To teach students the spirit of using education to serve the less-privileged, Calcutta University has granted permission to Loreto College to introduce a short-term course on ‘service-learning and leadership’.

The course will be conducted in collaboration with International Partnership for Service- Learning and Leadership (IPSL), an organisation of educationists from American universities.

Once implemented in August, Calcutta will be the first city in the country to launch such a course in collaboration with the IPSL.

England, Scotland, Japan, Austria, Italy, China, France, Myanmar and Thailand are some other countries where the course is already under progress.

“The focus of the IPSL course is to reach out to the deprived through committed service. This ideal is similar to the essence of Loreto education,” explained Loreto College principal Tina Farias. “We are grateful to Calcutta University for giving us the necessary permission to run the course,” she added.

Students are thrilled, as the course will provide them scope for exchange programmes among IPSL-affiliated institutions in other countries, especially in the US. Foreign students will attend the course here at Loreto College, as well.

The course will focus on the theme ‘morality, ethics and leadership in Indian society’.

A considerable period of the 13-week course will include field work by the students. They will be placed in various ‘work stations’, such as orphanages, hospitals, old-age homes, slums and education projects for streetchildren and adults.

The approval of Calcutta University is significant, as this is the first time it has allowed a college affiliated to it to run a course on social service in collaboration with a foreign agency.

“We have accepted Loreto College’s proposal because students who take the course will get an opportunity to learn something beyond the academic syllabus,” said pro vice-chancellor (academic) Suranjan Das.

The college has been asked to follow certain conditions for the purpose, Das elaborated. For example, it will have to confirm that classes for the proposed course will not overlap with the normal academic schedule.

Loreto College officials said the course will be strictly non-profit-making and details regarding monetary requirements for running the course are under consideration.

The IPSL will sponsor a nominal amount to the institution for providing classrooms, libraries and faculty for running the course.