AN OUTLINE PROGRAMME OF VALUE-ORIENTED EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS AND RELEVANT PEDAGOGICAL SUGGESTIONS
Education is a vast cycle, and one sector of education has repercussions on all the other sectors of education. Our teachers need to be value-oriented not merely to tone up our teachers’ training programmes but to rightly equip them as vehicles of values for the benefit of our children and youths. By his very nature, teacher is a transmitter, a messenger, a carrier. Our determination of what he has to transmit will depend upon what we determine to be valuable for our children and youths. This point has been kept in view while presenting the following outline of a possible programme of value-oriented education which could be treated as a core of the totality of the teachers’ training programme.1. Philosophy, Education and Values:
Man in the Universe : Philosophical views: Indian and Western
Aim of Human Life : Various views: Supra-cosmic, Supra-terrestrial, Cosmic- terrestrial, Integral
Man’s need of progress.
Progress and Education
Aims of Education : Western and Indian themes;
UNESCO’s ideals and recommendations “Learning to be”. The idea of Learning Society.
Education for International Understanding, Peace and Human Rights.
Philosophy of New Methods of Education
A synoptic view of the recent trends in Learning-teaching processes.
Philosophy of Values: Definition of values, moral and spiritual values, aesthetic and emotional values, values of intellectual and physical culture, Ideals of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Philosophy of Indian Values.
Philosophy of holistic education and philosophy of Value-Oriented Education
2. Psychology, Education and Values:
Man and Personality
. Development of Personality: Ego, Memory and Self: Indian and Western views, Planes and Parts of the Being: Inconscient, Subconscient, Physical, Vital, Rational, Aesthetic, Ethical, Psychic, Spiritual.
Multiple Personalities in Man
Conflicts within Man
Harmonisation of Personalities
Freedom from Ego-consciousness
Integration of Personality
Higher Levels of Personality;
Multi-dimensional Personality;
Balanced Personality;
Personality of Equanimity;
Fourfold Personality of Wisdom, Power, Harmony and Skill.
• Education of the Body and Values of Physical Culture;
• Education of the Vital and Values of Vital Culture;
• Education of the Rational, ethical and aesthetic being and values of mental culture;
• Education of the inmost being and values of psychic and spiritual culture;
• Concept of Psychological Perfection
3. Science and Values:
Nature of Scientific thinking;
Pursuit of the Value of Truth through Science;
Science and Self-knowledge;
Striking facts revealed by Science;
Appearance and Reality of Matter;
Life in Plants;
Extraordinary Phenomena of Intelligence in Birds and Animals;
The Mysteries of the Human body;
Interdependence of Body and Mind;
Role of Intuition in Discoveries and Inventions;
Idea of the Fourth Dimension;
Man and Evolution;
Possibility of Mutation of Species;
Man and his Mutation;
Science, Man and Values.
4. Philosophy and Values:
The Nature of Philosophical Thinking;
• its distinction from scientific thinking;
• Philosophy and pursuit of the value of Truth;
Philosophy and the Idea of God
Proofs of the Existence of God
Attributes of God: Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence.
Theories of Good and Evil:
(a) Utilitarianism;
(b) Intuitionism;
(c) Beyond Good and Evil.
The problem of Evil, Suffering and Death;
The problem of Transformation of Human Nature.
5. Religion, Spirituality and Values:
Distinction between Religion and Spirituality;
Salient Features of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism;
Detailed study of the Lives of Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira, Zoroaster, Jesus, Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Guru Nanak, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda;
Selected Parables, myths and legends;
Indian Catholicism, Tolerance and Synthesis;
Psychology of Worship and Prayer;
Psychology of Action without Desire;
Psychology of Concentration;
Meditation and Contemplation;
Central spiritual Experiences;
Liberation from the Ego;
Cosmic Consciousness;
Transcendental Consciousness;
Spiritual Transformation;
Yoga as practical psychology;
Yoga as Science of Spiritual Experiences;
Systems of Yoga;
Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo;
Synthesis of Science and Spirituality
6. Art and Values:
What is Art?
