Strengthening Values in Education

In ancient times, education considered the privilege of the priests and the ruling classes. The ability to read, writer and cipher ensured their dominance over the labouring classes and the peasants. The industrial revolution, and in particular the invention of the rotary printing press catalysed the downward dissemination of literacy.

Henry Steele Commager, said “Progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them.” The need to spread the ‘light’ of education to the great-unwashed as a ‘fundamental right’ is not unconnected with basic capitalism and the need to expand markets and create wants.

The ‘values’ transmitted to early students were essentially ruling class values. The art of warfare, diplomacy, knowledge of epics that invariably extolled the virtues of the priests and the warriors. The ‘Public School’ in England, and the “Private School’ in America existed to prepare a privileged ruling class. The Missionary Schools which mushroomed from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries , were basically vehicles to ‘teach the natives their rightful place in society’ which basically served to grease the wheels of colonialism.

Today , we have a Constitution that declares us all equal.
But the education curricula prepared for the so-called ‘non-formal’ centres or primary schools serving communities of Musahars, Chamars, Bhuiyans, and other marginal castes and tribes, shows an absence of respect for their values and customs.
How many lessons are drawn from their own reality, their folk-lore, their customs? Yet we talk of ‘mainstreaming’ the backward communities.

In our text-books, is there a single text which lauds the work of Dashrath Manjhi? How many passages are drawn from the writings of Dalit authors? How many passages laud the dignity of labour? In our Language papers, do we ever have our children write an essay on “One day as a brick-layer” or “The contribution of scavengers to the health of our city”?

Do we praise equality, but teach inequality? Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, cleaned latrines. He broomed human excreta in an era where untouchability reigned supreme. He was upper caste and upper class. He taught equality and the dignity of labour by cleaning latrines. Gandhiji set an example in the teaching of values.

Let Parents and teachers live the values they teach. Global warming should be combined with a personal conservation of electricity. Can you teach cleanliness if you yourself throw garbage on to the street? Discipline should be taught by your own adherence to traffic rules, bank rules, standing in queues, waiting your turn.

Parents and teachers should live their values, educational values will automatically be strengthened.