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Is our education system really fulfilling for us humans?
DEAR EDITOR,
The education that we are acquiring in schools today is basically academic.
It helps us to get a job and earn money, in order that we can acquire the things we need. But is this the end of it all?
As human beings, we need to acquire human qualities — the qualities of mercy, compassion, sympathy, love, etc. As parents and teachers, are we teaching our children these human qualities first and foremost?
It is my view that we need to inculcate human values into our education system, so that the children would grow up to be better men and women of tomorrow – better in the sense that rape and the killing of women and children would reduce to the greatest extent.
The men and women of today generally lack the qualities of mercy, compassion and sympathy. Greed, anger, hatred and other evil traits have displaced the traits of love, brotherhood and compassion.
By the behaviour of men and women of today one is tempted to wonder whether these are men or beasts in human skin.
Therefore, there is the dire need for a change, and such change has to start with the children.
There is an old saying that once a shrub has grown twisted it could be straightened, but when it becomes a tree it cannot be straightened. The only remedy is to cut down the tree. Therefore, we have to start with the children in the schools.
I was listening to the MTV news on Friday night (6th June 2008), when 1 heard the Minister of Education commenting on the allegation of a teacher abusing the children of a certain school, and he commented that there is need for Moral Education to be introduced in the school system.
I recall some time ago that an organisation did approach the Minister of Education at that time in order to introduce Education in Human Values (EHV) programme into the school curriculum. However, that minister was not interested.
The subjects which are to be taught in schools on the EHV programme are Truth, Right Conduct, Love, Peace and Non-Violence. The EHV programme is presently being taught in countries such as Australia, Taiwan, India, Africa etc.
I also heard that Trinidad and Tobago has started such a programme in some schools. I noted that the text book for the EHV programme is available in Guyana, and that teachers would need to undergo a nine-month training stint prior to commencing the programme.
Academic knowledge alone is not fulfilling to us as humans. It would help us to earn a livelihood, but together with the EHV programme, we would go beyond the earning of a living; it would prepare us for the challenges of life, both moral and spiritual.
It is my belief that such a programme in schools would reduce most of the crimes being committed by the children, the teachers and the adults today.
Based on the above, I am calling on the organization to have a meeting with the Minister of Education on the introduction of the EHV programme in the school curriculum.
I would also call on the private schools to take up this challenge of introducing the EHV programme in their school curriculua.
J. Kadaru
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