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Role of family, society and education in inculcating values - Part 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Education, family and society are the most important defining pillars for the development of moral values and belief systems of an individual. The various factors affecting moral development are cognitive development, interactions with peers, use of reasons and rationale, moral issues and dilemmas and a sense of self.
Parents and home plays a dominant role in educating a child. Parents are more accessible to the child than other members of the family. Mother is the first teacher and home is the first school and parents are first example in Social behaviour. They can show their love to their children by doing everything necessary to make them follow the right path. If there is a strong family upbringing and the child feels secure, whether it is a religious house or not, they feel more confident in doing the right thing. Such children have better judgment when it comes to choosing their friends and they stay in a better position to handle peer pressure. A special emphasis on the early training among pupils can provide better safeguards against, these and many other similar social evils.
Education undoubtedly is one of the most powerful agencies moulding the character and in determining the future of individuals and nations. Thus, the whole realm of education is centered on the development of the moral aspect of man. Plato emphasized that educational effort should aim at the promotion of virtue. Herbert declared that the whole work of education, which is a long and complex training, should focus on one particular thing that could be summed up in the concept “Morality”. Mahatma Gandhi states, “Education of heart, or Moral Education is the prime function to provide. If we succeed in building character of the individual, society will take care of itself”. According to Bertrand Russel, the chief aim of education is the “formation of character.”
The University Education Commission (1964-66) summarizes the Indian concept of education as follows; “Education according to Indian tradition, is not merely a means of earning a living; nor is it only a nursery of thought or a school for citizenship. It is the initiation into a life of spirit, a training of human souls in pursuit of truth and the practice of virtue”.
Mahatma Gandhi states, “Education aims at development of the 3Hs: hand, head and heart”. He says “Education, is thus an awakening of the soul. It was to be their real teacher and guardian who must touch their hearts. It must share their joys”. Gandhi was broad-minded in religious views. He believed in morality. Idealists only think about moral and religious education. He believed in absolute values, trust, beauty and goodness. The central purpose of education is to build character. To educate a man in mind, and not in morals, is to educate a menace to society.
Theodore Roosevelt states, “Education is a continuous and dynamic process. It is a process that leads to all round development of man and creates a ‘sound mind in a sound body’. It assists in discovering lasting values and modification of behaviour”.
“The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not trade; character, not technicalities” -Winston Churchill.
Educated persons are those who can choose wisely and courageously under any circumstances. If they have the ability to differentiate between good and bad, wisdom and foolishness, virtues and vulgarities, regardless of the academic degrees they have, then they are educated. Life-centered ethics have to be dealt with, to develop the will, to live a morally good life.
There is much psychological evidence that morality is learnt, and can be controlled and directed. Learning to control impulses, moral rules and principles, is a valuable guide, to apply the principles to new situations. For Swami Vivekananda, the goal of education is “Man making”. It is making of the whole human being.
1. Moral aim
The teacher, through instruction, is to impart higher ideas to the child with which the latter would control his lower impulses. The child’s character is to be modified and socially desirable moral virtue is to be cultivated. The ethical or moral aim is supreme in as much as it can be reconciled to all aims-provided “morality” is taken in a wider sense.
2. Social aim
According to McElhiney and Smith, character education consists of, first, in developing proper attitudes and second, in developing responses. This is a broad task: the enriching of students in the finer task, which includes enriching of students in the finer social manners and social cultures. It includes a development in the making of a satisfactory and satisfying social adjustment and the more important task of enriching life in those spiritual qualities, manners and ones responses in the face of moral situations, which arise from day to day processes of character development.
3. Behavioural aim
Character has to do with one’s attitudes toward badness or goodness. Character is an inner quality of the personality, but it is manifested by outward sign, which is called overt acts or conduct. Character is just one quality of the personality having to do with morality. By personality, we mean all there is of an individual. Character lies in the field of the attitudes and reactions which this personality possesses. These attitudes and reactions are both intellectual and emotional. These are the ways one thinks, feels and responds when facing some reality of life, whether philosophical or personal.
