Need, Guidelines, Content &
Process of Value Education
The Role of Education
What is the Role of Education?
The role of education is to facilitate the development of the competence
to live with Definite* Human Conduct in all Human Beings
(Of the three types of Fear – Natural calamity, Wild animals,
Inhuman behaviour of Human Beings – Which is predominant today?)
Is there need for such Education?
Who is responsible to make it available?
Are we able to ensure this Education?
We will explore into this
* All orders except Human Beings live with definite conduct
2
Guidelines for Value Education
1. Universal
2. Rational
3. Natural
4. Verifiable
5. All Encompassing
6. Leading to Harmony
3
Guideline 1. Universal
It is universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times
and all places
It does not depend on sect, creed, nationality and gender etc. – it deals
with universal human values
Eg. Feeling of relationship is naturally acceptable to all human beings
(so it is universal)
4
Guideline 2. Rational
It is a set of proposals about reality, not a set of negations
It is amenable to reasoning
It is not based on dogmas or blind beliefs
It is not a set of sermons
It is not a set of do’s and don’ts
Eg. It can be taught
– it can be communicated clearly
– it can be verified and understood
5
Guideline 3. Natural
It is acceptable naturally, it leads to commitment to live in that manner
without being forced in any way (conditioned or forced by another
person/s)
6
Guideline 4. Verifiable
We want to verify these values ourselves, i.e. we don’t want to assume
something just because something is stated, rather, each one of us
will want to verify these to find out whether they are true for us
This can be done by both checking for validity within ourselves, as well
as something which we can implement in our living
Behaviour with human beings leads to mutual happiness
Work with rest of nature leads to mutual prosperity
Eg. Every individual is able to verify these values themselves. No
qualification is needed for this – being a human being is sufficient
7
Guideline 5. All Encompassing
Value education is not merely an academic exercise. It is aimed at
transforming our consciousness and living. Hence, it has to permeate
into all dimensions of our living, namely, thought, behaviour, work and
understanding/realization; as well as all levels namely individual,
family, society and nature
Eg. For every aspect of life the purpose becomes clear, the commitment
to live that way increases with understanding
8
Guideline 6. Leading to Harmony
Finally, value education has to enable us to be in harmony within and in
harmony with others. Hence, when we live on the basis of these
values, we start understanding that it will lead to harmony in us and
harmony in our interactions with other humans and the rest of nature.
That is it leads to human conduct
9
Content of Value Education
All encompassing – Value education is not merely an academic
exercise. It is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living.
It covers:
All 4 dimensions as an individual: thought, behaviour, work and
understanding/realization
Eg. In Thought – we want to have clarity (a state of resolution, solution)
NOT confusion (a state of problem)
All 4 levels as a society: individual, family, society and nature/existence
Eg. In Every Family – we want prosperity, the capacity to produce more
than what is required as physical facilities for the family leading to a
feeling of having more NOT Deprivation, a feeling of having less
than required, regardless of how much has been accumulated
(through production or exploitation)
10
Process of Value Education
Self Exploration
Whatever is said is a proposal
a)To be explored within yourself – on the basis of your Natural
Acceptance
Do not accept it just because it is – written in some book
– a reading from some
instrument
– stated by some person
b) To be verified experientially, in living
- behaviour with human beings leads to mutual happiness
- work with rest of nature leads to mutual prosperity
Q: What would be an acceptable process:
a) to be told? or
b) for you to be able to decide for yourself? 14
