Awareness of religion and culture in classrooms

The NCERT firmly believes that any attempt to bridge the gap between materialistic pursuit and spiritualistic quest will emerge from educational institutions, no matter what the conditions in school are and how these function and teachers work. Change for the better would emerge from these very schools and these very teachers.

Fifty lakh teachers

serving in schools can reverse the tide of value erosion. If they resolve to change, nothing can prevent them. It is the duty of the community and the state to empower them professionally and then make them accountable to lead the change for a better and bright tomorrow.

AFTER AN interval of 12 years, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has performed one of its mandated tasks. The national curriculum framework for school education has been prepared and presented to the nation on the Children's Day this year.

This document, very rightly, received attention from all those interested in good quality education that would prepare the future society. It has also received attention from those who have serious apprehensions about any new initiative, because of their own ideologies, vested interests and pre-conceived notions. They too are contributing to a cause and have helped generate a debate in which some issues have emerged very promptly.

The NCERT's recommendations mainly relate to ensuring a stress free education and a tension free evaluation, education in human values, awareness of the basic philosophies of all religions, acquaintance with the cultural heritage of this country and familiarity with Indian contribution to world civilisation along with that of others. It highlights the role of Sanskrit learning on the one hand and that of the mother tongue on the other.

The National Curriculum Framework for School Education of NCERT refers to spirituality in the context of talented children.

It mentions: ``moreover, the task of identifying the gifted and talented must be accomplished on the basis of a broad conceptualisation of the process from multiple perspectives rather than as a search for a unitary human attribute. Not only their IQ (Intelligence Quotient) but also their EQ (Emotional Quotient) and SQ (Spiritual Quotient) ought to be assessed. A suitable mechanism for locating the talented and gifted will have to be devised''.

Needless to say, the term spirituality has been used as an indicator and it is neither feasible nor proposed to measure EQ on a meter scale.

The teachers have to have an evaluative eye and evaluation of an individual can never be total and complete. It is based only on the paper-pencil test and the marking scheme as is the practice at present.

The growth and development of an individual has several aspects and it is professionally and academically acknowledged by all those who understand the role and function of education. It appears that efforts are on to discover `hidden agenda' in the use of the word spirituality. Attempts are being made to link it to the recommendations on value inculcation education and education about religions.

NCERT has made it very clear that within the mandate of the Constitution of India, nothing prohibits understanding by all children of basic philosophies propounded and spirituality preached by all religions of the people of India.

The NCERT document `is not recommending religious education but education about religions, their basics, the values inherent therein and also comparative study of the philosophy of all religions'.

There is nothing new in these recommendations and there are umpteen earlier recommendations to bring in these aspects by various committees and commissions and individuals at the national level, as well as at the international level.

The latest significant recommendation has been made by S. B. Chavan Committee (1999) of the Members of Parliament, the report of which was presented to Rajya Sabha, strongly urging that education about religions could become an instrument of social cohesion and social and religious harmony.

The NCERT document further elaborates these aspects: `The UNESCO Department for Intercultural Dialogue and Pluralism for a Culture of peace pleads for ``Spiritual Convergence'' and proposes to promote dialogue among the different religious and spiritual traditions in a world where intra and inter-religious conflicts have become the order of the day (January 2000).

It observes that ``it is from early childhood that children should be introduced to the discovery of `otherness' and to the values of tolerance, respect, and confidence in the `other' that will bring about a change of behaviour and attitude towards others.

The introduction of specific teaching of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, through the adequate pedagogical tools, is conceived as a means to foster reciprocal knowledge of shared values contained in the message issued by religious and spiritual traditions, which can be considered as a common spiritual and cultural heritage''.

It may be of relevance to those who would not like the terms, Dharma, (religion), values, spirituality even to be uttered within the premises of the educational institutions that NCERT has made an attempt to comprehensively understand the context and concern emerging in school education and delineate priorities accordingly.

Tension between materialistic pursuit and spirituality quest is a globally acknowledged phenomena and educational systems throughout the world are attempting to formally respond to the situation. Affluence alone does not lead to a higher quality of life. It may not necessarily be a life full of bliss and happiness if material wealth alone is accumulated.

