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Education - time for a new approach

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Education - time for a new approach
David Hopper	Posted on: Thursday 22 March 2007 7:00:19 pm
	Seeing the problem whole reveals a system (regardless of the culture) that shows great potential but lacks the will, direction, and often resources. Armed with the knowledge of the effects of a dysfunctional or broken home and that violence grossly debilitates the child's learning, what realistically can be done to prepare the child for learning cooperative living, right human relations, and citizenship? If we look just at the American school model, especially from kindergarten to high school, we find a wide variation on what should be taught or emphasized. There are very few institutions that teach the value of the human being first and how to be successful in a material world second. How can we teach the children values, discipline, and morality when the adults themselves are not being the example or are sending conflicting messages? We as parents, educators, social scientists, and citizens know that the current system is not working effectively. For an educational system to be successful in teaching the child right values and morality both in the home and at school, a totally different approach must be initiated. In our current system and culture, the importance of a secular and materialistic world is almost always affirmed. The child is not taught to identify first with their his or her essential divinity and humanity. In today's world a "spiritual" education is usually procured from religious institutions which are usually strongly biased and not really focussed on developing right human relations or teaching the child about their role as a world citizen. This is an attitude which has contributed to much of the worlds problems. Today's educational system prepares the student for making decisions from a place of logic and rational thought rather than from a place of intuition, compassion, and especially wisdom. Education, whether it be religious or secular, has largely trained people to focus on materialism and separatism. In the coming age, when spiritual values are valued above all else, the students will not be taught to compete and be filled with pride as today's educational institutions emphasize. Instead, an attitude of inclusiveness, cooperation, goodwill, and harmony with all the kingdoms in nature will be fostered. Educators must present the student with the urgency of world need and a sense of the Plan if the world is to find solutions to the many crises facing itself in all fields. The parents can teach the child morality and character in the home, but the function of the schools should be to teach character building in relation to others and society at large. We have the knowledge of teaching of all that is true, beautiful, and right and the development of the best aspects of being human. These are the highest and best ideals that can and need to be taught to the student so he can fully sense his potential within the group and thus develop a sense of responsibility for his part in the world. David Hopper
Children, Youth and Education
Davina Rubin	Posted on: Friday 07 December 2007 8:00:31 am
	Perhaps the best way to inculcate higher values and right human relations is to have students, from their very early educational experiences, work out for themselves what the best, most functional way of behaving in their own environment would be. Getting students to decide how the society of their classroom would best function at its highest level engages their abilities to examine the group, rather than any one individual. They can then decide what behaviors and disciplines would benefit the group. Dialog about behavior could be part of the lessons students take away with them at the end of the day. Having students examine the behaviors of leaders and countries would be an extension of this kind of learning. When they see that there is a lack of wisdom being exercised, they recognize it. They can see possible solutions where adults, buried in their own crystallized opinions, cannot.