Section 4

SCHOOL SPACES AND REACHING OUT

4.1 Introduction:
Classrooms today are porous and in many ways effective learning spaces along with
the environment outside the school. The wealth of knowledge that exists in the world
has to be contextualized for the learner. For schools this necessitates strong bonds
with the parent community, a dialogue with the community and learning from the vast
resource of traditional and contemporary wisdom.

At the individual level, fostering values in school students therefore needs to be seen as an
investment in building the foundation for lifelong learning and promoting human excellence.
The capacity to listen, patience, endurance, cooperation, team work, positive attitude towards
study, work and life are the hallmarks of a good student or a person. So values, in fact,
promote both academic as well as human excellence. In this sense education for values
humanizes education.
- ‘Education for Values in Schools – A Framework’ by NCERT

4.2 Values and the School Environment:

“The destiny of the nation is being shaped in the classrooms of today.”

- Indian Education Commission - 1964

What transpires in these rooms is thus critical for the individual and also the world
that the learner inhabits.

The classroom is the crucible and microcosm of children‘s developmental world; its
lessons have a long term impact on the community in the areas of social and gender
justice.

The classroom setting teachers, time table, tests, recognition/ reward, report cards,
peer relations, syllabi, textbooks impacts children, and forms the subtext of their
world. Yet, as they grapple with the ‗formal‘ elements of the classroom the essence
of education, ‗the joy of learning‘ and the ‗wherewithal to acquire life skills‘ is lost.

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 As pedagogical techniques remain largely traditional, and schools and schooling non-
inclusive and hierarchical, the interaction between the different social strata also
becomes limited and distorted.

The potential and actual space for values, peace and harmony in the classrooms for
children remains unutilized. This alone can help the child to discover his/her true
potential which is multi faceted. In discovering different talents of pupils the
classroom provides an environment that is enabling and empowering.

4.2.1 SCHOOL ETHOS: Transforming Monologues into Multi-logues

The school is not merely a laboratory of academics. It is more importantly a space that
harmonizes and promotes individual and societal development. Nurturing awareness
and sustainability are intrinsic to the transaction within the classroom.

How can the school accomplish beyond the parameters of curriculum and syllabi?

A school vision and mission that is inclusive, secular and sensitive towards the
community, with an approach that is progressive and innovative, and promotes
concern about what is happening at the local, national and global level, will serve
to orient its students along similar lines.

School Houses with names that inspire thoughts and acts communicate these
approaches to the students.

Clubs allow for the participation of students in an array of activities. Outlining the
purpose and objectives of the clubs is useful before engaging the students.

Assemblies that focus on values and related issues and other observances in the
school calendar – International Women’s Day, International Day of Non-violence,
International Day of Peace, Martyrs’ Day, UN Day or Hiroshima Day are likely to
have a lasting impact.

Recreation facilities allowing for a creative use of time, i.e., through a reading
corner, painting or play, act as stress busters and orient the students towards
values.

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 A practical approach to learning

4.2.2 School Image: The Aesthetics of Space and a Sense of Ownership

External beauty of the universe has promoted man to establish the concept of ―GOD‖
whose very existence could explain the working of natural phenomena and unfold the
secrets of many mysteries. It could also keep man within the bounds of his design, and
in such bewilderment man could turn into a philosopher, seeker, a scientist, a
spiritualist and a moralist who brought civilization to its present shape.

External and internal surroundings of a school exercise a powerful influence over the
child suggesting his overall personality development.

A good school has to have certain basic ingredients for quality education to ensure
overall personality development of the child.

a) Infrastructure

b) Humane environment

c) Norms for self-conduct

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a. INFRASTRUCTURE

i. Well-equipped laboratories, library and reading room

ii. Residential quarters for the entire staff

iii. Modern teaching aids and facilities

iv. Abundant playfields with facilities for all major games and sports including a
gymnasium and a place for meditation and YOGA

v. Adequate facilities for a variety of co-scholastic activities including of an

auditorium

vi. Facilities for the children to acquire and develop hobbies

vii. Recreational facilities

viii. Proper medical care for the students and staff

ix. Well established and efficient administrative back-up

x. Proper arrangements of water and electricity, clean and separate toilets for
boys and girls

xi. An activity cum-classroom fitted with TV, DVD/VCD player, audio-system,

projector and material required for performing an activity to introduce a
concept

xii. Airy classrooms with adequate capacity.

