Syed Tanveer Ahmedconceptualises internalisation of values and devises a module for understanding and teaching of ethical or moral values like peace, fraternity, social equality, justice, progress, scientific temper, opposing superstition, extravagance, etc. in schools in collaboration with all stakeholders, teachers, students’ representatives, parents, the civil society, etc.
Value-based education or teaching values is not a new topic. Since the beginning of education, values have been the foundation of education. Values were first detached from education after the industrial revolution. The education system devoid of values was called secular education system. However, later on, values did find their way back into the education system and they were termed as social skills. The secular education system does not provide space for values that are based on religion or metaphysical concepts. On some occasions, it even rejects values completely.
An important definition of knowledge before the Renaissance has been the understanding of morals and values. Nevertheless, there is talk of values in education, once again. However, one basic difference between the present and the ancient value-based education is that in the traditional theories of education and other ancient theories, the teaching of values was derived from religion and theology whereas the teaching of values in the secular theory of education is included as a social skill. The term ‘transcendental values’ was used as part of value education.
Values are mentioned in all the educational policies of our country. However, it is not mentioned in the same manner as stated by the secular education system. The Constitution of our country and our education system is committed to educating students without being influenced by any religion. As far as values are concerned, the values that are derived from our Constitution and its spirit should be taught. Almost all education policies advocate that the universal values which promote peace, fraternity, social equality, justice, progress, scientific temper, and opposing superstition should be taught in the country.
However, the National Education Policy 2020 differs from other policies and says that values in education should be derived from Indian culture and Indian philosophy. It would be pertinent to note that culture is used in the ‘singular’ form in the document. This implies that the policy-making committee has recognised and accepted that there exists only one culture in the country although our country is a bouquet of many cultures and civilizations.
Moreover, what is the culture that is mentioned in the policy? The answer is Indian philosophy. Explaining the definition of Indian philosophy, Encyclopaedia Britannica says it is derived from the ‘Vedas’. Thus, the values that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 seeks to promote violate the spirit of the Constitution. The intellectuals of the country should reflect on this issue. When the central government or state governments issue an official notification to implement this policy, it may be challenged in court because the Constitution of India is against the promotion of the teaching of any one religion in the field of education.
However, previous policies permit the teaching of religious values after school hours. The intellectuals of the country need to ponder this problem seriously. By the way, the NEP 2020 itself presents the solution to this problem in another paragraph namely – that students should be sensitised about each other’s religion. Promoting familiarity with each other’s religions is one thing and imposing the customs and traditions of another religion is a very different thing, which is also something unconstitutional. The latter practice is being adopted by some government and often by private educational institutions.
In this whole debate, the stand taken by the Dr. Radhakrishnan Committee (1948) appears more feasible. The committee’s position was to select common values from all religions that are found in our country and then teach those values which are compatible with universal morality and which are agreed upon by the followers of all religions. Most of the people of our country follow some or the other religion. Hence, they do not deny the importance of value-based education. Rather, the majority wishes that the teaching of values should be integrated in our education system.
However, while adopting it, there are different methods and styles prevalent in educational institutions. Generally, value-based education is assumed to mean that students be taught certain basic morals. Similarly, in some schools, there is a period for moral science, but instead of learning moral science in this period, children are sent to the playground to play some games. In some schools, children are given library books and asked to read them or another way is to tell some stories in the moral science period.
Thus, moral education has not yet gained the importance it should have. We see its results in our society today. Educated people often lead unethical and immoral lives. Neither their social life nor family life is any good nor are they able to do anything good for themselves. A general survey reveals that the more educated a person is, the more ignorant he is about the ethical principles of life. Less educated or ignorant people are involved in certain types of crimes and educated people in some other types.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORAL EDUCATION AND CHARACTER-BUILDING
Generally, value-based education and character-building are considered to be the same in schools although value-based education is a part of character-building. Efforts to develop character or morals are carried out through the teaching of values. Here we wish to clarify the issue a bit more.
