The document discusses the importance and challenges of value education, emphasizing that the neglect of values can lead to societal issues. It argues against the notion of value-neutral education and stresses the role of educators and families in fostering values through practical training and self-analysis. The text highlights the evolutionary perspective on human consciousness and values needed for fulfilled living, urging the need for educators to be role models and to incorporate ethical considerations across all subjects.

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!