Children performing YOGA which builds up trust, co-ordination,

poise, stamina, physical and mental health.

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b. HUMANE ENVIRONMENT
A good school can provide humane environment for the children if it strives to
fulfill the following conditions:-

i. Nature in the Midst: garden with beautiful flowers and trees all around the
campus, a fountain with water flowing towards the garden giving the
semblance of a river, an artificial mountain giving an impression of the
Himalayas and a telescope to watch the sky at night.

It is the solemn duty of a language teacher to involve the learners in such a

way that they can feel joy, solace and tranquility while reading about
multi-coloured rainbow, calm and quiet river, dancing daffodils and moon
clouded in mystery. All these beautiful, lovely and natural objects will heal
the spirit of the young generation, elevate their sensitivity, refine their
hearts and develop their love for the whole universe.

ii. The school ethos reflected through the liveliness, openness, the challenges
of providing innovative learning experiences through posters, pictures,
charts, bulletin boards, quotations of renowned personalities.

iii. A place of prayer having signs of all religions in the symbolic form and
celebration of festivals from all religions that could orient the young minds
to appreciate the positive features of the rich composite culture of our
country.

Even simple topics like celebration of festivals such as Id, Diwali, Christmas
and Baishakhi can be used by a language teacher to illustrate how social
customs and celebrations bring delight and fun in our lives and make us
more tolerant, humane and broad-minded.

iv. The Head of school should provide a pleasant, non-threatening atmosphere

and leadership in programme designing.

v. The teachers of the school should be experienced, motivated and

dedicated, and also present an atmosphere of cooperation with colleagues
and free-discussion with the students on all topics pertaining to the
development of a child.

vi. Proper etiquette should be shown by all the members of the school
community on all occasions.

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c. NORMS FOR SELF CONDUCT
A „good‟ school student should:
i. Always aim high and make positive and ceaseless efforts to attain overall
high standards of proficiency.

ii. Be capable of planning and organizing things, his or her day-to-day

activities and should be able to solve the problems.

iii. Have neat and orderly way of life.

iv. Carry out duties allotted to him or her with pride and a sense of
responsibility.

v. Have variety and depth of knowledge.

vi. Have various interests and latent skills.

vii. Be sociable by nature and a loving soul.

viii. Be cooperative with peers and considerate and helpful towards juniors.

ix. Have a deep respect for rules and regulations.

x. Have moral courage to admit lapses and should not resort to cover them up
with lies.

xi. Have dynamic qualities like courage, confidence, stamina and tenacity.

The first impression of the school, as in all others, comes from appearance. In this
context the school should provide a peaceful ambience. This means that all those who
enter it not only feel welcome, but are also motivated and involved. This is only
possible if there is a sense of partnership and the understanding that the school is not
merely a place of work but the building block of the future.

This will find reflection in the following:

Display
Charts and wall magazines providing information on various topics and
happenings. They develop the creative and writing skills of the students and also
involve them through participation as contributors and editors. These can be
used to communicate values by focusing on people, agencies and initiatives in
the community, nation or world.

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 Display boards enhance creative and writing skills

Motifs

The presence of quotations on core values and symbols help the students to
familiarize and internalize these for life. Students can be asked to contribute
their favorite symbols and quotes. The best contributor can be awarded within
the class on a daily, weekly or monthly basis with a seal or a certificate. The
contributors and workers can also be recognized in the morning assemblies.

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Entry point

Cleanliness and hygiene in the school can be a significant factor in creating a

positive energy flow. The involvement of students in maintaining the standard
needs to be viewed as a step towards fostering respect for others, environment
and the planet.

Nature spots

A potted plant or a bunch of flowers in the classroom gives it a warmth and cheer
that only nature can provide. These can more importantly be used to discuss the
willful destruction of nature by man and why respect for nature should not be
everybody‘s concern.

A bunch of flowers add beauty and fragrance

Presence of Volunteers

The various parameters cited above would be soul-less without a human face.
The presence of student volunteers, councils, clubs and groups that allow for the
assumption of responsibilities not only provide a medium for creative expression
and confidence, but also provide the first training in democracy.