Artistic experience : Some Accounts:
Leonardo Da Vinci, Beethoven
Rabindra Nath Tagore
Six Limbs of Indian Art:
(a) rupabheda : The distinction of forms;
(b) pramana : proportion, arrangement of line and mass, design,
Harmony, perspective;
(c) bhava : the emotion or aesthetic feeling expressed by the form;
(d) lavanya : the seeking for beauty and charm for the satisfaction of
aesthetic spirit;
(e) sadrishya : truth of the form and its suggestion;
(f) varnikabhanga : the turn, combination, harmony of colours.
Art and the pursuit of Value of Beauty:
Beauty in relation to poetry, music, painting, architecture, dance and drama: some illustrations.
7. Psychological Exercises of Aspiration, Will and Introspection as aids to the pursuit of values:
8. Environment and Values:
Harmony with Nature
Love for Vegetable and Animal Kingdom
Ecological Balances and Need to protect Earth to receive protection of Earth
Eco-development programmes
9. Works of Community Service, Courage and Heroism:
10. Physical Culture and its Values:
(a) Health;
(b) Strength;
(c) Agility;
(d) Grace; and
(e) Beauty
An Ideal Sportsman: Meaning of Gymnastics, Athletics, Aquatics, Combatives (Indian wrestling, judo, karate), Games (Indian and Western)
A Daily Programme of Physical Culture (Theory and Practice)
11. Selected Stories, Plays and Passages of Literature that inspire the pursuit of Truth, Beauty and Goodness:
Creation of Educational Environment through Exhibitions, Interior decoration and stimulating atmosphere.
Lessons of History as an aid to the pursuit of Values:
Theme of Unity of Mankind in the world History.
12. Practical suggestions and Hints to Teachers:
(Considering the overarching importance of the suggestions and hints, we propose to present details in the next Section. The suggestions and hints which are given in the next section do not pretend to the exhaustive, and they are not limited only to the processes of Value-Oriented Education; they are often applicable to verities of processes of teaching and education,-including processes of skill-oriented education.).
II
(1)
(1)
The secret of teaching values is to inspire and kindle the quest among the students by means of one’s own example of character and mastery of knowledge. It is by embodying values within ourselves that we can really radiate values to our students.
Value-oriented education should not be conceived as an enunciation of a series of Do’s and Don’ts. The idea of a series of Do’s and Don’ts implies a belief that there are certain actions which are absolutely good, and there are others which are absolutely bad. An inner process, however, shows that our actions derive their value only in relation to the inner motive and the inner consciousness from which those actions emerge. It is not actions in themselves but the inner qualities behind actions which are important. The given right quality may express itself in different forms of actions. And each of these actions would be right, since behind each one of them there is the living vibration of right quality. On the other hand, there are several actions which may apparently seem to be good and right in their outer form, and yet, if they are not spontaneous expressions of the right quality, they cease to have any moral and spiritual value.
A good teacher should, therefore, have a sound psychological knowledge of the different parts of the being, of the different qualities that come into play in various actions, and of the right laws of the development of personality in relation to the development of capacities and values of an integrated personality.
As noted elsewhere, values cannot be taught the same way as lessons of information. Instruction should form a minor role, and a major role should be assigned to intimate contact and individual guidance. The role of the teacher is to put the child on the right road to his perfection and encourage him in his growth by watching, suggesting and helping but not imposing or interfering.
All occasions of daily life should be utilised by the teacher to bring his student nearer to the realisation of the ideal. There are occasions when children express wild impulses and passions, and often they are in revolt. Children have their own daily battles of loyalties and friendship, and there are moments of desperate depression and of violent enthusiasm. There are occasions when children get vexed, become sulky and go on strike. All these occasions are occasions for value-oriented education. With patience and perseverance, the teacher can utilise all these occasions to show the truth and light and to awaken among the children the right sense and the right directions of true progress.
