Value-based education, need of the hour

by Jaliya WIJEYAKOON

It has been observed during the recent past that youngsters including even schoolgoers treat their own lives in a very lackadaisical manner and some have even gone to the extent of commiting suicide over very minor issues which could have been solved easily with the parties concerned.

It is quite timely and appropriate to look into the education imparted to the children in the best of schools and colleges, universities and all other educational institutes.

Parents try their utmost to give the best of education to their children to fit them for life. Teachers warn that lack of education will cripple the child’s chances in the world.

The media, educationists and intelligentsia exhort the young people to study, for life depends on education. Yet for all this rhetoric about the future, our educational system faces a backward trend rather than a forward one, with respect to the emerging new society.

National education imparted to children should be able to produce men and women who will be able to adopt themselves to rapid and wide changes and development in the super-technology of the future.

This can be achieved by those with agile and diligent minds firmly based on morality, character and will.Education does not mean only accumulation of knowledge, but the utilization of the knowledge and skills for the good and well-being of all life on earth.

Moral and value-based education should be based on certain psychological principles.

In today’s busy world everybody is on a rat-race for material gains and day-to-day affairs, children do not enjoy the cherished love and affection, care and caress of their parents. As a result of this lack of parental instinctive nurturing, children fail to imbibe the superior qualities of human nature, namely love, joy, cheer, respect, patience, tolerance and compassion.National policy makers in respect of scholastic education should pay their attention to introduce value-based curriculum in all areas possible. In the teaching process some moral and philosophical thoughts can be brought out at the conclusion of every lesson. Every topic in the curriculum can be concluded with a moral code. Most scientific laws are laws of nature. Beauty, goodness and truth should be highlighted in the study of arts, music, dancing, humanities and other aesthetic studies.

The study of nature and environment elicits many values and truths which when imparted to the youth, remain indelible in their minds. Man is a product of nature, nurtured and fostered by nature. Appreciation of poetry, literature enjoyment of nature and outdoor life should form an essential part of value-based education.

Knowledge should be wielded with love to young children. The instincts and reflexes with which a child is born can be developed by the environment, into the most diverse character and behaviour. Most of this happens in very early childhood. Consequently it is at this period that we can hopefully attempt to form a desired character.

It is the business of early education to train their instincts, so that they may produce a harmonious character, affectionate rather than sullen, courageous than timid, to speak the truth without fear or favour, to learn tolerance and patience.

Parents and teachers should pay maximum attention to the training and education of a child from the pre-grade class upto advanced level classes.

The introduction of Parent/Teacher relationship is vital in early education.It is encouraging to see that Parent/Teacher meetings are conducted in almost all schools. But they mainly focus their attention only on the academic performances of the children.

It is time that they pay some attention on other aspects such as discipline, behaviour, social obligations and moral development.

Good behaviour is primarily founded in the home, but it should be carefully nurtured and fostered in the school and university. School is the second home of the child.An effective program should be drawn by the education department to send psychologists, moralists, religious dignitaries to visit schools from time to time and to lecture, to discourse, and cause awareness of the need for discipline, character and good mental health. Discussions, debates, dramas centred around moral themes will help in the desired type of moral behaviour.

The young should be encouraged to participate in social activities like scouting, guiding, Red cross and similar organisations.Computer and information technology is fast intruding into all walks of life, changing our life-style.

It is in the vanguard of deep social changes. It will change the life-style the people and also their values.Computer revolution is no more a technological evolution but a social revolution.

This revolution forces us to discover new habits, new morals and formulate new disciplines and life systems. Our educational system has to be geared to meet this new age.

There are different opinions, conceptions and arguments on using computers by small children. Some go to the extent of openly attacking the use of computers saying that young children are exposed to all kinds of nefarious activities.

It is the responsibility of the teachers and parents to keep a close watch rather than criticising something which has an immense use for higher education.

Value based education should be extended even to the international schools or so called fee-levying schools and private tuition institutes where there is a large number of students receiving education, Law-enforcement authorities will have to be alert on these places since they are more vulnerable in comparison to Govt. schools.