Why values and peace education is more necessary now than before

Peace and values education promote wellness, resilience, and self-confidence in children, helping them navigate a world of conflicting ideas and ideals.

Last month, I saw a 10-page presentation developed by a class teacher for each of her students. Titled “I Can Be Anything”, every page showed different professions in recognisable gear, with the face of the child it was meant for. Astronaut, doctor, teacher, wildlife expert and so on. The teacher was “motivating” the students in her care. How old were the children? Three. Yet, in the shape of fun, the slow process of performance expectations, of prodding and nudging, had begun. Do this. Be that. On the other hand, when left by himself to read and dream, I have seen a nine-year-old make up his book on dinosaurs. The cover was a huge dino tooth!

The mainstream education system has always worked on the intellect and job skills of students, completely neglecting their emotional needs, the development of their imagination and a strong grounding in personal values. In short, the focus has always been on managing the ‘outer world’ to benefit oneself, rather than knowing yourself and your ‘inner world’.

Exactly 20 years ago a group of writers, counsellors and teachers united to write a series of values education textbooks for Indian schools, also known to previous generations as moral education books. Even as teen suicides exploded in India 10 years ago and children turned against parents and friends, the chant in most households was still “As if values can be taught!” But, let’s not forget, that humans, children and youngsters do not rush spontaneously to sacred texts instead of to films, videos and books on sensation, titillation and adventure. Today, children are not surrounded by a safety net of an extended family. Most are from homes where both parents work hard all day and hardly have more than an hour for their children before the latter fall asleep!

Values have to be taught exactly as children are taught to be clean and sit up straight at the table and eat neatly. They have to be trained to see others as being as important as themselves. You may not push or punch your classmates if they disagree with you. You will be polite to staff and to teachers and elders. You cannot yell in public places and disturb others. Empathy, justice, truth-telling have to be ingrained.

Some children are naturally more sensitive and thoughtful. Many are quite the opposite. Anger and fear management also need to be discussed. Loneliness is very much a modern child’s companion with parents busy with their careers and hardly a sibling to be seen in most households. In modern times, every aspect of a growing child’s life is being carefully calibrated, tested, trained, pushed and pounded into some sort of shape acceptable to society while no attention is paid at all to its inner life.

The values and peace education writers wanted to make a difference. One of the most poignant selections for Class 5 was an account of what Majd Abu-Asad, an eight-year-old Palestinian boy told a reporter, which was published by The Little Magazine.

“On March 28, 2002, suddenly the teachers started looking very scared. My parents came to take me home. When we reached home, the water and electricity had been cut. I was thirsty but there was no water. They closed the school. I had to stay at home. I was very angry. I slept a lot. By the time I walked to the store to fetch what my mother needed, I couldn’t remember what she had asked for. I was frightened. I used to be first in class. Now I can barely read. I have forgotten everything.”