(2)
Some further guidelines which may be helpful to teachers at different levels of guiding and helping the children are:
(a) It may first be noted that a good many children are under the influence of their inner psychic and spiritual being which shows itself very distinctly at times in their spontaneous turning to truth, beauty and goodness. To recognise this turning and to encourage wisely and with a deep sympathy would be the first indispensable step.
(b) The most important quality to develop among the children is sincerity.
(c) This quality and several other qualities are taught infinitely better by example than by beautiful speeches.
(d) The undesirable impulses and habits should not be treated harshly. The child should not be scolded. Particularly, care should be taken not to rebuke a child for a fault which one commits oneself. Children are very keen and clear-sighted observers: they soon find out the educators’ weaknesses and note them without pity.
(e) When a child commits a mistake, one must see that he confesses it to the teacher spontaneously and frankly; and when he has confessed it he should be made to understand with kindness and affection what was wrong in the movement and that he should not repeat it. A fault confessed must be forgiven.
(f) A child should be encouraged to think of wrong impulses not as sins or offences but as symptoms of a curable disease which can be remedied by a steady and sustained effort of the will – falsehood being rejected and replaced by truth, fear by courage, selfishness by sacrifice, malice by love.
(g) Great care should be taken to see that unformed virtues are not rejected as faults. The wildness and recklessness of many young natures are only overflowing of an excessive strength, greatness and nobility. They should be purified, not discouraged.
(h) An affection, that is firm yet gentle, sees clearly, and a sufficiently practical knowledge will create bonds of trust that are indispensable for the educator to make the education of a child effective and value-oriented.
(i) When a child asks a question, he should not be answered by saying that it is stupid or foolish, or that the answer will not be understood by him. Curiosity cannot be postponed, and an effort must be made to answer questions truthfully and in such a way as to make the answer comprehensible to the student’s mental capacity.
(j) The teacher should ensure that the student gradually begins to become aware of his deeper self and that with this growing awareness the student is able to harmonise and resolve his inner conflicts.
(k) It should be emphasised that if one has a sincere and steady aspiration, a persistent and dynamic will, one is sure to meet in one way or another, externally by study and instruction, internally by concentration, revelation or experience, the help that one needs. Only one thing is absolutely indispensable, namely, the will to discover and realise. This discovery and this realisation should be the primary occupation of the being, the pearl of great price which one should acquire at any cost. Whatever one does, whatever one’s occupation and activity, the will to find the truth of one’s being and to unite with it should always burn like fire behind all that one does, thinks and feels.
(l) At higher levels of development, teacher should use the methods of daily conversation and books read from day to day. Books should contain lofty examples of the past, given not as moral lessons but as things of supreme human interest. These books should also contain (a) great thoughts of great souls; (b) passages of literature which set fire to the highest emotions and promote the highest aspirations; and (c) records of history and biography which exemplify the living of great thoughts, noble emotions and inspiring ideals.
(m) Opportunities should be given or created which would enable students to embody progressively higher and nobler values.
(3)
There are important aspects of the mental, vital and physical education which contribute to the value-oriented education. They can be briefly mentioned:
(a) In its natural state the human mind is limited in its vision, and narrow in its understanding. It is often rigid in its conceptions, and a certain effort is needed to enlarge it to make it supple and deep. Hence it is very necessary to develop in the child the inclination and capacity to consider everything from as many points of view as possible. There is an exercise in this connection which gives greater suppleness and an elevation to thought. It is as follows:
A clearly formulated thesis is set; against it is proposed an anti-thesis, formulated with the same precision. Then by careful reflection the problem must be widened or transcended so that a synthesis is found which unites the two contraries in a larger, higher and more comprehensive idea.
