A vision for values based education: paper presented by Siva Naidoo.

At the launch of the South African Principals Association (Northern Regions) held on 5 may 2012 at the Tongaat Primary School

The Chairperson of the Tongaat Principals Association, Mr. Vishnu Naidoo, principals  from the northern areas in the Ethekwini Municipal area, senior officials from the provincial Department of Education and other guests.

I am indeed honoured and privileged to be here at this historic launch of SAPA, Northern Region.   I thank the leadership of Tongaat Principals Association (TPA) for giving me this opportunity of delivering the keynote address.   Since its formation over a decade ago I have taken a keen interest in the projects and activities of the TPA.   The TPA must be applauded for initiating this launch and I am certain that you will ensure that this seedling,  will grow into an august body which will rise to the challenges facing education in this country and in particular in this province.

Speaking of challenges, there are indeed many.  I don’t intend highlighting these challenges. As educators you are well aware of what they are.  I am interested about how we address them, how we up the discourse and debate on what is to be done.  We are all in agreement that we urgently need a paradigm shift from the abysmal mess that we currently find ourselves in, as far as the state of our education is concerned. This calls for serious and meaningful engagement with the powers that be.   Therefore the establishment of SAPA is significant and relevant in these challenging times.  I certainly don’t have any quick fix solutions but I would want to add my voice as we grapple with the myriad of challenges that face us as a nation.

In my view, what we are lacking is education in human values.  A few years ago I received a call from an old respected colleague who was the former Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at the erstwhile UDW, Prof Sathi Moodley.  Dr Moodley, who is now retired and as part of a consultative stakeholder management process solicited my view on an establishing Ubuntu and Education in Human Values Advocacy Group.  This Group has done sterling work in promoting ubuntu and education in human values.  It has conducted extensive research here and abroad on this subject.  Its objective is to get buy in from our government.  So this afternoon, my address will focus on some of our thinking about the transformation of the education system in our country and in particular the establishment of an Education in Human Values Centre.

 In our view, the primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of quality education.  It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward.  The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance.  Today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to ordinary affairs, how much less do they grasp the core of the important problems and complex needs of the time.

The development of a global society calls for the cultivation of capacities far beyond anything the human race has so far been able to master.  The challenges ahead will require an enormous expansion in access to knowledge on the part of individuals and organizations alike.  Universal education will be an indispensable contributor to this process of capacity building, but the effort will succeed only to the extent that both individuals and groups in every sector of society are able to acquire knowledge and to apply it to the shaping of human affairs. 

Education must and has to be lifelong.  It should help people to develop the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills necessary to earn a livelihood and to contribute confidently and constructively to shaping communities that reflect principles of justice, equity and unity.  It should also help the individual develop a sense of place and community, grounded in the local, but embracing the whole world.  Successful education will cultivate virtue as the foundation for personal and collective well-being, and will nurture in individuals a deep sense of service and an active commitment to the welfare of their families, their communities, their countries, indeed, all mankind.  It will encourage self-reflection and thinking in terms of historical process, and it will promote inspirational learning through such means as music, the arts, poetry, meditation and interaction with the natural environment.  

What is the purpose of education? A better question would be: What kind of person do we want our children to become?

It is quite natural for parents to desire that their children will grow up and have a good education that will help them earn a good income. What is more necessary is the ability to discriminate between good and bad and make proper use of the information that is readily available. There are many intelligent and knowledgeable persons who use their abilities and knowledge for selfish purposes. With over 10 billion people in the world in the 21st Century, our society needs people who will perform their duty without any selfish motives. They should therefore be filled with love and compassion so that they can serve the needy and helpless without wanting anything in return. We need people who will bring out unity and not division in the world. We want our children to be happy in their life which means that they have to find the peace within themselves first. These are some of the qualities that we need for the world in this coming century. These human qualities can be summed up as “human excellence”. 

What are we teaching? 

The answer we get to this question is “I teach mathematics” or “I teach languages”. But the correct answer should be:” I teach children”. Many teachers forget that they are teaching a child and often think that they are teaching subjects. Teachers often load the memory of children with a lot of information to pass examinations. This is treating children like a computer or a machine. Children are not machines. They have mind and spirit just as we do. They need love and care so that they can blossom into “human excellence”. In order to change the world, transformation within each individual must take place. Teachers and parents can mould the children into model citizens of the future full of human excellence or character. 

The sense of urgency and the significance of our role in society can best be expressed in the following words of a great Indian saint: “Our life is like a block of ice which is melting away every moment. Before it spends itself, devote itself to the service of others. Education in Human Values is designed to prepare everyone for this life of service.” 

