Education is integral to growth and development
An integral approach to education automatically supports ongoing growth of learners and teachers over the entire span of development. Every parent is firstly a teacher, so character education essentially begins at home. According to Mahatma Gandhi, "Knowledge without character is a powerful evil." Character is based on human values. It’s a powerful tool that influences society. Integral parenting addresses the body, mind, soul and spirit of every child and moulds the child’s character for long-term growth and development. Character building is further enhanced from knowledge gained from Schools, Colleges, Universities and other centres of learning like Polytechnics, Teachers Training Institutes and other Private Educational Providers.
Let us view Education in a larger perspective as integral for growth and development.
Education is the best development tool for socio-economic growth. That is why the old Chinese proverb “Teach someone how to fish”. In economics they call it "merit good". It means not only to educate people; its benefit goes beyond that – crime reduction, unemployment reduction, more revenue, higher GDP and many other benefits.
Today, we are living in the world which encompasses knowledge. Education is crucial – it is not machines, land, capital but human brain which is the most important asset to any family, community and nation. We have to safeguard it and develop it for socioeconomic development. The quality of education meant growth and development of intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social. Research and creativity and innovation are very important for the future development. Are we achieving these through our Education?
The government, Education providers and the parents are responsible for this
socio-economic development and growth. We are called to equip our children not for jobs but for life. The family and educational institutions should be the Resource Centre as continued school for life for our children.
Some of the points of Father General of Jesuits who are known globally for Higher Education are: “We need to understand who are our students, what they will become, how will they live, what will they contribute, how will they construct a humane and sustainable world, how will they respond to the world of the poor, the broken world of suffering. University should become a social project.”
Schools/Colleges run like businesses?
Do the heads of the educational Institutions consider themselves to be CEOs to run their schools/ colleges/ universities business with great efficiency with the flair of a sound business run profitably satisfying all the statutory compliances, rules and regulations? Or do they realise that they are put there for a more serious business – that is to inculcate serious values which effect human existence along with the required standard.
We all know that achieving high standard sets a benchmark – however, there is more to life than achieving benchmarks.
These are places where students are taught to respond to their calling in life: be it
mother, wife, husband, father or even to single life. They learn how to always stand tall, uphold strong value systems and strengthen their character.
Educational institutions should be places where students are taught to care for one another in normal and challenging environments. They should learn what it takes to succeed in life and lose with grace if they must. Core values and attitudes must be the focus and centre of our Educational Planning Board.
The duty of any responsible government is to provide the resources and support for achieving this objective. The government should not be a stumbling block in interfering in the guise of exercising their power. Educational policies of the governments may be laudable but the implementation, review and accountability are the key and critical factors. The greatest disservice any government can do to its people is unnecessary interference and control when yeoman service is being done by the education providers to prepare the children to meet the challenges of life.
A World to Challenge and Change
Finally what is being done at Loreto Day School Sealdah in Kolkata, India, is thought provoking which I want to share for those who are familiar with the Educational system in India.
The Principal and her team have transformed this once exclusively upper class private school for girls into a model for equality-based educational change in India. From information available, 721 of the 1500 girls in attendance at the school come from poor families (from slums and villages in or near Kolkata) unable to pay school fees. The remaining 779 girls pay their full fees to attend.
These 721 are so poor that every need has to be taken care of - food, medicines, rations, shoes, books, uniforms, even money to meet the home rent when eviction looms.
In many instances the School has also helped families set up a small scale business, by providing interest-free loans to help them become self supporting. Sometimes they have reached out to the family as a whole, be it a drug addict father, or an errant sibling or an ailing member. The school doors are always open across caste, social class, neighborhood and otherwise. These 1500 girls make up a cohesive, cooperative, revolutionary student body.
To me this is one of the examples of education as integral part of growth and development.
We have a world to challenge and change and a world to win and build. This can only be achieved through the aim of education as aptly described by Albert Einstein: “The aim [of education] must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, can see in the service to the community their highest life achievement.”
This is going to be a permanent ongoing struggle, in which a final victory can never be won. But to tire in that struggle would mean the ruins of society.
Wencelaus Anthony is a successful businessman and a philanthropist who is heavily involved with Church activities. He is also currently the Chairman of India New Zealand Business Council.
He can be reached on wanthony@ihug.co.nz
An integral approach to education automatically supports ongoing growth of learners and teachers over the entire span of development. Every parent is firstly a teacher, so character education essentially begins at home. According to Mahatma Gandhi, "Knowledge without character is a powerful evil."...