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 Value Symbols

Visual representations serve a powerful role by

encouraging students to think along values
focusing their attention on making correct
choices. Students can be introduced to some
symbols of values, such as peace and
encouraged to research about others.

4.2.3 Respecting Individual and Common Spaces

Truth is not only to question but also to know what not to question.

Situations of conflict often arise as individuals transgress the unwritten rules of

personal and public domains. Appreciating and being sensitive to the needs and
limitations/ handicaps of others is a fundamental aspect in the building up of circles of
confidence within the classroom though it can easily apply to any life situation.

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 The day is not over:

Schools need to reconsider the ―organization of time‖ and the connotations of the
beginning and end of each working day. Right from the moment we step into the
school and till we step out of it, is a profound link, for our lives are not
compartmentalized but knitted into a continuum. This applies to each day, each week
and year spent at school and the lives that we lead.

Linear time is limiting in each aspect of school.

Circular time on the other hand bridges the gap that exists in the spaces between
knowing, feeling and action.

Things to do:

– Identify the values enshrined in the school mission and vision and how these are reflected in
the curricular and co curricular activities of the school. Share these with your colleagues.

– Identify the values integrated in the curriculum of your subject and share it with your
colleagues.

– Make a list of values which you would like to inculcate amongst your students through
different co-curricular activities so that they can have a clearer sense of what‟s most
important in life. They can become responsible citizens.

– Make a list of co curricular activities which you would like to organize in your school so as
to inculcate the values mentioned in article 51 A of the Indian Constitution amongst your
students.

Beliefs of people who do not accept reality: * There's no way I'll be able to do it. * Nobody can help me. I'm
a failure. * There isn't much hope. Why bother.*

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4.3 Collaborative/Co-operative Classrooms

Learning to live together

A collaborative/co-operative classroom is one that works together as a team. Learning

to live together is the essence of collaborative classroom. Today, a classroom is
fragmented with economic disparity, linguistic differences and gender inequality. The
ability to live together is integral to creating an equitable, non violent and a just
society.

For achieving this end of building harmony and solidarity in a divided world, we need
to underscore the social nature of human existence, and tap the many opportunities of
communication and travel that bring the world closer.

Objectives

1. Development of processes within the group.

2. Development of group resource sharing skills.

3. Cooperation rather than competition.

4. Acceptance of the self and the other.

5. Development of decision making skills, learning to accept group decisions and

rules and responsibility.

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Focus Values

Respect for diversity

Appreciation and acceptance of differences

Creating trust

Sense of ownership within the group

Content

Concept

Working in groups

Characteristics of effective groups

Individual roles in the group

Why we need to learn

Co-operation

Classroom practices for collaborative learning

A values building culture

Group Dynamics

Human beings by nature are social and spend a large part of their life in groups. This
helps in humanizing and empowering people not only individually but also collectively.
In order to create effective groups, many factors are involved − collaboration,
development of morale and self−esteem, equity and respect of the other. When all
these factors come together, a workable grouping takes place.

Forming a group

When groups come together an individual often feels threatened by the other because
there is certain discomfort connected with the identification of roles.

This phase can be looked upon as a period of churning. Once structures, roles, tasks,
procedure, etc., are set, the churning subsides and the group comes together for a
common goal. Essentially the glue that binds individuals together is a common task.

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The process of creating groups includes dialogues, communication, role play, making
decisions and organizing. The group is challenged with the work in hand. One of the
most powerful tools of getting work done is assigning a task to a group.

a. Groups are characterised by:

A clearly defined goal that is identified and achievable by all students.

Clarity among students about their individual roles and tasks.

The students share a sense of equality and ownership and take decisions
collectively.

Openness and sharing among the members and leaders.

A friendly environment that is conducive for an exchange of ideas.

Observance of a code of discipline and conduct that members have decided

collectively and democratically.

b. Individual roles in the group:

The individuals within the group have their own personality traits and can
contribute towards the group as a whole by undertaking the following:

Organizing and delineating tasks to others as leaders.

Setting time frames for work assigned to be achieved.

Reviewing tasks and offering constructive criticism.

