Transcript Education in Values- Strategies and Challenges for Value
Education in Values Strategies and Challenges for Value Education
Prof. Prasad Krishna Department of Mechanical Engineering National Institute of Technology Calicut
OUTLINE
• • • • • • •
Introduction Values Value Based Spiritual Education (VBSE) Strategies to Implement VBSE Meditation for Regulation of Mind Challenges Conclusions
INTRODUCTION
Past Education Scenario
• • • •
Education imparted by Rishis/Maharishis
Gurukulavasam
Rishis were trikalajnanis knowing everything from the past, present and future as well as knowing everything that is to be known from the past, present and future. In a sense, therefore, they imparted knowledge coming from the past, they imparted knowledge from the present based on their own spiritual experiences and in a sense, imparted knowledge of the future from their own vision of the distant future in which they alone had access.
Joint Family System great deal of care, love and well being. The old received as much care and attention as the very young and the children were shared by all as a sort of common wealth, and a source of joy and happiness . Story Telling have always been an effective way of presenting values, concepts and ideas to children and adults alike.
Present Education Scenario
• There is supposedly more ‘Education’ now, but there is also more Corruption – more Greed – more Selfishness – more Poverty – Lack of sincerity and integrity. • Why?
Because, now Education is
- synonymous with a) Examination
b) Employment & c) Empowerment
Unfortunately it no more stands for a) Emancipation b) Ennoblement and c) Evolution
Education Today
• Non-existence of
gurukulasampradaya
as well as joint family system has adversely affected the present education scenario. • Absence of a holistic approach and an imbalanced growth of knowledge –dealing only with external world around us and not related to the inner-self of an individual. • Misdirected educational system --- instead of developing a person as a humane human being it is only directed towards superficial, surface level achievements. • Designed purely for money-making and not for man making and only promotes negative qualities like jealousy, hatred and rivalry instead of virtues like kindness, compassion and honesty .
Then, what exactly is the true meaning of
“Education”
Does Education
Make one wiser? Happier? Contented? Make one a
better human being?
Or is there something more to Education?
Yes, of course, education is not just this.
Then what is Real education? What should be its role?
Education
Is not mere stuffing of facts.
Education is for the actualization of the potential already in children.
Education is really the process of removing the ignorance that is covering our inner knowledge, which is absolute, which is perfect, which is eternal, which is supreme. (Chariji) Education is for a Holistic LIFE and not for a mere living. ‘Education’ needs to be enriched with VALUES.
Now, to understand the concept of
Value based Spiritual Education,
We must first see what “Values” really mean.
What are Values ?
Values are Standards or Principles Considered important in life Values coming from Being within Practiced
? ?
Values From within 1.Love
2.Kindness
3.Compassion
4.Mercy
5.Sympathy
6.Empathy
Values to be Practised 1.Punctuality
2.Discipline
3.Obedience
4.Behaviour
5.Conduct
6.Character
Why Values?
• Values bring quality and meaning to life • Values give a person his identity and character • Values act as guidelines—they tell him what he should and should not do.
They make us realize that
WHAT WE ARE
Is more important than
What We Have
Education in Values or Value education helps in developing
• • • •
Character Good conduct Moral Integrity Self Discipline
• • •
Compassion Love for all living beings Responsibility and many other positive qualities in the students.
And above all…
It makes them feel better about themselves!
And … as time goes on,
It becomes a second nature to them to be disciplined, punctual etc. Their academic performance goes
up.
And they are able to spend more time on learning.
Role of Value Education
• In spite of all this, Value education is not given enough prominence in the curriculum.
• Is it because it is not a course which can be tested and graded? • Is it because the result of the teaching cannot be seen immediately?
• Or is it because we think students will learn the values somehow or the other and it is not our responsibility?
Whose responsibility is it anyway?
Isn’t imparting values the responsibility of parents? Yes, it is
.
But teachers and schools play a BIG role too.
• Students spend more time in the campus .
• Campus forms the bridge between home and the society.
• It is in schools and later in the colleges that students learn how to behave in the society.
• It is in schools & colleges that a good value system can be nurtured.
Role of Government
National Education Policy of our government insist on establishing a Centre for Value Education in all universities and institutes of higher education with the sole purpose of imbibing human values in their campuses
But, Activities of CVE ?
Limited to mere conduct of expert lectures/discourses on values, ethics, morality education etc. and/or indulging in community/social service. There is no conscious effort made anywhere to bring about internal change in an individual. Anything good must sprout from inside so that the external body can reflect the beauty of it in all its glory. This harmony between inner and external process is termed as ‘Spiritual Civilisation’
So, what is needed?
