different contexts, it is quite clear that Don Bosco is a disciplinary educator who loves communities which are orderly and functioning correctly. There is severity at Valdocco because it is an overcrowded hospice, it is considered as the 'mother-house' and example to be imitated by all the other Salesian houses. Don Bosco, right from the beginning, worked tirelessly at expanding the various rules to cover a wider range of matters given the diversity of the educational institutions, or the groups and their respective activities. Even for the more open institutions, Don Bosco, early on began writing Rules both for the teachers and pupils. This booklet of rules was printed and edited only in 1877, at the same time as the Rules for the houses, and for boarding schools and hospices.1210
We have already referred to Don Bosco's numerous interventions to guarantee order and di scipline especially in boarding schools and about his curt warnings to recidivists and more dangerous
youngsters but also to those who, through their own fault did not draw any cultural, religious and moral
benefit from life in school. This the case referr ed to in a Good Night given on 20 March 1865, which
was intended as a comment on the grades received at the semester exams.
1211
But the following night, faced with many unfulfilled duties, Don Bosco forewarned the pupils that for
the future, there would be se vere inflexibility in punishing public disorders and lack of respect toward
the assistants. The assistants were formally forbidden to punish and were ordered rather to report on
any happening. However, Don Bosco was inflexible with anyone who upset discipl ine, especially if they were academic students, the privileged ones.
I want the students to be good, otherwise let them either go back home or transfer to the
working boys section. I would also like to say that if the students are sent back home they
are n ot being thrown on the street, for most of them have a family or relatives who could
take care of them..
1212
We have seen a similar decision made by Don Bosco in the Good Night given on 9 July 1875. It was a
question of silence and keeping in line. But Don Bo sco ended by saying that he relied on the sensitivity of the boys' consciences. He had also pointed out that keeping certain rules might become a means for
spiritual refinement, advancement in virtue and increased love for the Virgin Mother and her Divine
Son.
1213
4. Corrections
Besides being the normal pedagogy of encouragement and accompaniment, which is the essence of assistance, the preventive system often becomes a 'corrective' pedagogy.1214
This is natural if we think that the preventive system has to deal with growing boys, all their
characteristic features of flightiness, light -mindedness, rashness, yielding to the negative impact of
ideas and behaviours, all features attributed to them by Don Bosco.
1215
Correction is expressed through a wide gamut of interve ntions of graded seriousness: advice, warnings, reminders, admonitions, fore -warnings, reprimands and threats. These are not punitive actions but ones
aimed at removing fickleness and forestalling their going astray, which may lead to irreversible
waywardn ess, and at getting the young used to proper and correct behavioural patterns in their way of
thinking, speaking and acting. This is how a loving and strong father and mother would behave in their
family towards their children, as they are always aware of their responsibility. Don Bosco did not know
1210 Cf. Regolamento dell'Oratorio....per gli esterni, 63 p. OE XXIX 31-92; Regolamento per le case..., 100 p. OE
XXIX 97-196.
1211 G.B. Lemoyne, Cronaca 1864ff, Good Night 20 March 1865, pp. 119-120
1212 G.B. Lemoyne, Cronaca 1864ff, Good Night 21 March 1865, pp. 121-122.
1213 G. Barberis Cronichetta, quad. 2. pp. 45-46.
1214 Cf. H. Franta – A. R. Colsanti, L'arte dell'incoraggiamento. Rome, La Nuova Italia Scientifica 1991, pp. 25-29 1215 See Chap 9, §2.