Ibonio D’Souza
While education has been a most powerful instrument of societal upliftment, today sadly enough the authorities concerned seem to be completely oblivious of its increasingly deteriorating state in our country. There was a time when spiritual knowledge and secular knowledge were never separated into watertight compartments as they are today. The yawning chasm between the spiritual and the secular is the source of many of the problems that plague us today. The paramount need is to bridge this gap which brooks no delay.
Education in the past was never a commodity. It was never bought or sold. Teachers were revered. Even the learning aids were considered sacred. We would not even touch any piece of printed paper with our feet. This attitude is missing among the students today. Knowledge is treated as a commodity in the present times. It is packaged in different ways. New products are introduced every day. Today the world impinges on the child in a big way, both in the home and at school. By the time a child is two years old, he can access a smart phone or an iPad. The world has already come in. Under these circumstances, where is the place for discipline?
In the past, the aim of education was to learn how to face life. Today, the main aim of education is to get high grades, so that one can get a degree and a good job. Knowledge that does not bring instant name, fame, wealth, power or prestige is considered useless. The purpose of education in the past was to get a noble vision of life. Only by bringing back these values can we hope to rejuvenate our system of education so that the secular knowledge is nourished by spiritual health.
The greatest casuality of modern day education is faith. It is a fashion not to believe. If the disbelief is well thought out, it is easier to orient the person. But what we have is general resistance to any belief system.
Both the government and spiritual organisations have a very crucial role to play in the education system through their policies and institutions, by inculcating healthy spiritual values, and encouraging a noble vision of education.
A holistic vision of life would essentially include four aspects. The first and foremost aspect is integrated development. This is to nourish the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of the human personality, which has to bloom like a flower, full of fragrance, beauty, colour and softness.
The second is Indian culture. Through festivals, traditional customs and rituals, the study of epics and literature, the rich heritage of Indian culture must made available to the students. The third important aspect is patriotism. The service of our country is the service of God. The love and pride for the motherland and the desire to serve the country must be inculcated in the minds of the young through appropriate activities. And, the fourth aspect is universal outlook. In this age of connectivity it is even more essential to have a universal outlook.
