Education is the saviour of values

Dr. R .P Karmayogi, DSVV

Today's education is only making students 'Lakeer ke fakeer'(teaching them how to go about the same old beaten path). Students never learn to imply that education in their lives and it is constricted only as a means of earning livelihood. They never learn to read between the lines. Over the years, Indian education got side tracked from the main stream. The day-to-day problems confronting us are not a part of our curriculum taught in the schools and colleges. Dowry system, a major ill of the society is nowhere given space in the text books. There is no text book which gives us 'tatwa darshan '(principal analysis) on the vices of society. The need of the hour is to Indianise our education system which is totally influenced by the Macaulay system aimed at making our students no better than babus. The country cannot live on the foundation of wealth alone, education is a must; education that gives guidelines to live a life. When education blossoms in life, the standard of living is raised. Assessment of a person should be done on the values of life but in today's times, courtesies like "sorry" and "thank you" tag a man being cultured. This is only outer conduct but when it gets descended in one's life, it becomes culture in the real sense. Great deeds were done by cultured men alone.

The need of the hour is to introduce Indian philosophy in curriculum so that Indian values are promoted. Indian civilization has been the form and expression of a culture as great as any in human history- great in religion, philosophy and science, great in thought and literature, art and poetry, great in the organization of society and politics. Indian culture has been enriched by extraordinary spiritual leaders, thinkers and saints. The values enshrined in the Vedas, scriptures like Ramayana and Mahabharata created a deep impact on our society and now must be reintroduced in our education. Ultimate aim of education should be to gain 'vidya' which awakens our consciousness and not this education (shiksha) which only teaches us to earn livelihood.

Our belief system reflects in our lives which is very much shaped by our education. Gandhi revered as Mahatma had rightly said that knowledge without character is one of the seven deadly sins. A society and culture free of this sin would be a society without violence.

So to remove the ever spreading violence in our lives, Indianise our education system.

(As told to

Geeta Nagrath Anandi)