We must understand the difference in values and morals. Values make up what is known as “Ethics”. In the dictionary, the meaning of ethics is “the human qualities that are interpreted as good and bad in the society”. These principles are universal or sometimes even become the way of life in contemporary times and culture. The post-modern culture of the present day has formulated many principles that conflict with the moral systems of the past.
This system has created an entirely new philosophy of ethics. Post-modern civilization has adopted relativism in the field of ethics. Thus, relativism is not a religion of post-modernism, but it is a permanent moral philosophy in itself. This philosophy does not believe in universal values. It considers universal values evolving and not absolute. In this view, values and morals are created by the condition of society shaped by the particular era or time and which changes as the society passes through them. In this view, the freedom of the individual and his pleasure is important, even if that pleasure is achieved by trampling on universal principles. This theory is currently on the ascent and it is popular in western and developed societies. It is also being imitated in developing and underdeveloped countries. Thus, our society and our educational institutions are also being affected by this ideology.
Religious morals are natural and well-known; otherwise, in this era, morals are generally based on self-interest and personal preference. In the post-modern world, morality is based on the physical well-being of man, his pleasure, and his satisfaction. Whereas religious morals are what the Creator of the universe prescribes for people, which they do not transgress against the Creator’s will and abide by the limits imposed by Him, nor do they rebel against their Creator. The debate on the origins of morality is very old, so instead of invoking this debate, we would simply like to say that a distinction should be made between teaching values and building one’s character.
Teaching values in our curriculum and education system is erroneously considered character-building. Today, many educational institutions express concern over the issue of not being able to create the high moral character in students that they wished while establishing the institutions. There have been many studies on the subject of character development, especially in America. The gist of these studies is that the acquisition of character is not possible merely through the teaching of values, but there should be a process of character building and this process is called internalisation.
SALIENT FEATURES OF VALUE-BASED EDUCATION
A method for internalisation of moral values in students, which has been experimented with by the author in different schools, is presented here. This method has had a positive impact on the students and has improved their personality. This method can be adopted by schools, madrasas, colleges, student organisations, children’s organisations, and families.
A practical module that we have set up for character-building or moral education is presented below. It should be noted that this method was presented by us in a seminar organised by Markazi Taleemi Board and Jamia Hamdard on 7 December 2022. This module (paradigm) was also appreciated by the academicians and psychologists there and it was declared viable. This new paradigm of education was presented beforethe people representing various premier educational institutions.
Later, this entire module was presented to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Education for National Curriculum Framework (NCF) so that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) may include the same in their Curriculum Framework in the same manner or after the appropriate additions and deletions. If the government ignores it then this module is also viable for civil society; it can adopt it, or consider adopting it.
There are different phases of implementing this module, which are presented below:
Phase I:
Those schools, who want to initiate this system of character building, should form a committee for the internalisation of values at the school level. This committee formed at the school level should be in touch with the Forum for Promotion of Values in Schools formed by the committee at the block level. (A detailed plan for this forum is being presented in the second step). This committee will consult and seek the support of the Forum for Promotion of Values in Schools for the implementation of the various projects of moral education mentioned below.
The committee must have representation from certain sections such as teachers, school management, parents, at least two reputed personalities from the locality and who are morally respected, and a minimum of two respected religious figures of the area. If the school is a secondary school i.e. up to the 10th standard then one male student and one female student (one boy and one girl) from the high school i.e. from the ninth or tenth standard should be part of the committee. There may be other people too in the committee besides the aforementioned. The main task of this committee will be to ensure that the implementation of the project is smooth, interesting, and productive.
Phase II:
This phase is not meant for individual schools; rather we have given this proposal to the government so that the government can ensure its implementation. If the government does not pay attention to it, then the civil society can take it up.
According to the proposal, a forum for value-based education should be formed at each block (taluka) level by the education department. This forum may carry out its activities under the supervision or “Chairmanship” of the Block Education Officer. The representation of individuals on this committee should be similar to the way we defined school-level committee members in Phase I. However, important religious leaders of the block should also be included in the forum.
