Education and Values

Ancient Indian educational system focused on building a disciplined and values-based culture. Human values such as trust, respect, honesty, dignity, and courtesy are the building blocks of any free, advanced society. The ancient time throws significant light on the qualities required to be developed in the students which are not very different from the qualities that modern educational systems are trying to impart.

Discipline like character is an essential quality for personal as well as social life. It consists an obedience to laws, rules and decisions. In this regard we must admit that ancient Indian system of education played a major role in making students realize their duties and responsibilities and emphasized on the necessity of discipline for an orderly social life.

Indian Constitution directs the State to provide free and compulsory education for all children upto the age of 14. This goal has been pursued by the country for nearly six decades through successive development plans. The last two decades have witnessed significant improvements in children’s participation in schooling, accompanied by substantial increase in investments. The recent effort to raise resources for the sector through imposition of an education cess is major effort in that direction. Even though school education has traditionally remained a subject for action by State Governments, Government of India has, during the last two decades following the National Policy on Education – 1986, begun to play a leading role. This culminated in the launching of the national programme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in 2001. Despite all these efforts, the final goal of providing quality education for all has been eluding the country.

Urgency of reaching the goal has been heightened in recent years due to several national and international developments, including commitments made under the Dakar Framework for Action for providing quality Education for All, which not only covers primary education but also focus on literacy goals, gender equality and quality concerns. The Dakar Framework of Action listed the following six specific goals to be achieved by all countries.

• Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
• Ensuring that all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
• Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes.
• Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literary by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.
• Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.
• Improving every aspect of the quality of education, and ensuring their excellence so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

The National Plan of Action for Education for All (2002) in India reflects this sense of urgency felt within the country by proposing to reach the targets much ahead of the international dateline. At the national level, the Constitutional Amendment in 2002 declaring education in the age group 6-14 which corresponds to the elementary education stage of schooling a fundamental right has brought the issue of universal elementary education (UEE) to the centre stage of public discourse. The country is in the process of drawing up the legislation for effective implementation of the right for translating the constitutional provision into reality.

Nowadays, fierce competition and the current job scenario demands that students equip themselves with as much knowledge as possible. We are living in a knowledge society. A respectable degree is not enough today to get a good job. You have to prepare yourself in advance and keep yourself updated with the current market trend, as the one who prepares the best, gets the best.

To achieve this goal, please remember these points:

1. Pursuing Education

Knowledge and education knows no boundaries as the learning process never stops. It is valuable to

2. Tune-up your Skills
Skills and practical knowledge never fail to inspire anyone. It is important to identify your own subject of interest to excel in you future academic areas. Possessing additional skills can also make a difference.

3. Work out your interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills include those skills which a person deploys to interact and communicate with other people. Interpersonal skills remain one of the most critical factors that can lead to a successful career.

4. Update yourself!
Keep yourself updated with recent developments in your field and technological advancements.It is vital to keep acquaintance with your subjects and keep yourself up to date.

5. Volunteer work
Community service and volunteer work are valued and appreciated at all places. Indulge yourself in helping the society, enlighten the illiterate and make a positive contribution to a noble cause where it is possible. You will also grow as an individual.

These tools and techniques along with hard work and knowledge will help you in achieving success in your future. Remember hard work and focus makes dreams possible, which was what our beloved Ex-President, Dr. Abdul Kalam ji also believed in. Remember, the effort you put in reaps benefits one way or the other. Good luck!

Author - Kaza Raja, Neyveli