• • • •
There is an urgent need for change – changing from what we are to what we have to become; Change from ambitions to aspirations. The importance and urgency of change must be brought forth through our education system. We need education to understand the value of education and the value of further education. Since values are caught rather than taught, it is imperative to devise other meaningful and pragmatic strategies to help in personal evolution, embracing all aspects of existence.
Education in Values
• • •
Now that the holistic vision of life-oriented education was found to be insufficient for the upliftment of mankind, ‘Values in education” peeped its existence in the educational scenario.
But this has proved to be a futile attempt and a shift has been made to "Education in Values".
This, in other words means, the imparting of ‘Value Based Spiritual Education’, abbreviated as VBSE
Where does Value education fit into the curriculum?
Everywhere
• Students are not born with a set of values. • Students unconsciously imbibe
all kinds of values
from their parents, teachers and peers,
all the time.
So, in a sense, values are more ‘Caught’ than ‘Taught’.
• Still, they
do
need guidance to help them learn the right values. • This guidance goes on all through the curriculum, all through the day, by all those who come in contact with them.
• It is not a one man’s job.
Why Value Based Spiritual Education?
Spirituality is the “art and science of Divine remembrance.”
i.e., doing everything in the remembrance of God so that anything we do has a thought of divinity attached to it. This motivates us to keep the highest goals in all aspects of living and prevents us at all times from doing anything wrong.
Therefore it is necessary that our students are educated in spiritual values.
Basics of
Value Based Spiritual Education
Catch Them Young
Parents, teachers, family, school, environment, friends, society, religion - all these wield a great influence on the child.
Catch Them Young
Physical deviations – games, yoga, dance, gymnastics etc.
All these help to teach them the values for life.
Catch Them Young
Academics and Co-curricular activities, both help in teaching values.
Catch Them Young
Meditation, Value Based Education,Music, Self analysis, Positive affirmations and Resolutions help in improving our character.
Catch Them Young
The suggestions and words spoken by the parents and others affect the character and good conduct of a child and even babies.
- Babuji
Experience, appreciate and understand
The learned have only read the books.
The practical man has tasted the spirit of the books.
Experience, appreciate and understand
The “learned teachers” are like sign posts by the road, to tell you where the road leads to.
Experience, appreciate and understand
One who can express has not experienced and one who has experienced cannot express.
- Babuji
Thoughts and Destiny
Words Watch your Thoughts : they become Words.
: they become Action.
Actions : they become Habits.
Habits : they become Character.
Character : it becomes your Destiny.
- Frank Outlaw
Present Situation
Only Materiality S M M
M
The Saints
Only Spirituality S S
Equilibrium
S S
Progress
Union (Yoga)
MS M- materiality S- spirituality
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
Think about the incredible change that occurs during metamorphosis ...
From crawling to Flying ..
From dull to Spectacular ...
From fat & sluggish to Light and Airy .
What metamorphosis can YOU go through?
Nothing is too great a change for you ...
light & airy ....
spectacular beauty ...
shedding one "persona" and BECOMING totally new! You can change into ANYTHING!
But what does the caterpillar do before it becomes a butterfly?
It takes some time to "cocoon". Time to isolate itself.
Perhaps if each of us would take some "cocooning" time, we would begin our own metamorphosis !
Living life as an adventure is FUN living life in boredom is NO FUN.
Finding a way or making a way when others do not see one is FUN.
Accepting that there is just no way is NO FUN
Turning your dreams into reality is FUN ... Living in a dream world is NO FUN. Grabbing an opportunity when it presents itself is FUN ... Letting an opportunity go by is NO FUN.
Which choice are you going to make?
“A person starts to live when he can live outside himself." Einstein -- Albert “To solve a problem get out of the problem” - Chariji “Be a guest at your home” - Chariji
"It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?"
A goal, a love and a dream give you total control over your life.
Value Education will help 1. The Need to Understand Oneself 2. Management of Self 3. Decision Making 4. Personality Development
1. The Need to Understand Oneself a) Who Am I ?
b) What is my goal ?
c) How should I proceed towards my goal ?
2. Management of Self a) Time Management b) Stress Management c) Life Management
3. Decision Making a) What is good for me ?
b) How to make decisions ?
c) Co-operation and Co ordination
4. Personality Development a) What is Personality ?
b) How should one develop personality ?
c) How should I mould myself ?
d) Facing situations
Strategies to Implement VBSE
• • • Value Education could and should take place all the time at schools and the following approaches can help to focus on it.
Independent approach
–
teaching core values
Integrated approach
subjects
–
teaching values with the curricular
Subtle approach
with love
–
Being a good role model and teaching
Approach to VBSE
Independent Approach - Prayer - Meditation - Positive Resolutions - Bhajans / Songs - Value Education classes - Stories - Self Introspection - Yogasana
Approach to Value Education
Integrated Approach
• • • • • •
Curricular Subjects Co-curricular English Language Maths Sciences Humanities Dance Music Drawing Craft Games
Approach to Value Education
Subtle Approach
• • • •
Role of Teacher Role of School Role of Parents/Family Role of Society
Independent Approach
•
Teacher directed activities
•
Individual activities by students
•
Group activities like games, exhibitions, discussions, role-play, debates, dramatization, making collages etc.
