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Principal, B Ed Section

Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education, Mysore

The Present Context

The subject value education has come to acquire increasing prominence in educational discussions at all levels during recent times in our country. The issue has been projected as one of national priority in the National Educational Policy (NPE), 1986. The Policy declares: "the growing concern over the erosion of essential values and an increasing cynicism in society has brought to focus the need for readjustments in the curriculum in order to make education a forceful tool for the cultivation of social and moral values". According to National Curriculum for Primary and Secondary Education (1985), the crisis of values our society is passing through "demands more explicit and deliberate educational efforts towards value development". The first term of reference for the National Commission on Teachers (1983) was "to lay down clear objectives for the teaching profession with reference to the search for excellence, breadth of vision and cultivation of values..". The Working Group to review teachers training programmes in the light of the need for value orientation (WG) set up by the Government of India in 1983 recommended for the inclusion of a value education component in the teacher education programme besides spelling out details of curriculum, methodology and teachers role.

Concept of Value Education

Value Education, as it is generally used, refers to a wide gamut of learning and activities ranging from training in physical health, mental hygiene, etiquette and manners, appropriate social behaviour, civic rights and duties to aesthetic and even religious training.

To some, value education is simply a matter of developing appropriate behaviour and habits involving inculcation of certain virtues and habits. In opposition to such a conception, it is pointed out that value education has an essentially cognitive component in it and that this should not be ignored. Actually the ability to make moral judgement based on sound reasoning is a very important aim of value education and has to be deliberately cultivated.

Moral development of a child, according to some, results automatically from the social life of the school. The child as a member of the group imbibes the attitudes, values and general behaviour of the group and continually tries to mould himself according to the group norm. Such adjustment to life constitutes his moral development. Value Education is a process of aiding the child in such adjustment. Such a view is contested on the ground that although children learn the rules of group living from the social life of the school, such learning does not constitute value education. For morality, it is pointed out, is not concerned so much with `what is' as with `what ought to be' and `what ought to be done'.

Value Education, according to one more view, is essentially a matter of educating the feelings and emotions. It is the `training of the heart' and consists in developing the right feelings and emotions. It does not involve any cognitive abilities that can be trained. Like poetry, it is `caught' rather than taught. It is essentially a matter of creating the right atmosphere, imitation and learning by example communion with nature or modeling one self after an ideal. Such a view is countered by saying that mere imitation of a `good' person and modeling oneself after an ideal does not confer any morality on an individual. Morality is not a thing that simply `radiates' from one person to another. Moral development includes both thinking morally and behaving morally. Moral thinking is a distinct type of thinking characterized by the exercise of rational choice. A moral person is not only a person who does the `right' thing but also one who does the `right' thing for the `right' reason.

Objectives of Value Education

Educational objectives refer to explicit formulations of the ways in which students are expected to be changed by the educative process. That is, the ways in which they will change in their thinking, their feelings and their actions. Objectives whether of value education or of any other curricular area depend on a variety of factors, psychological, sociological, epistemological.

Objectives of value education in the modern context

Objectives, especially in value education, have a temporal dimension. Traditionally the objectives of value education were based on religion and philosophy. There was no secular value education and very little scope for the development of moral thinking and the capacity for independent moral decision. In the modern world these are varieties of social demands made on the people. A civilized individual must possess certain minimum social skills. He has to establish decent relationship with people with whom he may come across for a short while or for a long duration. He may have to transact business in his private or public capacity. He has to function as a citizen of his state, or his country and of the world, all at the same time playing appropriate roles in each of these contexts. There are also many other demands made on him that need not be enumerated. Value education should therefore, it is pointed out, prepare an individual to meet these demands. That these cannot be accomplished in the form of a few do's and don'ts of the traditional form is quite evident.

The Working Group on value oriented education has identified five dimensions on value education, these being physical education, emotional education, mental development, aesthetic development and the moral and spiritual domain. The values to be pursued in the moral and spiritual realm, according to them are:

Sincerity, faithfulness, obedience to what one conceives to be the highest, gratitude, honesty, benevolence, generosity, cheerfulness, selflessness, freedom from egoism, equanimity in joy and suffering, in honour and dishonour, success and failure, pursuit of the deepest and the highest of the absolute and ultimate and the progressive expression of this pursuit in thought, feeling and action.

In many countries today the emphasis is on socio-economic reconstruction with the declared intention of a more equitable distribution of the benefits brought about by modernization. Traditional cultural values have had little time to adjust to certain attributes of modernization. Planners of value education curriculum then are faced with the problems of identifying values and character traits hat will best equip the individual to take to his place in modern society. The objectives of value education should be such that the curriculum should recognize the tensions that are brought about by the conflicts between tradition and change. The planned programme should aim at developing a critical value perspective in our pupils that will enable them to employ modern skills for the betterment of mankind while helping them renew their commitment to fundamental traditional values.

The Religious Dimension in Objectives

In countries where strong religious education programmes are supported either by religious bodies or by the government, it is clearly desirable even where schools follow different religious programmes, to have a common value education programme agreeable to all bodies engaged in education.

Value education programmes for separate religious groups may lead to religious, cultural, social and political prejudice that in pluralist societies may disrupt national unity. In countries with a secular education system, the government should consider the contribution which religions can make in developing an effective value education programme. It is believed that a good value education programme can be developed without relying on religion. This may be necessary in multi-religious societies and in those where the population is a mixed one of believers and non-believers. At the same time, common teachings of all religions can be used to reinforce values and also teach religious tolerance and understanding to children. For this purpose it is necessary to make a study of the common teachings of different religions and the religious phenomenon as a whole that might be conducive to the value development of children.

