Written By: Alen Kuriakose, Trainer, HSSW.
“Literacy in itself is no education. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning. By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit”
Education enables a person to lead a meaningful and successful life. It is a process which starts when a child is brought out of a mother’s womb. The very moment of birth teaches him how to take breath. The other moment teaches him how to suck milk from his mother’s breasts. This education process goes on and on throughout life.
Education provides opportunities to the students to augment their creative expression and ability of aesthetic expression. It is a process of character building- laying within an individual seeds of values, morality, simplicity, service, empathy etc. and helping him to bloom as a true citizen or a true human being.
The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi’s views on education were always focused on an all-round development of an individual, not just literacy. According to him, “Literacy in itself is no education. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning. By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit”. He had a view that today’s world tend to misunderstand the word “education”. It’s true. We consider education as a commodity that is sold and bought in the market. We run around to send our children to high standard schools where various subjects are taught, where it is been taught to compete with the fellow students. We want to provide only such education as would enable the student to earn more. We hardly give any thought to the improvement of the character of the child.
It is at this point where arises the importance of value education. Values are integral part of one’s life and it is very crucial in building a person’s character. In other terms, education without a good character is like a ship without a captain. It will go wandering in the sea of life. How good education may be, it is inadvisable if it fails to inculcate values to a student which is essential for a holistic life. Qualifications and skills are of no use if a person fails to be empathetic to society and fellow beings.
Values are taught by the surroundings or environment in which a child lives. The people around play a crucial role in leaving imprints in him. We cannot expect a child living in a slum area or around anti-socials to be moral. Now a days the family system tend to be nuclear and the busy parents never get time to spend time with their children or to teach them how to be in a society. Absence of grandparents and elderly in society end up these children in the hands of servants.
It is in this aspect the role of a school and a teacher becomes much more important to ensure values in a student. Values should be interwoven within each class or each subject being taught. How can it be done?
Languages are taught in every school as it is an integral part of curriculum. Reading excerpts or speeches of different well known personality’s life story can be brought into daily class materials. It will be motivating for the students and help them to imbibe the values that these people have practiced in their lives and make their own value system based on it.
Social science education, particularly clubs associated with the subject become a platform for students to mingle with each other. Debates and discussions conducted on socially relevant topics are good tools in teaching values such as inclusiveness, positive interaction, tolerance, importance of participation and being respectful towards others despite difference of opinion.
Service sessions in schools like visits to orphanages, old age homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals etc, may help students to be aware of the less fortunate people in the society and may encourage them to share and care them. This will not just teach them sharing, helpfulness but also gratitude for all that they possess.
School assemblies are proper platform to enrich values. Different art forms like music, drama, dance, speeches can be held about lives of great people, or about different issues faced by humanity, so that each of these days adds on to their dictionary a different value which is essential in life.
Above all, a positive behavior should be always appreciated. Students tend to repeat the behavior for which they are appreciated. A slightest of effort should be applauded not just by the teacher, but the whole class appreciates him for that. It builds up confidence in the student to continue the same path or behavior which they think to be right.
A teacher should be a motivator to the students for which he or she has practice what he or she preaches. Teacher as a role model for the students can do wonders in a student’s life. It is at this point that education becomes worthy and reaches its ultimate aim i.e the overall development of an individual.
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