 AN OUTLINE PROGRAMME OF
 VALUE-ORIENTED EDUCATION AND
 RELEVANT PEDAGOGICAL
 SUGGESTIONS

Education is a vast cycle, and what we propose for one sector of education has repercussions on all the other sectors of education. If we wish our teachers to be value-oriented, it is not merely because we want to tone up our teachers' training programmes. We want our teachers to be value-oriented because we want them to be rightly equipped as vehicles of values for the benefit of our childern 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 childern and youths. This point has been kept in view while presenting the following out- line of a possible programme of value-oriented education which could be treated as a core of the totality of the teachers' training pro- gramme.

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.

2. Psychology, Education and Values :

A. Man and Personality

B. 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;

Four-fold 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 in most 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, Zoro-astrianism 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, Secularism, Tolerance and Synthesis

Pshychology 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 Shri 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 the 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:

Examples

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:

Examples

10. Physical Culture and its Values:

(a) Health; (b) Strength; (c) Agility; (d) Grade; 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 :

Some Examples

Creation of Educational Environment through Exhibitions, Interior decoration and stimulating atmosphere.

Lessons of History as an aid to the pursuit of Values Some Examples.

Theme of Unity of Mankind in world History.

12. Practical Suggestions and Hints to Teachers

(Considering the over-arching importance of the suggestions and hints, we propose to present details in the next Section).

(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 dont's. The idea of a series of Do's and Dont's 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 outer 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 the 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 we have noted elsewhere, values cannot be taught in 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 to encourage him in his growth by watching, suggestions and helping, but not imposing or interfering.

All occasions of daily life should be utilised by the teacher to brine his student nearer to the realisation of the ideals. 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 friendships, 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 direction of true progress.

(2)

We may now venture to suggest some further guidelines which may be helpful to teachers at different levels of guiding and helping the children:

(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 truth, beauty and goodness. To recognise this turning and to encourage it wisely and with a deep sympathy would be the first indispensable step.

(b) The most important quality to develop among the childen is sincerity.

(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 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 incli- nation 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 opposed 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.

AN OUTLINE PROGRAMME OF VALUE-ORIENTED EDUCATION AND RELEVANT PEDAGOGICAL SUGGESTIONS