An integral approach to education automatically supports ongoing growth of learners and teachers over the entire span of development. Every parent is firstly a teacher, so character education essentially begins at home. According to Mahatma Gandhi, "Knowledge without character is a powerful evil." Character is based on human values. It’s a powerful tool that influences society. Integral parenting addresses the body, mind, soul and spirit of every child and moulds the child’s character for long-term growth and development. Character building is further enhanced from knowledge gained from Schools, Colleges, Universities and other centres of learning like Polytechnics, Teachers Training Institutes and other Private Educational Providers.
Let us view Education in a larger perspective as integral for growth and development.
Education is the best development tool for socio-economic growth. That is why the old Chinese proverb “Teach someone how to fish”. In economics they call it "merit good". It means not only to educate people; its benefit goes beyond that – crime reduction, unemployment reduction, more revenue, higher GDP and many other benefits.
Today, we are living in the world which encompasses knowledge. Education is crucial – it is not machines, land, capital but human brain which is the most important asset to any family, community and nation. We have to safeguard it and develop it for socioeconomic development. The quality of education meant growth and development of intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social. Research and creativity and innovation are very important for the future development. Are we achieving these through our Education?
The government, Education providers and the parents are responsible for this
socio-economic development and growth. We are called to equip our children not for jobs but for life. The family and educational institutions should be the Resource Centre as continued school for life for our children.
Some of the points of Father General of Jesuits who are known globally for Higher Education are: “We need to understand who are our students, what they will become, how will they live, what will they contribute, how will they construct a humane and sustainable world, how will they respond to the world of the poor, the broken world of suffering. University should become a social project.”
Schools/Colleges run like businesses?
Do the heads of the educational Institutions consider themselves to be CEOs to run their schools/ colleges/ universities business with great efficiency with the flair of a sound business run profitably satisfying all the statutory compliances, rules and regulations? Or do they realise that they are put there for a more serious business – that is to inculcate serious values which effect human existence along with the required standard.
We all know that achieving high standard sets a benchmark – however, there is more to life than achieving benchmarks.
These are places where students are taught to respond to their calling in life: be it
mother, wife, husband, father or even to single life. They learn how to always stand tall, uphold strong value systems and strengthen their character.
Educational institutions should be places where students are taught to care for one another in normal and challenging environments. They should learn what it takes to succeed in life and lose with grace if they must. Core values and attitudes must be the focus and centre of our Educational Planning Board.
The duty of any responsible government is to provide the resources and support for achieving this objective. The government should not be a stumbling block in interfering in the guise of exercising their power. Educational policies of the governments may be laudable but the implementation, review and accountability are the key and critical factors. The greatest disservice any government can do to its people is unnecessary interference and control when yeoman service is being done by the education providers to prepare the children to meet the challenges of life.
A World to Challenge and Change
Finally what is being done at Loreto Day School Sealdah in Kolkata, India, is thought provoking which I want to share for those who are familiar with the Educational system in India.
The Principal and her team have transformed this once exclusively upper class private school for girls into a model for equality-based educational change in India. From information available, 721 of the 1500 girls in attendance at the school come from poor families (from slums and villages in or near Kolkata) unable to pay school fees. The remaining 779 girls pay their full fees to attend.
These 721 are so poor that every need has to be taken care of - food, medicines, rations, shoes, books, uniforms, even money to meet the home rent when eviction looms.
In many instances the School has also helped families set up a small scale business, by providing interest-free loans to help them become self supporting. Sometimes they have reached out to the family as a whole, be it a drug addict father, or an errant sibling or an ailing member. The school doors are always open across caste, social class, neighborhood and otherwise. These 1500 girls make up a cohesive, cooperative, revolutionary student body.
To me this is one of the examples of education as integral part of growth and development.
We have a world to challenge and change and a world to win and build. This can only be achieved through the aim of education as aptly described by Albert Einstein: “The aim [of education] must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, can see in the service to the community their highest life achievement.”
This is going to be a permanent ongoing struggle, in which a final victory can never be won. But to tire in that struggle would mean the ruins of society.
Wencelaus Anthony is a successful businessman and a philanthropist who is heavily involved with Church activities. He is also currently the Chairman of India New Zealand Business Council.
He can be reached on wanthony@ihug.co.nz
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