Education and Moral Values

 Education is considered as the third eye of a human that helps an individual in leading an ethical and moral life but what are the moral values and how education and moral values are inter-related to each other? Lets talk about it....

Moral values are the set of the principles that are important to a human life. Moral Values guides and individual. It gets inculcated in the child since it is still inside the womb of her mother. Abhimanyu, son of Arjun, learnt to enter the Chakravyuh when he was in the womb of her mother, Draupadi, as the foetus is aware of the things happening around itself be it good or bad. 

An individual's first school is mother's lap, a mother inculcates the child with good moral conduct and educate the child to handle the responsibilities of life, what challenges the life throws at us and how to deal with it. Then, the child is sent to school where the educational institutions acts as a tool of imparting moral values. A child learns tolerance, compassion, honesty, integrity, discipline, respect for others from family and school.

Imparting of education is not restricted to mere grant of grades or degrees, it is a wholesome package prepares a human for life. Kothari Commission said that the future of a nation shaped in her schools. Since ancient times, education and moral values are enjoying an inseparable relation. In Gurukul system too this was given importance and is relevant till today.

Education provides for rationality logical thinking and also makes a person of high moral values. But, many a times it is seen that a highly educated person with number of degrees from reputed universities gets indulged in corrupt practices that becomes a symbol of low moral values  of like Oxford University or Haileybury College were "known for high education status but officers graduated from them were seen exploiting Indians, engaged in violent activities, abusing women, children, farmers, tribals. It was nothing but an emblem of low moral values standards.

Whey educated people gets into low moral value standards? This teases us. The answer is simple. They did not understand the purpose of education and learning. They got educated to earn a status in the society, to concentrate wealth, establish their superiority over others bypassing the main motive of education.

Gandhiji got education from abroad, graduated in law degree but is not known for his advocacy but for his adherence to moral values of truth, non-violence, compassion, "Sarvodaya" (Welfare of All). Abraham Lincoln did not attend any schooling but still stood up against slavery, a sign of high moral value conduct. 

In modern times, the increased corruption, extreme violence, radicalisation, spread of fake news and misinformation, dishonesty, scams and intolerance, and other forms of organised crimes are seen, it has become order of the day and most of them are the result of immoral values instilled in a person. An educated person with low moral value standards can do more harm than an uneducated person.

Recently, we have seen the week roars of 'Black Lives Matter' in America because of the death of George Floyd by the police officers, Taliban educating the recruits with modern technology and varied discipline to spread their terror by controlling all the regime, killing of innocents at the pretext of moral policing are few examples when education and immoral values get combined.

To get this issue addressed, there is a need to bring the change from within, accept the problem and devise methods to deal with it and for that all the individuals across the globe has to take action. The change must take place from the grassroot level.

Conditioning of the child in a moral environment is necessary. Gandhiji learned about Satyagraha and fasting from his mother and wife. The families must adapt the conduct of high moral values. Charity begins at home and that charity should be of high moral values. Education centres are the second home to a child, they must always keep in mind the importance of moral values.

Schools and homes must join hands to make a child, a TOTAL QUALITY PERSON that is of good moral conduct and high moral standards. Society, media, peers, author, scholars, philosophers all have a role to play in this process.

Like, it is said that a person must keep his/her eye open so that it can imbibe good of the society, avoiding the messy evil practices and that eye is of education that earlier said, provides for logical and rational thinking. An educated person of high moral conduct can transform a civilisation and contrary to it also has severe consequence (Holocaust by Hitler) it is left to the individual as to how that quality and gift of education is utilised and that decision would shape the destiny the world and the future of humankind.

We are all born as an empty vessels which can be shaped by moral values- Jerry Springer