New Education Policy Stress On Value Education In Schools

According to the Chairman of the drafting committee of New Education Policy, Mr. TSR Subramanian, for the first time in 30 years, India is going to have a new education policy, which is a major collaborative effort. However, the fact is that there is lack of transparency in the whole process. Scholars apprehend that there is going to be an ideological leaning in the whole process. However, the Chairman of the drafting committee TSR Subramanian said these fears are baseless. From his voice we understand the following points will be the highlight of the New Education Policy (NEP). The Policy will focus on value education, which is a pet idea of the present Government and its ideological masters. The whole thing is aimed at bringing the country rooted in Indian culture and nationalistic values. It sounds good but any idea of undermining the plurality of that culture and pinning on one stream of moral values will be detrimental to the future of India’s multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic frame work. Here is the big education story: Value education will form a major part of our syllabus, Mr Subramanian said. Although he did not go into specifics, he said, “Before values were taught by our families, but now that no longer happens so we have to teach our children that.'' Value education has always been controversial since critics point out that it can be used for political purposes. Mr Subramanian, who is heading the panel comprising former NCERT chairman JS Rajput and former chief secretary Shailaja Chandra, has submitted the draft policy. India's education system has been called second rate. The TSR panel said their trips to various educational institutions brought the truth home, but now the key is going to be distilling it into a solution. The HRD Minister meets many who are for saffronisation of education. One of the prominent names we hear is Dinanath Batra. Mr Subramanian said they have not met Dinanath Batra, the head of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti, who has been campaigning for a re-haul of the education system and for more moral education in the syllabus. Mr Batra's suggestions have been embraced by the Haryana government, but Mr Subramanian said, "He is welcome to come and meet us.'' Batra has openly said that he wants ‘Saffronisation of education’. The TSR panel has already run into major controversies, with many academics saying they haven't been consulted. For example, in matters of education in the country, it is ignoring the Christian missionary contribution and other Minority groups. Christians run more than 35000 educational institutions in the country providing quality education to millions of students. However, they have not been called for any consultation on new policy. With great difficulty we managed to submit the recommendation of CBCI education commission to the MHRD. Sometime ago, prominent academics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) among others wrote to TSR. Mr Subramanian says, "We have met many people and others are welcome to write to us too.'' The government claims consultations have been held over one year with 15,000 students, 2,400 common citizens, all states and most districts. Critics point out the key to the consultations is to make them transparent. But it seems to be another ploy played by the government. Since it not transparent, the Ministry can later on tell the nation that this is what people at large suggested and we followed their suggestion, thus justifying the one-sided policy. This apprehension is due to the happenings in many educational Institutions and Universities across the country. It is also rightly placed in the larger ideological framework of the political party that heads the Central government today. Look at the text books in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. There is a clear cut pattern visible. There is attempt to instil false pride in the young mind. Moral values are narrowed down only to one stream. Even attempt is there to teach one particular religious book in value classes. Since the NEP will bring out value education as the central theme let us look at what is value and what values should be taught today. What is value education? What it should be? Values are the priorities individuals and societies attach to certain beliefs, experiences, and objects, in deciding how they shall live and what they shall treasure. The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche first used the word ‘Values’ in 1880. Until then the word value was used as a verb meaning to value as esteem something or as a singular noun meaning the measure of something for example, the value of money, food or labour. Nietzsche used the word ‘Values’ in plural to denote moral beliefs and attitudes that were personal and subjective. In modern democratic society, this concept of values has changed. The word ‘Values’ has come to be used in plurals for over a century. As the world is becoming more civilized, education is becoming more or less materialistic and to old value traditions are being slowly given up. It is an imperative need in the present context of things that the whole of educational system should be restructured to include value education in the process of education. The concept of values can be seen in every human race. There are many categories of values. For eg: Personal Values : Personal values mean the desires of individual whatever they are in the social relationship. Some of the personal values are