Another exercise is to control the mind from judging things and people hastily and without sufficient data. True knowledge is always at a higher level, and one must be able to reach not only the domain of pure ideas but even of deeper experiences. Therefore, the mind should be trained to be silent and to search deeply in order to derive knowledge from higher regions of pure ideas and deeper experiences.
One may suggest a further exercise: Whenever there is a disagreement on any matter, as a decision to take, or an action to accomplish, one must not stick to one’s own conception or point of view. On the contrary, one must try to understand the other person’s point of view, put oneself in his place and, instead of quarrelling, find out a solution which can reasonably satisfy both parties. There is always one for men of goodwill.
A wide, subtle, rich, complex, attentive, quiet and silent mind is a powerful base not only for the discovery of supreme values but also for manifesting them in our outer actions, thoughts and feelings.
(b) The vital being in us is the seat of impulses and desires, of enthusiasm and violence of dynamic energy and desperate depression, of passions and revolt. The vital being is, however, a good worker, although most often it seeks its own satisfaction. If that is refused totally or even partially, it gets vexed, sulky and goes on strike.
An exercise at these moments is to remain quiet and refuse to act. For it is important to realise that at such times one does stupid things and can, in a few moments, destroy or spoil what one has gained in months of regular effort.
Another exercise is to deal with the vital as one deals with child in revolt, with patience and perseverance, showing it the truth and the light, endeavouring to convince it and awaken in it the goodwill.
A wide, strong, calm but dynamic vital, capable of right emotion, right decision and right execution is an invaluable aid to the realisation of supreme values.
(c) The body by nature is a docile and faithful instrument but it is very often misused by the mind with its dogmas, its rigid and arbitrary principles, and by the vital with its passions, its excesses and dissipations. It is these which are the cause of bodily fatigue, exhaustion and disease. The body must, therefore, be freed from the tyranny of the mind and the vital and this can be done by training the body to feel and sense the presence of inmost harmony and peace and to learn to obey its governance.
The emphasis in physical education should be laid on the development of health, strength, agility, grace and beauty through various exercises, whether done by Yogic Asanas or by other methods of physical culture such as gymnastics, athletics, aquatics, combatives, games and sports. When the body is rightly trained, it will learn to put forth at every minute the effort that is demanded of it, for it will have learnt to find rest in action, and to replace through contact with universal forces and energies what it spends consciously and usefully. By this sound and balanced practice, a new harmony will give right proportions and the ideal beauty of form.
There are many sports which help to form and necessitate the qualities of courage, hardihood energetic action, initiative, steadiness of will, rapid decision and action, the perception of what is to be done in an emergency and dexterity in doing it. Another invaluable result of these sports is the growth of the sporting spirit. This includes good humour and tolerance and consideration for all, a right attitude and friendliness to competitors and rivals, self-control and scrupulous observance of the laws of the games, fair play and avoidance of the use of foul means, equal acceptance of victory or defeat without bad humour, and loyal acceptance of the decisions of the appointed judge, umpire or referee. More important still is the custom of discipline, obedience, order and habit of teamwork which certain games necessitate.
In the words of Sri Aurobindo:
“If they (the above qualities) could be made more common not only in the life of the individual but in the national life and in the international where of the present day the opposite tendencies have become too rampant, existence in this troubled world of ours would be smoother and might open to a greater chance of concord and amity of which it stands very much in need. The nation which possesses them in the highest degree is likely to be strongest for victory, success and greatness, but also for the contribution it can make towards the bringing about of unity and more harmonious world order towards which we look as our hope for humanity’s future.”
