The attitude of fairness and justice developed in childhood and teenage will lay the foundation of responsible citizens.
Education was once the exclusive responsibility of the state. In the constitutional amendment of 1976, education was included in the concurrent list. Since then, the central government continues to play a leading role in the evolution and monitoring of educational policies and programmes, the most notable of which are the National Policy of Education (NPE), 1986, Programme of Action, 1986 as update in 1992 and Right to Education Act 2009. The modified policy envisages a national system of Education to bring about a uniformity in education, making adult education a mass movement, providing universal access, retention and quality in elementary education and expanding the structure of higher education.
"We have professionals in every field, but we have few people in society who have a high moral character"
Moral Education is not our priority. It is not included in any of the syllabi-viz, science, humanities. Morals or morality, broadly speaking, implies honesty of character, fairness in attitude and absence of evils like jealousy, hatred and greed from actions. Our system of Education gives us formal knowledge of various types of subjects but does not teach us what is morality and how to bring the characteristics related to it in our mindset. Our schools, colleges and universities are churning out millions of young graduates every year who are experts in some field of science, art, commerce or technology. No teaching or training is given to the students on moral values. What have been the result of this system of Education? We have professionals in every field, but we have few people in society who have a high moral character.
The society reflects our education. Many of our officials in public and private sectors are corrupt. The assets they have acquired are most often much higher than their known sources of income. We read about income tax raids and Central Bureau of Investigation raids on the residences of high officials. Wealth amounting to crises of rupees is recovered during these raids. We watch on TV channels the scams that are unearthed after regular intervals. What do these incidents reveal? They reveal that our greed has reached gigantic proportions. The attitude for government employees has become so indifferent for he public. This is nothing but stealth of time. As students they were taught to solve various types of sums or write answers to different types of questions. They were not taught how to serve the nation. They were not made aware of the happiness that one deserves by working honestly and sincerely.
"They were not taught how to serve the nation. They were not made aware of the happiness that one deserves by living honestly and sincerely"
The atmosphere in our schools, colleges, and other institutions of Education is full of competition. The students are taught to excel one another. Competition more often become so intense that it leads to rivalries, jealousy and hatred among class fellows. It cannot be denied that competition is necessary to achieve higher goals. But it is totally undesirable if it breeds I'll feelings. Our ancient universities of Nalanda and Pataliputra created scholars of great repute like Kautilya in Economics and Susruta in Medicine, but they never used their competition among the students for the sake of justice and fair play.
The teachers and other educstionalists who are concerned with orientation of syllabi for schools and colleges are of the opinion that the characteristics of honesty, fair play, goodness and helpfulness which are the ingredients of morality cannot be taught as subjects in educational institutions. They are something a child inherits from the parents and learn from his family, particularly mother and father. So far religion is concerned it Is also something which everyone acquires from one's family and other members of the community. Being a secular country, India cannot take up religious education in schools and colleges. They argue that, to the extent moral education can be given in educational institutions, it is given through discipline and punishments for breaking the code of conduct. Any student who steals, abuses or hurt others is punished. This is nothing else but impairing of Moral Education. What these teachers and educstionalists tend to ignore is that these actions teach only discipline in actions. The student need to be told the ultimate consequences of wealth through illegal means when they grow up and take up jobs. For this, moral education needs to be taken up as a subject.
While luxuries provide only temporary happiness, real purpose of life is developed through spirit in a pure and chaste manner. This is the spiritual lesson every religion teaches. This is a part of Moral Education which each faith teaches us. This should be a part of our education. Works of great scholars are sufficient to develop a sense of justice and fairness among the children. It may be true to some extent but the fact remains that by including the works of great religious men and social reformers in the curriculum helps but little. In the examination, the students have to answer the questions based on the text.
"While luxuries provide only temporary happiness, real purpose of life is developed through spirit in a pure and chaste manner"
Moral values are extremely important for building a society which is free from the evils of violence, greed, hatred, avarice and jealousy. However high economic growth we achieve, whatever high aniuht if wealth we accumulate, our society will be afflicted by corruption and inequality if moral education is ignored. A great responsibility devolves on the teachers to remove the I'll feelings of jealousy and hatred from the pupil's minds. They must teach the students to achieve their goals through hard work. The attitude of fairness and justice developed in childhood and teenage will lay the foundation of responsible citizens.
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