         Principles of Education in Human Values 

The following principles are considered to be universal and are recommended as the basic starting point:

Although each country may adopt the Education in Human Values Programme in a unique way to suit its culture and needs, there is a clear agreement among educators throughout the world on the specific components which go together to make up the programme of Education in Human Values. 

The following core components constitute an effective Education in Human Values Programme: 

•   Divinity: theprogramme rests firmly on the recognition that divinity is inherent in every human being.
•   Spiritual Education:  education has two aspects, the worldly and the spiritual. Worldly education brings out the latent knowledge pertaining to the physical world. Spiritual knowledge brings out the inherent divinity in man. So, both worldly and spiritual education is essential, without which human life has no value. Spiritual education is transformation orientated.
•   Unity of Faiths:  All religions teach the one truth, that the one God is omnipresent and omniscient; and the human values cannot be practiced without understanding that love forms the foundation of each and every religion.
•   3HV:   educationists have expressed from time immemorial that true education must lead to the building of character of a student. However, the word character has been defined in various ways by experts, educationists and philosophers. It is unity of thought, word and deed.
•   Values:   Like the indivisibility of human personality and its integral nature, the universal human values are inter-related, inter-dependent and inseparable. Human values constitute the transcendental aspects of education. They are universal and eternal. The five basic human values of love, truth, right conduct, peace and non-violence are the five pillars of the programme of Education in Human Values. There are over 80 sub-values functional under these five basic values, example, compassion, respect, etc.
•   Techniques:   one of theunique features of Education in Human Values is the use of five teaching techniques with an integrated approach as a powerful instructional technology. The five techniques are: silent sitting, prayers, stories, devotional group singing and group activities.
•   Holistic Approach:   the curriculum Education in Human Values is complete with all components of a curriculum foundation of educational sciences, course content, activities, techniques, instructional methodology, evaluation procedure and a teacher training module. The pedagogy of instruction is holistic; it suggests and promotes the integration of values with academic subjects and co-curricular activities. The curriculum relates teaching to life’s real situation; thus, students and teachers receive continual affirmation of its message during the course of education.
•   Role-models:   successful implementationof the programme requires a resolve on the part of all role players to put into practice the values which we want the learners/children to acquire in their own lives.

Problem statement

There are numerous problems that beset the nation state. Rampant pandemics, such as HIV and AIDS, TB, Swine Flu, abject poverty, and unemployment besiege the nation states of the world. Terrorism, crime and violence have threatened peace, security and stability of the nation state, society and ultimately the family.

The world is caught-up in this mode of negativity. We have lost sight of the value of life. All role players in the global area of social, political and economic sectors are not without criticism. World leaders have lost sight of human values and its impact on the global terrain. Greed, hypocrisy and hatred determine the egocentric welfare of individual nation states, without any focus on the collective welfare of all humanity, without reference to any division or distinction.

In addition, natural disasters, such as tsunami, earthquakes, flooding, and famine have had their toll and added to their woes. The malaise is a never ending saga. The United Nations as a peace facilitator has failed the purpose of its creation and is in reality a powerless body. Its impact has been felt on developed and developing nations alike.Therefore it is intended that this mindset be changed by using the Human Values approach to meet the 21st century challenges of  that divide and restrict our common understanding and practice of  human values and to deal with at these issues at the private, public and inter-sectoral spheres in South Africa and on the African continent and globally.

 Problem resolution and outcomes

A values-based ethical system in the private, public and inter-sectoral spheres would therefore develop: Awareness, Responsibility and Ethical Action.

Conclusion

The Position Paper sets out the philosophy and key issues relevant to Human Values Education and Training. It is envisaged that a Centre be established as a non profit organisation. Ideally, such a centre should be attached to a tertiary institution so that it is able to deliver human value programmes as well as contribute to a SAQA registered and accredited curriculum. The human values programme is relevant to all societal activities from child rearing, parenting to tertiary education, public service delivery and business ventures. There is no activity that is not touched by the human spirit. If our country and the continent is to become a caring, morally valued and accountable then human values can no longer be ignored.   It is for this reason that it must be considered a national imperative and initiatives such this must take off as a priority.

Recommendation

It is therefore recommended that:

• This initiative is raised at the highest stakeholder forums in the country, including, political, social, economic, cultural, religious, and educational
•  A groundswell of support be created for the initiative by undertaking an extensive awareness programme
• A committee/panel of influential persons undertake a road show
• Organise and arrange an International Conference on Human Values; and
• Deliver seminars and workshops on the influence and impact of human values education
• Research and print literature to widely publicise the initiative

 Way forward

The Initial Inaugural Committee adopts this proposal and seeks the means to drive this initiative forward as a matter of priority. Perhaps SAPA would want to consider partnering with the Ubuntu and Education in Human Values Advocacy Group in pursuance of this objective.  I am amenable to facilitate this process should SAPA agree in principle.

I thank you