Providing opportunities to relax and enjoying humour in each other‘s

company.

Working in a group may sometimes lead to tension and conflict; an arbitrator

and counsellor with the group can help iron out differences that arise within
the group.

Why do we need to learn Cooperation/Collaboration?

Cooperation has become extremely significant with the emergence of globalization. In

schools across the world, educators are aware of the divisive forces that have entered
the classrooms bringing in fear, selfishness, bullying.

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1. It has created a paradox which has strengthened virtual connections, and
weakened and destroyed real life relationships. The act of a student not
connecting in the classroom or thinking only about himself/herself has brought in
extreme individual behaviour.

2. The world has become fragmented culturally, economically, socially and politically
bringing in interdependence and insecurity. In a classroom which is a microcosm of
this world, the societal influences can be seen where the strong and the weak,
minority and majority, rich and poor feel equally threatened by the other.

Hence in these circumstances, the need for learning cooperation has become
critical.

3. A teacher has the responsibility of encouraging dialogue and a culture of working

together. Today‘s classroom needs partnerships and collaboration for the future of
children.

Cooperative classrooms encourage students to move from confrontation to co-

existence, alienation to collaboration thereby bringing in mutual empowerment.
Schools have become centers of salvation, not only in the minds of parents and
children, but also that of the community. Teachers have to create a common humanity
in our school system which will help to overcome the 'exclusivity', and help create an
inclusive learning space.

A teacher is integral to building classroom communities on the basis of shared values.

This would be the highest achievement of the group. A classroom that thinks and
works together towards a common goal will automatically evolve into a learning
community. This consciousness of strengthening commonalities and preserving and
reconciling our differences within one broader community is a constant challenge that
the teacher will face in his / her classroom.

Today, unhealthy competition has become central to success whereby one‘s

self−worth/esteem is only enhanced by defeating the other. This is a potential source
of tension. Encouraging healthy competition with oneself, coming to term with one‘s
own skills, abilities and constraints, and being able to work with them through difficult
circumstances is possible through positive cooperation.

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 Classroom Practices

Create Reciprocity Discourage Exclusivity

For a
Praise Group Achievement Collaborative Build Team Spirit
classroom approach

Value Team Work Sensitive groups

towards duties and
responsibilities
A Value Building Culture

The following activities might be instrumental in building values in the school:

1. Creating democratic spaces in the entire school

system, from the basic auxiliary staff right up to
the management, which will be an example for
students to emulate.

2. Creating mock parliaments where children can

put forth their ideas and difficulties.

3. Creating a School Council whose representatives A mock parliament

can be on the school management. This will

help in understanding the needs and concerns of
the student community, thereby creating a
democratic system.

4. Encouraging staff to cooperate with each other

for teaching, learning of best practices.

5. Bringing in students into the organizational School Council meet

spaces for all the activities of the school – Sports
Day, Independence Day, Book Eeek, Human Rights Day, etc., enhance their 21st
century skills – entrepreneurial, planning, organizational and communicative.

Be fair: always be fair in your dealings. This will create a faithful, positive environment to generate respect.

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4.4 Home School Community Partnerships

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 Every support extended by the home to the school allows learning to be more
meaningful and contextual.

School, parents, and the community at large are responsible for satisfying the social
and emotional needs of the young. Unless everybody comes together with the
challenge of creating balanced individuals, the modern day youth can turn rebellious
or even violent.

Home School partnerships in education for values allow the children to acquire values
that help in

personality formation beginning from an early age;

developing a shared spirituality born of a critical and rational approach towards

beliefs;

respecting the historical heritage of values relating to culture and tradition;

understanding the concepts of Human Rights and Democracy;

adapting their lifestyle to resolve global challenges such as caring for nature and
sustainable development, social justice, terrorism, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.

Learning does not begin with the school; it starts much earlier at home and continues
there even after the child is introduced to formal education. Parental participation is
a must in the processes of education. Parent teacher partnerships are crucial to
holistic education and both need to be convinced that their alliance is in the best
interests of the child.

In the context of Values Education, the values and problem solving methods taught in
classrooms have to be sustained and reaffirmed at home if they are to be internalized
by the students. This alone can reinstate the role of parents in education, help in
improving parent teacher partnership, and better the quality of life and relations at
home as well.