Needless to say, Indian tradition, in understanding the inner sublime meaning of life reached the highest pinnacles in ancient times. Under foreign occupation the Indian systems of creation and generation of knowledge and thought were relegated to the background for obvious reasons. These, however, have survived and sustained their vitality.

The affluent of the world are now experiencing the hollowness of life. They need to find out the meaning of happiness and bliss and they all keenly desire to understand spirituality. They are looking towards India to play a leadership role in this area.

It would do much benefit to the apprehensives if they peruse the book entitled: ``Spiritual values in the elementary school'', published as the Twenty Sixth Year book by the Department of Elementary School Principals of the National Educational Association of the United States. The most significant point to be noted is the year of publication which is 1947.

Before this book was announced in 1945, the scenario was examined and the point of view stated as follows: `Those values which, when attained, make a finer person are spiritual values - be they generosity, fellow feeling, responsibility, integrity, appreciation of beauty, personal expression through the arts, or some related quality of living.

Spiritual values include the high mystical experiences of organised religious groups, a realm in which the public school does not operate. Spiritual values also include, apart from creeds, appreciation of the place of religion in human life - a realm in which the public school sometimes serves as a cooperating agent, in varying degrees of emphasis determined largely by the local community. Spiritual values further include ethical, esthetic, emotional experiences that help to elevate and liberate the human spirit - and in this realm the public school does operate. This third type of spiritual values will be emphasised in this yearbook'.

The first chapter of this book begins with a very simple sentence `The world needs better people and the schools can help in developing them'. It retains its universal validity even today.

The NCERT firmly believes that any attempt to bridge the gap between materialistic pursuit and spiritualistic quest will emerge from educational institutions, no matter what the conditions in school are and how these function and how teachers work. Change for the better would emerge from these very schools and these very teachers.

Fifty lakh teachers serving in schools can reverse the tide of value erosion. If they resolve to change, nothing can prevent them. It is the duty of the community and the state to empower them professionally and accord them due respect and then make them accountable to lead the change for a better and bright tomorrow.

It is the teachers who understand that healthy bodies and alert minds are essential for good living. Swami Vivekananda often explained and elaborated it. He wanted a young 18-year-old person to play football instead of reading the Gita.

The direction given to body and mind by both parents and teachers gives a new meaning to life. These directions are determined by spiritual values.

It is the schools which lead children in developing appreciation, creative expression, noble aspiration, self-learning and willingness to serve others and develop qualities of leadership. These are not achieved by textbooks alone. It is indeed unfortunate that such aspects are not receiving adequate attention in our educational system. Any attempt to bring in such experiences needs to be understood and analysed professionally and academically only.

Understanding `who am I and what am I doing in this world' can be interpreted as an eternal human quest pursued by every individual in some form, at some stage of life. Such a pursuit enhances curiosities that lead to the development of an urge to work for the well being of others.

It is the realisation at the highest level of thought that makes the person pray for the welfare of all living beings on the one hand and make them consider the whole world as a family on the other.

Without going into any technical definition of spirituality, it can safely be said that efforts are needed to catalyse spiritualistic pursuits leading to internalisation of spiritual values. The crisis of ideology of development and progress has got linked to the human instinct of acquisition, which in fact is an expression of fear in oneself.

The spiritual leaders of India had in the past pleaded that none should acquire more than the bare minimum necessary to lead a decent life. This is the eastern thought. The world realises today that such an approach alone would reduce the ever increasing gap between the affluent and the deprived.

Schools shall obviously play a part. Modern systems of education and evaluation leave out abundantly significant aspects of the growth and development of individual.

What we evaluate through the existing examination system is only a small measure of the individual's capacity on the cognitive aspects.

Life is much more than that. What escapes the trap of measurement may really be crucial. The educational system will have to play a part in transforming society. In fact the change and transformation takes place continuously.

The issue is how shall we not get ready for change. And change for the better.

J. S. RAJPUT

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