The National education Policy (NEP) has started several debates on the teaching learning practices, the pedagogies and the inculcation of values or lack of it in children. It speaks of a deficit of value systems, morals and ethics in current education system. That the debate had to be reignited in the 21st century through a policy intervention must surely make us all think. Need for instant success has only hastened uncontrolled corruption and decrease in ethical values, unlawful activities, inhuman behaviour and immoral consumption. Our education produces money makers, politicians, doctors, engineers, artists and actors but fails to produce value-based citizens. Is it time to reimagine our education system with values as the focus? Whereas technology binds people irrespective of morals or values or ethics, it may not translate in the same way for everyone.
Often, we have a conflict between our values and morality. May be different segments of society agree or disagree about whether something is abusive or not. Something is acceptable or not and so on. In such cases, should we act on our desire or on the desire of the society? These are contextual and must be addressed with logic and equanimity. However, the learning to be able to decide what is right and what is wrong comes out of education, family, friends and peers.
Our ancient education system had a purpose to deliver beyond semantics. It was meaningful in many ways. It was grand and noble. It moulded character. Training it imparted, promoted completeness of life. The ancient Indian Gurukul system of education was vibrant, prosperous, value-based and skills oriented. It linked life and nature.
Ethics or ‘ethos’ in Greek means character. Aristotle had said temperance, courage and justice were required to be ethically correct. Morality is the personal or cultural value codes of conduct or social values derived from a code of conduct. Hinduism the oldest religion teaches us four ‘Puruṣārthas’ such as ‘Dharma’ or righteousness and moral values, ‘Artha’ or prosperity and economic values, ‘Kama’ or pleasure, love and psychological values and ‘Moksha’ or liberation and spiritual values. In order to realise the spirit of these principles, ‘Yamas’ or the five ‘Sutras’ of Patanjali teach us practices such as ‘Satya’ or truth ‘Ahimsha’ or avoiding violence, ‘Asteya’ or not stealing, ‘Aparigrah’ or the virtue of non-possessiveness, or non-greediness and ‘Brahmacharya’ or the practice of celibacy.
Rushworth M Kidder an American author, ethicist, professor and founder of the Institute for Global Ethics, points out that the ethics in education are Ethics of justice, Ethics of Critique, Ethics of Care and Ethics of profession. It is amazing that our ancient education system was following this in both its practices and precepts for thousands of years.
The ancient education system laid great stress on overall growth of a child. Not only it helped in realising the higher truth but also helped lead individuals from darkness to light as in “Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya”. In order to do this, the Gurukuls laid stress on ‘Niyamas’ or practices like ‘Shaucha’ or purity, clarity of mind, speech and body, Santosha or contentment, acceptance of others, acceptance of one’s circumstances as they are and accept change, optimism for self, ‘Tapas’ or persistence, perseverance, austerity, asceticism, self-discipline, ‘Svadhyaya’ or study of Vedas, study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self’s thoughts, speech and actions and ‘Ishvarapranidhana’, or contemplation of the Ishvara or Brahman or the True Self. Each of these Niyamas help us in personal growth. They even stressed on the study and practice of ‘Asanas’ for relaxation of mind and body, ‘Pranayama’ for control of breath, ‘Pratyahara’ for realising one’s own awareness or consciousness, ‘Dharana’ for single minded purpose, and ‘Samadhi’ or meditation for inner peace.
Even the pedagogies used in our ancient schools were exemplary. Adi Shankara’s teaching-learning methods were completely student centric. Be it ‘Shravan Vidhi’ or ‘Manan Vidhi’, or ‘Nididhyasa Vidhi’, or ‘Prashnottar Vidhi’ or ‘Tark Vidhi’, or ‘Vyakhya Vidhi’, or ‘Adhyaropa Apavad Vidhi’, or ‘Drishtant Vidhi’, or ‘Katha-Kathan Vidhi’, or ‘Upadesh Vidhi’, each method was a revelation. Unfortunately, except for ‘Shravana Vidhi’ and ‘Upadesh Vidhi’, neither our schools nor our teachers want to experiment today, with any of the other methods. This results in teacher centric education that can actually put off many a learner.
In a way the ancient education did not only believe in imparting competency-based skills but greatly stressed on the importance of building a synergy between the body, mind and soul.
There is a great need to reinvent our education delivery mechanisms and synergistically identify with the past and infuse ethical and moral values for, are we not seeing a crisis in values in our youth today?
Education must impart good values, make good citizens apart from providing employability, logical thinking and problem-solving skills. What then has caused the ethical deterioration in Indian education system and its methods?
Our education system underwent stupendous changes from the Vedic period (1500-500 BCE) and saw Janapada, Magadha, Jainism, Buddhism, Maurya, Gupta, Chalukya, Chola, Pallava, Chera, Pandyan, Mughals and the British influencing it. But none were as profound as the changes brought about by the Britishers. Probably the ancient Hindu education systems and Sanskrit were laid waste since the day, Thomas Macaulay won the debate in 1835, on how to shape Indian education. Probably his was a conscious effort to train people for clerical jobs who could then serve the British.
Introduction of English medium schools, emphasis on modern science and mathematics and the diminished role of value education ensured a single dimension growth. Obviously developing skills was never on the agenda.
Globalization, modernization, industrialization, urbanization, privatization and the influence of western culture brought their share of problems. Though it did increase the literacy rate, did it raise the learning quotient?
A Globalised world seeks a Globalised economy. There may not be a way or would be a good idea to turn the clock several centuries back in time. Our education must inculcate the values enshrined in courage, kindness, patience, integrity, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, love, growth, listening, respect, self-giving, vision, authenticity, balance, community, compassion, creativity, generosity, justice, learning, freedom, loyalty, openness, prudence, resilience, responsibility, self-respect, spirituality and wisdom apart from the modern-day skills. What must be done is, reimagine and realign our education priorities within the Hindu backdrop. NEP provides for that.