(4)
Works of community service should be included as a part of the total educational process. But to make community service truly value-oriented, emphasis should be laid on the true spirit with which the proposed work is to be done. Requisite spirit can be developed progressively through certain successive stages. For example, the work inspired by desire or by restlessness should be replaced by the work done with ever-growing skill and perfection. At the higher stage, work should be one in order to discover its relationship with one’s own inmost and highest aspirations. At a still higher level, work should be looked upon as an offering, without any sense of bargain. At still higher stages, work should be done in consonance with the highest ideal that is being progressively worked out in the world, namely, the ideal of solidarity, unity and harmony. The entire discipline of work should be looked upon as tapasya, which should be carried out not only in right spirit but also with efficiency and skill. True morality and spirituality demand meticulous care in handling material things, and one should not tolerate one’s own forgetfulness or idleness. There should be a living worship of things, materials, tools, and processes of works. There should be an increasing awareness that matter too is sacred.
(5)
An important element in children’s development is the presentation of dreams of a new world, a world of peace and international understanding, a world where truth alone would prevail, a world where beauty and goodness would pervade all that we see and experience.
Stories and plays to illustrate these dreams would be an effective instrument. Artistic imagination that would refine sensitivity and sense of beauty should be developed right from the early stages of education. Even ordinary habitual things of daily life should be taught as activities of art and beauty, activities such as those of bathing, cleaning the teeth, dressing, sitting and standing require art, and refined sense of beauty should be brought home to children and young students.
Students should be encouraged to live in harmony with nature and to develop the habit of calm and intimate company of plants and flowers.
At a little higher stage, students may be introduced to the art of listening to music. Acquaintance with some selected ragas (Indian) and harmonies (Western) should be encouraged. Exhibitions of books of beauty in its various aspects should also form part of the programmes in schools. A great stress should be laid upon physical fitness as an essential part of the pursuit of beauty.
Those who have special interest in music, dance, art and poetry should be given special facilities so that they can develop their interests and capacities in these fields.
Examples of poetic excellence should also be presented to the students in various ways. An idea should be emphasised that just as there is beauty in the harmony of physical forms, even so there is beauty in the harmony of the forms of thoughts, words, feelings and deeds.
At a still higher level, special emphasis may be laid on the powers of expression, such as faultless recitation, poetry and dramatics. A special emphasis should be laid on the study of the appreciation of art and music.
(6)
A. Since stories play a great role in providing inspiration to the children in regard to values,
teachers should prepare various compositions of stories and plays from the world
literature which would satisfy at the best the following criteria:
(i) They should have been written a language that chaste and beautiful;
(ii) They should be full human interests which, however, do not involve plots of mischief and cunning; and
(iii) They should be able to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony and a spontaneous inspiration for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
B. Teachers should also endeavour to:
(a) Select and compile exercises of (i) remembering and repeating noble aspirations and thoughts; (ii) observation and accurate descriptions; and (iii) control of senses and speech and behaviour;
(b) Identify subjects and topics which develop sense of wonder;
(c) Identify topics and subjects which would provide an interdisciplinary study of science and values;
(d) Identify topics and subjects which may relate to the free choice directed towards control and mastery over lower impulses and towards excellence in studies and works;
(e) Identify topics that would help students to widen and heighten their
consciousness;
(f) Select topics related to self-knowledge and to the methods of concentration by
which human consciousness can be developed not only horizontally but also
vertically so as to create states of consciousness in which mutuality, harmony and
true brotherhood could flower spontaneously;
(g) Identify subjects and topics related to values needed for a new world order of
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; and
(h) Finally, identify subjects and topics related to the Values of the Synthesis of the East and the West.
However, to reiterate that if the teacher is to play his right role in the promotion of value-oriented education, the teacher himself should be value-oriented. It is only when he is himself value-oriented, that he will be able to give the necessary inspiration, help and guidance to his students. As noted elsewhere, values cannot be taught merely by discourse, just as swimming cannot be taught merely by lectures. A good teacher of swimming has to be a swimmer himself, and he should be able to take the learner into the waters to make him swim. Similarly, a teacher of values should himself be a seeker and aspirant of values, and he should be ready to walk with the learner on the long and difficult path of realising and embodying values.
