Most of the people across the world today feel that education in moral and human values is essential if we wish to have a better society. However, there are some differences among the people in regard to imparting education in values. Like, some feel that values should not be taught as a separate subject, but they suggest that almost every subject, which the students presently study, must have a value-orientation.
To counter this, there is another group who says that ‘who said that education in values must be given in the form of a book only?’ If education in values is taught as a separate subject through stories, poems, dramas, sayings, songs, etc., then this subject would be the most popular of all, particularly if it is given in the form of visuals and is enacted on the stage. Besides these groups, there is another group as well which talks of value-based education, but it seems to be not very clear about what exactly it wants.
Above all these, there is another category of people who would ask for both the methods. They suggest that, if possible, there should be value-orientation of every subject and there should be a separate subject also by that name.
So, one thing that is common to all kinds of opinion leaders is that they feel that the process of degeneration in values has become very rapid. However, it seems that even though they all feel seriously concerned with the need to stem the rot and to restore the morals to their former heights, they do not think that it is necessary to set a time-schedule for that purpose.
The speed at which people are destroying the environment and disrupting the ecological system, the rate at which population is growing, the amounts of money which are being spent to prepare and store weapons of mass destruction, these and other signs clearly warn humankind that if it does not take any speedy action to restore the values, known as the spirit of world-brotherhood, love, co-operation, non-violence, etc., then our very survival would be endangered.
Hence, the damage, caused by rapid degeneration in values, must be controlled in time. Else, our present artificial civilisation will, like many of its predecessors, be washed away. Time, in this regard, is a crucial factor. We must, therefore, set a period of time within which we should be able to reverse the tide or save whatever we can. Else it will be too late !
The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal and the UK. He can be contacted at nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com