4. Religious aim
Bhatia & Bhatia (1986) quote Mahatma Gandhi -”Fundamental principles of ethics are common to all religions. Through religion alone the feet of youth can be set “on the road to ultimate values”. Religion has been interpreted in many ways. It is given a supernatural, a social or a moral interpretation. In simple words; religion stands for the spiritual values of the life and for the relation of the human personality to the Divine. Religious education will give every learner a faith that will keep his eyes fixed on a goal, which will stimulate action, thought and a feeling of faith in God. While it is important to include the scientific temper in boys and girls, it is also essential to make them aware of the need to develop as a human being, and to develop the spiritual side. This is vital, since the control of science and technology at the rate of which it is expanding, requires this balance to be maintained.
5. Environmental aim
Gandhi said, one cannot be truly human and civilized unless one looks upon not only all fellow-men but all creation with the eyes of a friend. According to Fanning, education in environmental matters teaches responsible conduct by individuals in protecting and improving the environment in its full human dimension. Environmental education is intended to promote among citizens the awareness and understanding of the environment, our relationship to it, and the concern and responsible action necessary to assure our survival and to improve the quality of life.
2.2 Development of values through education
To make the value aspect of our education programmes more prominent, the following ideas may be incorporated in the educational programmes.
- Developing self-respect, awareness of self-growth, one’s uniqueness, self-confidence
- Promoting selflessness, cooperative spirit, spirit of sharing
- Cultivating respect for property, one’s own and that of others
- Understanding the contribution of home towards the physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual development of young people
- Imparting clear direction on cleanliness, punctuality, use of refined language, courtesy, proper manner, respect for elders
- Knowing of surroundings - visiting slums, villages, hospitals, orphanages, old people’s homes
- Becoming aware of the need of others
- Promoting civic sense, awareness of oneself as a member of a community, civic duties
- Awareness of one’s strength and weakness, and also those of others.
- Love of friends, classmates, and the not so fortunate
- Seeking to realize one’s potentialities and talents, disciplined learning in academics, sports, cultivating the scientific temper
- Independent thinking, not blindly following others
- Exposure to great personalities
- Knowledge of the Constitution, rights, and duties
- Knowing the provision to promote human dignity and justice, patriotism, national integrity, international understanding
- Protection of environment
- Dissemination of cultural heritage
- Modifying human behaviour through values
- Knowing one’s village/city, state, country
- Promotion of equality and justice for all the citizens
- Prayers of various religions
- Awareness of good points in other religions
- Appreciating the useful views of others and their cultural traditions
- Propagation of value philosophy.
2.3 Role of school in value orientation
Sutherland stresses that schools are to be concerned not simply with progress in thinking about morality, but with associating moral judgment, with moral behaviours and methods, which are proposed to do this demand attention. Schools function is to teach our young human values like skill of interdependence by working independently, and skill of comparison through loving and caring. If classroom sends messages of love, safety, security, belonging and warmth, messages which say this is a place where the individual is respected and trusted, where human being may engage in human activity, then in such a classroom, learning and living are united. The pursuit of internal happiness must be one of the chief aims of education, and not mere possessing and developing material comforts in this life. The flexible, broad and human curriculum must provide ennobling and elevating experience to students. Schools must have facilities to inculcate values in students, and should create a useful life environment for their progress.
The main dictum of schools is that they should provide a healthy climate for sharing responsibilities and community relationships. The well known fact is “practice is better than precept”. That is why every school should have a firm authority structure whose rules, principles and forms of punishment should be clear and defensible. The students should be encouraged to have a proper role taking means for their value development.