excellence, honesty, self-confidence, self-motivation, punctuality, ambition, courage, creativity, imagination etc. Moral Values: Moral values impart respecting others and ourselves, respecting the right of others, keeping promises avoiding unnecessary problems with others avoiding cheating and dishonesty, showing gratitude to others and encourage them to work. Social Values: Human being is a social animal. He cannot live alone. Therefore, we want social values like love, affection, friendship, peer group, imparity, hospitality, courageous, service, justice, freedom, patience, forgiveness, coordination, sympathy, tolerance etc. Social values are more important for healthy, good environment for every community. Spiritual values: The ultimate ethical value is called spiritual value. Spiritual values are piety, meditation, self-discipline, control, purity, and devotion to God etc. Spiritual values highlight the principles of self-restraint. It also teaches to restrain from wants and make us concerned of others and nature. Cultural Values : Cultural values are concerned with right and wrong, good and bad, customs and behaviour. Cultural values are reflected in language, ethics, social hierarchy, aesthetics, education, law, economics, philosophy and social institutions of every kind. Universal Values : It is universal values that indicate the essence of the human condition. It is through Universal Values that we link ourselves with humanity and the cosmos. Universal Values can be experienced as life, joy, brotherhood, love, compassion, service, bliss, truth and eternity. Among the classification of values Universal values are most important and needed for the human race. The others have their place but it is through Universal values that we experience a sense of oneness with the human race Universal values must be our foundation if we are to enjoy a rich, profound, fulfilling life. Today on one hand we talk about global outlook but in reality we become more and more narrow minded and regionalised in practice. Here comes the need for universal values in education. How can we teach Universal values to our students? UNESCO encourages schools to review their curricula in terms of value education. The fact that a world body like UNESCO should stress on the need of teaching ‘values’ in the school system in itself is an indication for us the need for more sincere and open effort for value education. In our schools we must encourage students to: · Develop their own personal moral codes and have compassion for others. · Reflect on experiences and search for meaning and patterns in their experiences. Let them be competent. · Have self-respect and respect for commonly held values such as honesty, truthfulness and justice, thus developing their character. · Make socially responsible judgments and to be able to provide justification of decision and actions. This will make them people of conscience. · Make socially responsible, committed citizens for communal harmony and cultural appreciation. This will make them committed to the Society. Towards these teachers must do a lot: · Teachers must be open to social, gender, religious and economic values. · Teachers must have urban, rural exposure to experience the realities of India. If possible have exposure outside of the country too. · Teachers influence the students’ values by their own examples. Schools must have co-scholastic activities through clubs to have informal interaction with teachers and students. Education is a process that starts from the womb and last till the tomb. Education did not just mean teaching the students how to read, write and get a job. It also included developing the personality of the student to make him, an ideal citizen. So value education is education in values. Education should train the student to recognize moral values. Teachers, leaders and the society should set examples before students and should join their hands in creating suitable atmosphere for practicing moral qualities. Teacher should protect the students from the evil influence of the society. I am sure that the makers of the NEP will pay attention to the following points. · Education for human values should be considered as a central core in the entire life of the school and outside school also. · Our national days and Martyrs days etc. will have programmes for students to exhibit their values and will be appreciated by the entire school. · All teachers are teachers of human values at all times and therefore, they know the way, show the way and walk the way. Internalization of value in thought, word and deed, is the goal and not mere knowledge of it. · The best of universal values is enshrined in our Constitutions. Let us teach Constitutional values in our curriculum than any religious specific values. I agree with TSR Subramanian that Value education has the capacity to transform our society. Education is the foundation of any civilised society. Whenever Education was caged in narrow domestic walls of ideologies it loses its significance. Therefore, if India wants to be world leaders, not in the sense of might but of values, then it is time for us to rise above narrow mindedness and accept universal values as it is enshrined in our Constitutions. Let us hope for the New Education Policy with these as its core. ( The author is the Jesuit Education Secretary for South Asia (JEA), and the National adviser for JAAI.) (Published on 21st March 2016, Volume XXVIII, Issue 12)# - See more at: http://www.indiancurrents.org/article-new-education-policy-stress-on-value-education-in-schools-103.php#sthash.u0THw24P.dpuf