And more effectively through specific, special time slots allotted in the time table
The ‘Independent approach’ uses this special time to inculcate values in a deliberate manner.
How to make VBSE classes interesting?
• Many think Value education classes can only be preachy and boring- it is so full of Do’s and Don’ts!
• Yet it need not be so. • How about making the classes fun filled and interesting? Even more interesting than the regular classes?
• • •
Try out some of the ways-
Story telling
.
Songs and poems —
use folk songs and action songs
Comprehension exercises
—using the media, picture comprehension
• • • •
Let the students use their Head, Heart and Hands!
Activities using their Head –
Solving riddles and puzzles, Dramatization, Role play, Discussions and debates etc.
Activities using their Heart –
Music, Games, etc.
Activities using their hands –
Drawing illustrations and colouring, poster making, making models and collages, craft work etc
And many more
!
Integrated Approach
• • • • •
This is a recent development, where the common spiritual and behavioural values are taught, while a course is being taught. This means that each and every teacher who teaches a course must incorporate values in each of the topic Integration is possible in both curricular and co-curricular courses.
In this integrated approach, the student will neither forget the course nor the value. For example, while teaching about pendulum and motion, it can be correlated to mind, desires and contentment.
In chemistry, cause and effect value can be taught while teaching balancing of reactions.
Teaching of science should get humanized, eg; In the lessons of human physiology/biology, heart and brain should be studied not simply as pumping stations and memory control towers but as seats of love, feelings, emotions, conscience – the qualities that mankind is characterised by.
Subtle Approach
• • • •
The most effective, though difficult to comprehend or integrate.
Based on the fact that and not taught”.
“ Values are caught Parents, teachers, regulate their minds.
peers, family and society influence the student and his behaviour. Parents and teachers must Parents have to be wise enough to know that “ My child is mine; nevertheless it has its own existence. It has a tendency of growth and let me allow it grow”.
Subtle approach We teach who we are!
Actions speak louder than words.
Students learn values from
What we are
than from What we say. They also pick up hidden and unintended values from
what is said and not said what is done and not done!
What is the role of the Teacher?
As a substitute mother and a role model,
•
should have a positive, healthy attitude and the right values
•
a balanced emotional outlook
•
a regulated mind which is able to think clearly and answer without any ambiguity
What is the role of the Teacher?
should
•
help the students achieve their full potential and bring out the best in them.
•
be able to lead them towards a better tomorrow.
•
Most important of all---MUST BE LOVING AND SINCERE!
•
Yes, it is a tall order but it is BIG responsibility too!
Subtle approach – teaching with LOVE
• Love is of paramount importance. • Love is the core value. It leads to understanding, sympathy, empathy, consideration, care, sacrifice etc. • A teacher who approaches any subject with love, wins over the hearts of his/her wards.
• Love is the catalyst which grooms them into a complete human being
A TEACHER IS AND CAN BE THE PIVOT OF THE SCHOOL
• • • • It is said that
An excellent teacher inspires A good teacher explains An average teacher teaches & A bad teacher complains!
Which category do I belong?
Need of the hour
Based on life oriented value based spiritual curriculum and love based approach the process of education in this millennium should consist of the following four stages— “Knowledge which is taught
Knowledge gained through intuition Knowledge gained through revelation Ultimate knowledge that comes from within ourselves through meditation- yogic practice”.
Meditation for regulation of mind
What is Meditation and what is the purpose of Meditation?
Meditation may be defined as the continuous thinking of something, or about something. In a sense, therefore, anybody who is thinking continuously of something may be said to be involved in meditation
.
Meditation is a process. It is a process which we undertake to reach a destined goal, a predetermined goal. Meditation is a training to apply the mind for the purpose of regulating the mind by our efforts.
The whole purpose of meditation is to make a reversal in this fact of life that the mind is our Master. We have to become the Master of our mind. It is only this much, just reverse it.
As one meditates so one becomes. It therefore follows that what we meditate upon we get or become and inversing this formula, if we want to become something we must meditate upon that and nothing else.
Therefore if our aim is Realisation or the attainment of one-ness with the Ultimate, meditation the must object be Ultimate and nothing else.
of that
We can learn to meditate only by meditating. Meditate every day. Because by doing it again and again, we progressively increase our ability to take command of the situation .
Challenges to VBSE implementation
Challenges-1
Religion vs. Spirituality
• First and foremost challenge in imparting spiritual education is that even educated, intelligent people often confuse religion with spirituality.
