries
Jesuit Global Network of Schools	3452	17,05,974	1791	103,384	79
Total (Formal Education)	3452	17,05,974	1791	103,384	79

 

Non-formal Education
Network	Non-formal Education Projects	Beneficiaries and Students
Fe y Alegria	255	143,256
Jesuit Refugee Service	22	13,442
Total	277	156,698

Source: Secretariat for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education,  Society of Jesus, Rome, 7 May 2024.