Education is a value and school is an instrument to realize it. But what is value today is efficiency with which the school prepares the child to compete for success in a market economy. The value frame provided by home, community, school, peer group, media and society are different and often contradictory. Values propagated by the electronic media and peer group on many occasions are more powerful than values taught in the school, or by the parents. Schooling, has thus, gradually distanced itself from its central purpose of education. Education, like other consumer goods, is marketed by the profit motive. The genuine objective of education like development of personality, moral character, creative self-expression, democratic citizenship, nurturing of talent have suffered serious neglect in schooling. Therefore, the need for reexamining of the objectives of education visà-vis schooling practice and transformation of schools and training institutions is strongly felt by many. Only value-oriented education will promote individual and social welfare, love, peace, goodwill and understanding.
2.3.1 The importance of school atmosphere
The school atmosphere, the personality and behaviour of the teachers, and the facilities provided in the campus, will have a large say in developing a sense of values. We would like to emphasize that the consciousness of value must permeate the whole curriculum and programme of activities in the campus. It is not only the teachers in-charge of normal instruction who are responsible for building character; every teacher, whatever is the subject, must necessarily accept this responsibility. The school assembly, the curricular and co-curricular activities, the celebration of festivals of all religions, work experience, team games, subject clubs, and social service programme - all this can help in inculcating the value of cooperation and mutual regard, honesty, and integrity, discipline and social responsibility. These values have significance in the society today, when young men and women are passing through a crisis of character. Carl Rogers says, “When a teacher creates a classroom climate of realness, unconditional positive regard and empathy, when he trusts the constructive tendency of the individual and the group, he has truly brought up an educational revolution”. It is increasingly accepted that the school’s primary task is to inculcate moral values, since all human acts have an impact upon others. It is the school’s function to produce individuals who cannot feel isolated in the midst of mankind. The chief function is to produce socially self actualizing persons.
Education is an ethical practice. The value transferred to students, through the school as an institution, also includes credentials, competition and a utilitarian approach to learning. All educational institutions agree upon essential competencies, albeit at varying academic levels. Therefore, the quality enhancement program should focus on enhancing essential learning that could bring the entire college together to work toward a common goal, a goal that is consistent to prepare students to succeed in the real world.
2.3.2 Imbibing values through curricular activities
The task of the teacher is to contribute towards this process of fostering genuine values. Teachers often face the temptation to limit themselves to imparting information rather than preparing their pupils for life. The pressures of academic requirements often stifle the efforts of well meaning educators who struggle hard to fire their students with enthusiasm for higher ideals. Hence, teachers in this challenging process of transmitting values, are most warmly welcomed. Every subject can be means of building good character and values. Some examples are given below:
- Language: In language, through conversation and discussion, the teacher/educator can enable students to embody higher and noble ideas.
- Social Sciences: Through social science in general, we can develop values like secularism, socialism, hard work and democracy, etc.
- Geography: Through geography, we can develop values of conservation, preservation, adventure, etc.
- Economics: Through economics, a teacher can lay emphasis on the value of thrift and saving, which lead to the prosperity of a person.
- Civics: Through civics, we can develop values of cooperation, sense of mutual welfare, obedience of law, concern for environment, etc.
- Science: Everything in nature has a lesson to teach. For example, we can say while blowing up a balloon, if person blows too much air into it, it will burst. Similarly, if we are too greedy and acquire more material wealth sooner or later, we will have problems.
- Mathematics: In mathematics, there is a wide scope of imparting values like neatness, accuracy, proper planning etc.
Thus we can say that education and values go hand in hand and values are inherent in every module of learning; even
co-curricular activities can serve as a sound base for the inculcation of values among students.