• Spirituality is no way related to religion and in fact spirituality begins where religion ends.
• Spirituality aims at integrating the entire humanity under the umbrella of universal brotherhood irrespective of one’s religious background, beliefs, caste, creed, sex, language, race, country etc., • Religions have caused several wars and resulted in division of mankind.
• Whereas religions survive on the weapons of fear and temptation, spirituality thrives on love alone.
• Thus there cannot be any resistance from any corners to implement a spiritual education programme.
Challenges-2
The five levels of education
Information
should not be confused with
knowledge
, knowledge should not be confused with
wisdom
, wisdom should not be confused with
intuition
, and intuition should not be confused with
revelation
. There are so many levels in this world today. Information, knowledge, wisdom, intuition, and revelation are Unfortunately in the five levels of education.
today’s schools only the lowest of these five levels is taught. The higher levels seem to have no meaning, and they are not even referred to.
Challenges-3
The myth about Yoga
Many mistake yoga for
yogasanas
, which is only nourishment of body and to some extent mind.
Hatha Yoga
for The purpose of any yogic practice should be nourishment of the soul and the sole aim of such practice being complete oneness with the Ultimate and nothing short of it.
Perhaps yoga is the most misused/misinterpreted term today, not only in the west, but in our country too.
Today we have yoga for dance, yoga for sex, yoga for sports, yoga for diabetes cure, yoga for ladies etc.
The crux of the problem lies in our poor understanding of the real goal of human life.
Many are happy with temporary goals of peace, curing of diseases, mukthi or just concentration. In today’s fast life, people expect miracles to happen in their life without any self-effort.
Challenges-4
The notion that spirituality is for the old and weak
Many have the wrong notion that spirituality is meant for the old and for the mentally, physically and financially disadvantaged lot.
Ancient wisdom says any spiritual practice must start from the conception stage and we have the stories of
Abhimanyu
and
Prahlada
from the
puranas
.
Success in any spiritual practice requires strong will power coupled with unalloyed devotion and obedience to the Spiritual guide and it is truly meant for the strong only.
Challenges-5
Is Spirituality commercialised?
• It is unfortunate that in a country like India with her glorious past, there have been umpteen number of yogic systems/organisations who have made a good amount of money by cheating and exploiting the public in the disguise of so called spirituality.
• The huge gathering of people around such notorious gurus also fascinates most of us and we often think majority opinion is always correct.
• The need of the hour is non-religious, non-profit making spiritual organisations whose only aim is spiritual welfare of its people and not money-making.
• Wherever and whenever wealth, power and fame accumulates, there can be only inflated ego, fear, insecurity, distrust and not to talk of spirituality .
Challenges-6
Where can I find a role model
• Since the most effective approach to VBSE is the subtle approach, both parents and teachers have to be role models. Therefore both parents and teachers must regulate their mind by practicing meditation and evolve spiritually.
• A real teacher continues to learn all his life. Common understanding is the most important because, unless we lay a ground for common understanding, neither can the teacher understand the student nor can the student understand the teacher. Understand in the real sense, not with the head but with the heart.
• A good teacher must recognize and attack the unwillingness, subdue it, entice the owner of that unwillingness out of his or her shell into which they have wrapped themselves. And the battle is won.
• It is same with parents too. Between the teacher and the student, there must be flow of love from the teacher to the student, reciprocated by obedience from the student to the teacher. The teacher must become an example, which the students can follow, not someone the students are afraid of.
Challenges….
Once again we come back to the need for spirituality for all, none can escape it.
It is a matter of utter shame for a country like India to see her educated people debating on whether one need spirituality in their life or not.
Spirituality is essential as log as we are here and there is no question of any choice about it.
Conclusions
Conclusions-1
• Right education should cater to an individual's intellectual, physical, spiritual development.
emotional, social and • Education should help him/her evolve into a person with holistic vision and growth, culminating in preparing a happy future for an integrated mankind.
• The means to achieve these objectives are presented in this paper, the most effective being the subtle approach .
Conclusions-2
• Some of the challenges in the implementation of VBSE are presented.
• Most of these problems can be overcome, once we educate the student community on the need for spirituality in their life and for that, the educators themselves must be role models.
• It is earnestly hoped that academic institutions interested in imparting value based spiritual education turn will train their students.
work in collaboration with a non-profit, purely spiritual organisation for training their teachers who in
Conclusions-3
With these humble beginnings, we can help in the fulfilment of the aim of regenerated, revitalised, spiritualised youth which alone can lead India in the consortium of nations in this world.
To talk of material leadership is a farce and a travesty of the truth.
India can lead the world only in spiritual matters and this is possible only through a value based spiritual education.
Thank you for having given some of your precious time to view my presentation
.