clarifies some common misconceptions regarding value education..... explains how it could be done in a universally acceptable manner.

1. Value Education - Challenges &
possibilities
• P.L.Dhar
• IITDelhi

2. Why Teach Values ?
• Value crisis is the root of all social and
technogenic maladies
• Aristotle “..the fate of empires depends on
the education of the youth.”
• Consequences of neglect of value
education: “..perfection of means and
confusion of the ends” …. Einstein
• What is education ? …Vision of Holistic
Education

3. Common Concerns about EHV
• EHV and Religious Education
• How can values be taught ? Values are
picked up from the environment, from Role
Models
• Only Enlightened beings can teach values,
not ordinary mortals

4. Dharma and Religion
• Each religion has two dimensions : outer
sheath and the inner core
• Outer sheath:Conditioned by historic, social
and political climate --parochial
• Inner core: spiritual truths Universal :
Laws of Nature pertaining to the subjective
world of Man : Dharma

5. What is Dharma ?
• Dharma : basic nature or characteristic
• dharma of fire is to burn ; all beings are
jaradharma
• sanatan dharma : Eternal Laws
• Na hi verena verani samantidha kudacanam
Averena ca sammanti esa dhammo sanantano

6. Value Education & Dharma
• Mental defilements like ill will, anger,
animosity, hatred, greed, etc. have the
characteristic of “agitation” and “burning”.
• Pure mind is full of love, compassion,
kindness, generosity, etc. and has the
characteristic of joy, peace, harmony.
• These laws are applicable to all.
• EHV: Understanding and Internalizing
such laws.

7. Can Values be taught ?
• “Taught” vs “caught” models and their
implications
• No way out of the present morass
• Inspiration rarely lasts after the charismatic
person has gone- example of Gandhiji
• Is value neutral education possible ?
• Any wider interpretation of facts, be these
historical, rational or scientific, necessitates
value judgement .

8. Can Values be taught ?
• The question is fundamentally flawed -
value neutral education is a myth
• Absence of formal discussion results in
conflicting signals from different teachers
• Role of family as an institution for value
education : Present state of families

9. How
should
values be
“taught”?

10. Cardinal Principles of Value
Education
♦♦The foundation should not be
made dependent on myth, or authority
♦Provoke the students to analyze the world and the
experiences of their own life
-its goals, aspirations,etc.
♦♦Value dimension should permeate teaching
♦Give practical training in self-restraint &
self observation to actually inculcate values
♦Teachers as senior students, nor moral masters

11. Analyzing nature …..to
appreciate Interconnectedness
• Analysis of Breathing Process--natural
cycles
• The continually changing constituents of
human body
• Quantum theory : what is reality ?
• Silent contributors to our success--deep
ecological perspective
• Interdependence-Inter-being →concern for
others

12. Analyzing Nature……. The
Evolutionary paradigm
• Theory of Evolution : Man has evolved
from the living cell over billions of years
through random genetic mutations +
natural selection motivated by survival
• Quantum physics : At a deeper level
matter and consciousness are actually
inseparable…deep down the consciousness
of mankind is ONE.

13. The Evolutionary paradigm
• View of sages of ancient India : Evolution is
a progressively clearer and more powerful
manifestation of the Universal
Consciousness pervading the Universe
• Matter--faint glimmer of the consciousness
• Plants --grow , breathe, communicate
• Animals--All the above+ movement+
elemental ethics

14. The Evolutionary paradigm
• Human beings--Quantum jump in all
abilities of animals + increased awareness,
esp. awareness about self + ability of self
control
• Future Evolution of Man --Huxley’s views :
Man’s evolution is not biological but
psycho-social; ..man’s most comprehensive
aim is.. greater self-fulfillment through
fuller realization of the possibilities

15. Future Evolution of Man
• Aurobindo :..It is through consciousness,
through its transmutation and no longer
through a new bodily organism as a first
instrumentation that the evolution can and
must be effected.
• Neuroscientists: Fuller utilisation of the
right cerebral hemisphere which functions
in non-linear, intuitive, holistic modes

16. Evolutionary Paradigm and
Universal Human Values
• Future Evolution : Greater self fulfillment
through movement to higher levels of
consciousness
• UHV⇒ Values that help in this journey
{ love, compassion, generosity, truthfulness
etc.}
• Undesirable values ⇒ Those which drag us
down the ladder of evolution { arrogance,
lust, pride, anger, acquisitiveness, etc.}

17. Analyzing Life’s experiences…I
• Do I feel happy when others
– cheat , steal, abuse, beat me
• What kind of friend, employer, customer,
servant, spouse, child......would I like?
• Is it true of all ?
Do unto others
as you wish
others to do unto you

18. Analyzing Life’s experiences …II
• What makes us really happy ?
Greediness or generosity ?
Anger or forgiveness ?Cheating or honesty ?
Cruelty or compassion Falsehood or truthfulness ?
Is this universally true ?
Thus we can discover the requirements for
happy living : The laws of nature dharma

19. Analyzing Life’s Experiences..III
• UHV as requirement for happy living
imposed by Dharma < laws of nature>
• pure mind leads to joy , impure to suffering
• UHV{ love, kindness, compassion,
generosity, non-jealousy etc,} are the
characteristics of pure mind
• Humanistic psychology - UHV as the
higher needs of Man

20. Value Conflicts in Daily Life
• Truthfulness : avoiding caller on ’phone ;
disclosing terminal disease , owning up
mistake , narcissism
• Honesty : Private Tuition, selling a house,
Inflated Electricity bill, property tax
• Forbearance : trivial queries of weak
students , criticism of colleagues/students
• Compassion : beggars , accident victim,
giving lift in car

21. Knowing vs Imbibing Values
• Duryodhana’s dilemma
janami dharamam na ca me pravritt
janami adharmam na ca me nivritti.
• Chasm between conscious & unconscious
mind
• It is easier to denature plutonium than to
denature the evil spirit of Man- A.Einstein
• Practical training in mental purification
• Vipassana as taught by the Buddha

22. Value Orientation of Teaching
• Discuss in all subjects their value implications
– physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology,
social sciences…….
• Technology : Impact on society ⇒ social,
environmental and moral
• Marketing : Importance of being truthful
• Economics : There are many factors besides
profit
• Business management : Ethical issues

23. Responsibilities of Teachers of
Value Education
• Become Role Models of Value based life
– Teaching with love and compassion
– professional integrity - transparency in
evaluation
– accepting shortcomings gracefully, humility
– Regular meditation
• Working as senior students and not moral
masters

24. Concluding Remarks
• EHV is the paramount need of the hour to ensure
survival of the humanity
• EHV is best done by encouraging the students to
analyze the world and the experiences of their
own life -its goals, aspirations, etc.
• Value inculcation needs practical training in self
restraint and mental purification - possible through
Vipassana meditation
• EHV Teachers have to be role models-- not moral
masters but senior students

25. Thank
you!