Dear Editor,
The education that we are acquiring in schools today is basically academic. It helps us to get a job and earn money in order that we can acquire the things we need. But is this the end of it all? As human beings we need to acquire human qualities – the quality of mercy, of compassion, of sympathy, of love, etc. As parents and teachers are we teaching our children these human qualities first and foremost? It is my view that we need to inculcate human values into our education system so that the children would grow up to be better men and women of tomorrow. Better in the sense that rape and the killing of women and children would be reduced to the greatest extent possible. The men and women of today generally lack the qualities of mercy, compassion and sympathy. Greed, anger, hatred and other evil traits have displaced the traits of love, brotherhood and compassion. From the behaviour of men and women today one is tempted to doubt whether these are men or beasts in human skin.
Therefore there is a dire need for change, and such change has to start with the children. There is an old saying that once a shrub has grown twisted it can be straightened, but when it becomes a tree it cannot be straightened. The only remedy is to cut down the tree. Therefore we have to start with the children in the schools.
I was listening to the MTV news on Friday night, June 6, 2008, when I heard the Minister of Education commenting on the allegation about a teacher abusing the children of a certain school, and he commented that there was need for moral education to be introduced into the school system.
I recall some time ago that an organisation did approach the Minister of Education at that time in order to introduce an Education in Human Values (EHV) programme into the school curriculum. However that Minister was not interested. The subjects which are to be taught in school on the EHV programme are truth, right conduct, love, peace and non-violence. The EHV programme is presently being taught in such places as Australia, Taiwan, India, Africa, etc.
I also heard that Trinidad and Tobago has started such a programme in some schools. I noted that the text book or the EHV programme is available in Guyana and that teachers would need to undergo a nine-month training period prior to commencing the programme.
Academic knowledge alone is not fulfilling to us as humans. It would help us to earn a livelihood but together with the EHV programme we would go beyond the earning of a living, and would be prepared for the challenges of life both morally and spiritually. It is my belief that such a programme in schools would reduce most of the crimes being committed by the children, the teachers and the adults today.
Based on the above I am calling on the organization mentioned above to have a meeting with the Minister of Education on the introduction of the EHV programme in the school curriculum.
Yours faithfully,
J Kadaru