2.3.3 Imbibing values through co-curricular values
As the students spend a lot of their time at school, it demands that we should set fresh goals for attainment in the personal, emotional, social, moral and spiritual fields of human development. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (the philosopher President of India) had said, “We must realize the talents of the children, and help them to become what they are, to the full potential. It is the machine that constructs; it is the living spirit that creates. Song, dance and literature are creative activities”. The co-curricular activities naturally help in the smooth running of the school and make the children strong, steady, healthy and creative. Active participation in co-curricular activities arouses curiosity, creates interest and inculcates values. Values that can be generated in the co-curricular activities are:
- Physical values: physical activities help the normal growth and muscular development of the body along with some values like games, mass drill, NCC, NSS, NGC, swimming, boating, yogic exercises, gardening etc.
- Psychological values: The co- curricular activities provide to the child psychological compensation. They play a significant role in the training of emotions. The pent-up emotions find effective outlet through activities. When the mind is free of the emotional load, the alternate, precision, determination, self-control, courage etc, come into focus.
- Civic values: Experiences like self government, student council, organizations of various activity clubs, like sanitation club, red ribbon club etc, membership of various committees etc, provide for responsible behaviour persistence in efforts and fulfillment of the tasks.
- Social values: Co-curricular activities are carried out in a social environment, developing team sprits, fellow feeling, social unity, cooperation, tolerance, brotherhood, goodwill etc. . Activities like scouting, first aid, Red Cross, Sharmadan develop social inclination and compassion for the needy.
- Moral values: Through sports, pupils developed integrity, uprightness, impartiality, honesty, and also fair play.
- Academic values: Co-curricular activities like debates, discussion etc. supplement class works and widen the bookish knowledge. Literary activities like symposia, recitations and publication of magazines etc enrich the knowledge of various aspects and language skills.
- Vocational values: Introduction of leisure time activities or hobbies like photography, clay modeling, album making, coin and stamp collection, tailoring, gardening, weaving, knitting and some such handicrafts facilitates the children to have them as the feature vocation and develop creativity too.
- Culture values: Dramatics, Folk dance, music, pageants, celebration of social and religious functions, etc. provide glimpses of our culture which can preserve, transmit and develop our cultural heritage. Aesthetic & Recreational values: Sports, cultural programmes dances, dramas, etc give relaxation from normal routine. Drawing, painting, fancy dress, fine arts, preparation of models, and flow shows, etc develop aesthetic sensitivity.
- Disciplinary values: students get a number of opportunities to frame and follow certain rules and regulations concerning activities, thus they develop self discipline and a sense of responsibility.
- Value of oneness: it is developed through celebration of birthdays of great men and women belonging to different countries and religions. Celebration of international days like UNO Day, World Education Day, etc. can considerably promote oneness of humanity and cultivate the ideas and feelings of international understanding in the students.
2.3.4 Role of Teachers in inculcating values
If contemporary education is to be value-based it can never be done without the teachers themselves understanding, appreciating and upholding the life sustained moral values. The teacher cannot have any excuse whatsoever. If one cannot practice these values, one should not try to pursue teaching as a job. It is a mission and vision for life and for posterity. That is the kind of realization that should be created in present day teachers.
Every teacher is first a moral education teacher and then only a teacher in a subject of his specialization. This is the most fundamental and basic requirement for the growth and development of morality among the children in any educational institution. Teachers have a responsibility to show themselves as models to children through their ideas and ideals. This will help children to develop their ego-ideal. Role of a teacher in organising co-curricular activities in school manifests as a Planner, Leader, an Organiser, a Recorder and Evaluator, a Manager, a Decision Maker, an Advisor, a Motivator, a Communicator, and a Coordinator.
Experts do believe that lack of moral value is the major cause of unrest in, and deteriorating social fabric of India. Restlessness among youth is a major cause of crime. Openness, easy access to unwanted elements and lack of self control are becoming harmful components of our society. Youth must be directed and shown the right path. Education must focus on the all-round development of a child because moral values help in making complete human beings, not just individuals. It prepares them for their future role. Analyzed properly, we can see that a lack of moral values is the root cause of corruption. When our own vested interests surpass the societal good, then such things happen. We have to check this, because if the moral values keep on going downhill, then it may lead to the complete downfall of the society.
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