Value Education Cell

Institutional Committees

About Value Education

Education has an important role in determining whether a student uses the abilities they are taught for their own benefit or for the benefit of society at large and the environment. If human education is not provided, inhuman behavior, the deterioration of society, and the destruction of the environment follow from education. Not just here, but all around the world, we are witnesses to the behavior that students display. Due to a lack of proper understanding, we have reached a point where we can clearly see the outcomes of our country’s collective educational system issues, including pollution, resource depletion, animal extinction, global warming, terrorism, and even threats to the survival of the human race on Earth.

“This need for value-based education has been repeatedly highlighted by various commissions and expert committees on education” – Dr. Radhakrishnan

The goal of education is to help people realise their purpose or goal, both as individuals and as members of a society. Education should enable students to understand, commit to, practise, and be competent in living with definite human behaviour and to take part in the creation of a humane society.

Understanding (what to do?), gaining skills (how to do?) and exercising the understanding & skills, which lead to the accomplishment of human purpose, must be the explicit objectives of education. Learning how to accomplish something as well as knowing what to do and what is valuable are both necessary. Both are necessary.

Human education must enable the student to (in order of priority):

Develop Right Understanding By sharing the understanding of what to do (Value Education).
Develop Right Skills by teaching how to do (Technical Education).
Practice Right living during the period of education.
Living in relationship with human being leading to mutual happiness.
Living in relationship with rest-of-nature leading to mutual prosperity.

Over a period of time, such value-based education can contribute to the development of a humane society.

Guidelines for Value Education

1. Universal

It is universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times and all places. It does not depend on sect, creed, nationality and gender etc. it deals with universal human values.

2. Rational

It is a set of proposals about reality, not a set of negations
It is amenable to reasoning
It is not based on dogmas or blind beliefs
It is not a set of sermons
It is not a set of do’s and don’ts

3. Natural

Universal It is universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times and all places. It does not depend on sect, creed, nationality and gender etc. it deals with universal human values.

4. Verifiable

We want to verify these values ourselves, i.e. we don’t want to assume something just because something is stated somewhere.

5. All Encompassing

Value education is not merely an academic exercise. It is aimed at transforming our consciousness and living. Hence, it has to permeate into all dimensions of our living, namely, thought, behavior, work, and understanding/realization; as well as all levels namely individual, family, society, and nature.

6. Leading to Harmony and fulfillment of purpose

Finally, value education has to enable us to be in harmony within and in harmony with others. That is it leads to human conduct.

For example, it leads to the fulfillment of the human purpose:

Resolution (in the self) in every individual
Prosperity in every family
Fearlessness (trust) in society
Co-existence in Nature/Existence