If the government organises such a forum at the block level, we should welcome it; otherwise, civil society should organise a forum, which can be named as ‘Forum for Promotion of Values in Schools’ (FPVS). This forum should be made at the block level or the city level. People should participate in this forum irrespective of religious considerations. (The people who should find representation in it have already been mentioned above).
If possible, this forum should list the values that need to be instilled in students in an academic year. How do we choose those values? We are presenting the details of this in the third step. It should be clear that the people in the forum should be well-known for their high moral character and renowned in that area. They should be engaged in the work of spreading virtues and righteousness in society. In particular, only those persons should be selected who are desirous of communal harmony in society and are passionate about promoting it. Retired education officers, judges, senior police officers, and civil service officers can also be part of this forum.
Another important function of this forum will also be to try to establish a favourable and positive environment (Eco System) for value-based education in schools.
Some of the important functions of this forum can be:
- Selection and setting up of the age-appropriate values (to be taught) for the coming academic year;
- Conducting various programmes at the block or city level to inculcate values and preparing project (practical work) schemes for students;
- Visiting various schools and reviewing the arrangements for value-based education and motivating the headmasters (principals) and managements for starting value-based education in their educational institutions.
- Conducting competitions at the block/city level regarding the development and promotion of values; and
- To facilitate the implementation of the various components of this module which are designed to imbibe ethics in the students’ lives, especially the projects (which are described below) related to local government administration and participation of the students in good governance:
- This block-level committee will cooperate with school committees.
- The school committees will get support from the block-level committee for various projects mentioned below:
Phase III:
At the school level, such values and character should be identified and attempts will be made to inculcate them in the students within an academic year. These values should be according to the age of the children. It is better to select and classify values in the same way that the new education policy has classified the standards until class XII. For example, the first grouping of values would be taught from nursery to class II, the second grouping will be for class III to class V, the third grouping will be from class V to class VIII and the fourth will be from class IX to class XII. If it wants, the school can also select the values separately for each class of students. If this process is set up by the above-mentioned forum, which we have called the ‘Forum for the Promotion of Values in schools’ (FPVS) at the block level, then these values must be adopted by each school for itself.
Whether the values are set by the school committee or block (city) level committee – FPVS should take care of the following:
(1) Determination of values should be age-appropriate for students. For example, children will not be taught the value of avoiding bribery, because children at this age neither accept nor give bribes. Likewise, the rights of spouses will not be taught here. Priority should be given to the selection of essential values for children, which are necessary in the present age regarding technological and scientific progress, and post-modern culture. For example, mobile phone usage or what should be watched and what should not be watched on mobile phones, and especially girls should know what is a soft touch and hard touch, extravagance, cleanliness, etc.
(2) NCERT had set up a National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for teaching ethics under ‘NCF 2005’. This document is very important. This document must be read by school and block-level committees. It outlines three guiding principles for choosing ethical or moral values namely:
(i)Morals and values should be derived from the Constitution of India, or those values derived from the (spirit that one imbibes through the) rights and duties of citizens given in the Constitution of India. Such as equality among human beings, freedom of thoughts and ideas, the right to voice one’s opinion, non-violence, peace, higher human ethics, observance of the law, respect for other religions, avoidance of hatred, justice, and fairness in every field, the duties and rights of citizens and human rights, etc. as defined by the Constitution of India.
The attitude of imposing of culture of other by force is considered a fascist attitude and students should not be taught a fascist attitude. Further, in the schools, rituals of various faiths shall not be practised, if at all practised then other students have the right to practise the rituals of their own faiths.
(ii)International humanitarian values: Fundamental human rights defined by the United Nations and all international human values recognized by all countries.
(iii)All the values related to nature, which are common to all major religions of the world. Regarding these values, Dr. Radhakrishnan wrote in the recommendations of the committee chaired by him that a book of ‘natural ethics’ should be prepared, in which the values common to different religions should be collated. (to be continued)
[The writer is Director, Markazi Taleemi Board, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. He may be contacted at [email protected] or 9844158731]