The Spatial Dimension

An important aspect of value education programmes in all countries relates to the development of the spirit of national identity and patriotism in children. This is necessary for the purpose of integrating and strengthening a nation, especially if it has won its freedom only recently or if its security is threatened in some form. But this concern for national identity may occasionally take the form of national chauvinism and the citizens of a country may develop a feeling that their country is always right.

It has been argued therefore that it should be an important objective of value education to make children aware of the fact that the whole world is now a community of interdependent nations that the survival and well-being of the people of the world depends on mutual cooperation. Children should be enabled to develop a world-view and appreciate the contributions made to the world's progress by different cultures and made to realize that in the case of various countries coming in conflict with one another, the world would be a very unsafe place to live in.

The Cognitive, Conative and Affective Dimensions of Value Education objectives

To be educated in the real sense of the term is to be able to think right, to feel the right kind of emotions and to act in the desirable manner. Objectives of value education should therefore be concerned with all the three phases of personality development as they relate to the right kind of behavior. As these phases are themselves inter related, it would be erroneous to think that value education is exclusively concerned with knowledge, emotion or action alone. To say that `morality is caught' is to do injustice to the cognitive abilities and training involved in it. Similarly to equate value education with making students observe certain do's and don'ts would amount to ignoring education of feelings and moral reasoning. The point of mentioning this here is only to draw attention to the multi-dimensional nature of the value education enterprise.

Moral Components advocated by John Wilson

1.      A consideration for others: — Principle of equality _ dignity of the individual _ virtues involved; kindness, sympathy, altruism, courtesy, cooperation etc.

2.      An awareness of feelings in one's own and in others: — capacity to anticipate the feelings that would arise in himself and in others as a result of his action _ moral thinking about the pros and cons of his action _ `Do unto others as you would like them do unto you' _ virtues involved: magnanimity, nobility, altruism etc.

3.      Ability to collect data (in a situation involving morality). _ right decision making _ moral issues and moral conflicts _ ability to collect all relevant facts _ analyse _ think of the possible course of action _ scientific method of solving problems _ virtues involved : reasoning, endurance, patience, etc.

4.      Ability to take a decision: — moral education must train the person to be able to take the right decision _ virtues involved: justice, wisdom, temperance etc.

5.      Will to act on the decision: — may not act for want of sufficient courage _ fear anticipated _ virtues involved: courage, duty, responsibility etc.

Recommends for the development in children five Primary Moral Traits (PMT) and four Primary Moral Attitudes (PMA). He seems to have evolved these traits and attitudes considering moral education as a process of socialization of the individual.

1. to make right moral judgements

2. to postpone gratification of desires

3. to treat other human beings with dignity

4. to be flexible in making moral judgements

5. to be creative and dynamic in moral decisions

The individual must be educated to possess the following attitudes:

1. Autonomy: — freedom of the will _ feel free to take a decision.

2. Rationality: - moral decisions based on reason.

3. Altruism: - extending help and cooperation to others _ self-sacrifice

4. Responsibility: - prepared to own responsibility for all his actions _ accept guilt in all humility.

1.   Manujamatha (Universal man) _ The religion of man should make him a universal man.

2.   Vishwapatha (Universal Path) _ The path should be the universal path _ cross the barriers from colour, religion, caste etc _ feeling the infinite and becoming infinite.

3.   Sarvodaya (Welfare of all) _ bond of love _ broad outlook concern for others _ Principle of Spirituality.

4.   Samanvaya (Harmony) _ no dividing lines between any individuals or levels of society _ no difference on the basis of the material or the spiritual aspects of life _ function on the basis of cooperation, unity and spirit of harmony.

5.   Poorna Drishti (Integral vision) _ entire humanity as one human values which are universal and absolute.

Kuvempu's Sapta Sutras: (The seven articles of the charter)

The character of fundamental principles to be practised in order to become the "Universal

Man' says:

1. accept all mankind as one(community)

2. wipeout caste system (not to reform)

3. caste systems in all countries and all religions should be totally denounced and completely destroyed.

4. `Spirituality' and not religion should be the scientific principle

5. Relgiion should become `Religion of Humanity'.

6. As many religions as there are individuals.

7. No single book becomes the `only one' and the `most sacred' scripture-study and assimilate all books _ `build one's own philosophy'.

Value Education _ Its Content and Learning Resources

Value education cannot be circumscribed by textbook material but should be left to the initiative and inspriation of the teachers in finding the learning resources. However, there are a few ways in which value education can be imparted.

a.       Social and ethical values, examples from day-to-day situations, extracts from sayings of great men, incidents and problems which develop value judgement among pupils, dramas, dialogues, simple poems(Kavya Vachana) and scriptures from world religions could form the major part of the content along with the biographies of great men.

b.      Personal, neighbourly and community values should be taught in the classroom and thoroguhly discussed with the students.

c.       A variety of learning resources can be used for value education ranging from biographies, scriptures, proverbs, hymns and sayings of great men to current social and political events, stories from religion and mythology, moral dilemmas and schools events.

d.      Yoga and other activities that develop self-discipline among students could be included.

e.       Group activities like cleaning the school camps, visiting slums, service campus, visits to hospitals, visits to places of worship of different faiths should form part of content in value education. Discourses on the lives of spiritual leaders can bring out values like self-sacrifice, collective happiness, love for truth and ultimate values of life for which the great leaders lived.

f.       `Personality Development Retreats' could be held to enable the students to develop self-control, punctuality, sharing and caring respect for other faiths, cooperation and the value of silence(inner peace).

g.      Prayer, meditation and `Shramadan' could form part of the content of value education. They can help the students cultivate inner poise and an attitudinal shift, and develop the quality of `dignity of labour'.

h.      Observing `Jayanthis' ie., birthdays of great national and spiritual leaders and organizing youth organizations for character development like Balaka Sangha and Taruna Sangha can go a long way in the inculcation of values in students.