When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her.... THAT’s TRUST.
Be Trusting: By putting our trust in someone we put our faith in that person, another way of displaying
respect.

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4.4.1 The Home school Partnerships - Ethics and Values

While the rhetoric for imparting ethics and values among students is often heard, a
clear understanding of the terms or the means of inculcating them among the young is
not quite clear. This is partly due to the dynamic nature of the theme that needs to
adapt and reinvent itself in a given context and partly due to the ambiguity that has
come to be associated with Values Education programmes.

Why is it so important to nurture those ethics and values that inspire students? What
are the advantages that accrue to the individual and society that make Values
Education not only desirable but an urgent necessity as well?

A. Parents‟ Involvement

Parents‘ involvement in Values Education begins long before the schooling of the
child and hence the home becomes one of the main agencies to be involved when
planning any Values Education programme at school.

The parents‘ involvement is what a school 'values'

No human being is born with set values. Values are learned. Initially values are
transmitted by the parents, grandparents and other close relatives whom the
child would interact with. These values are usually such that prepare a child to
be accepted in society.

Learning to put things in an orderly manner, greeting the elders, respecting time
by following the time schedule, restraining from simple acts of violence

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(like throwing objects, destroying property) are perhaps some of the very initial
beginnings of Values Education. Most of the values are those which have been
imbibed by the family from the society. During mid or late adolescence, the
individual begins to question these values. As s/he participates in life‘s
experiences, old values are judged and reshaped to form new values. Certain
values are discarded and others become integrated into the self. As the child
grows s/he begins to prioritise the values gained in early childhood. Values are
also measured in terms of a changing society and individuals need the skills to
ascertain what exactly their own values are. They need to clarify their values.

The stages of values development could be roughly divided as follows.

VALUE REFERENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT STAGES: Adapted from Kohlberg, The Child
as a Moral Philosopher, 2(4) 1968 PP. 24-30

1. Pre-Conventional Stage (0-7): I do so…………..

Because my parents say so

Because doing so will get me appreciation/gift, etc.

2. Conventional Stage (7-10): I do so…..

Because you will like me better as related to peers, parents,

teachers.

Because it is the law and I have to do it.

3. Post- Conventional Stage (18+): I do so……

Because justice requires it

Because it is good for humanity

The child nurtured in a home with sound values and educated in a school that
reinforces these values would, therefore, move along these steps.

S/he would………………..

review the alternatives available

thoughtfully consider the consequences of the alternatives

choose from the alternatives freely

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 publicly confirm beliefs/ values

act on one‘s beliefs

prize and cherish beliefs and individual behaviour

act with a pattern, consistency and repetition indicating the value profile

In order to become an adult who is able to ―stand for‖ a particular value, know
and act on that value, the individual requires to explore, think and try out those
values in a real life situation. Thinking, feeling, imagining and clarifying aloud
what is prized and wanted, takes time. It is a difficult process but it is rewarding
because it improves the quality of life. Values are standards for action, but they
cannot be absolute for all situations, people or cultures. The basis of all life is
change. We must know how to change and revaluate our values. This perhaps is
far more important than having a fixed, even clarified values system.

Parents‟ involvement in Values Development

It is absolutely necessary that schools work with parents to reinforce the values
identified as important. Here are some suggestions that could be incorporated
keeping in mind the nature of the school population.

A. Work ethics

This would imply the co-related values of commitment, punctuality,

fairness, sincerity, sharing, helping, independence, responsibility, humility
and pride.

Parents could be asked to help by seeing that

work assigned to the student is completed on time

work assigned is done as far as possible independently

the child develops his own responsibility for completing the work

a sense of pride is created by laying emphasis on neatness, handwriting

and innovativeness in the work done

the child is encouraged to share his knowledge with others

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 the child is taught to see that actions do have consequences and that
they have to be forborne, however painful they may be

while offering help, the child is still given independence to choose or

reject the help. This helps the child to understand that the parent is
there and yet s/he has the right to control the situation and make an
important decision about his/ her own deeds

children understand the importance of commitments and obligations as

this affects others as well as themselves

B. Parent –Teacher Association:

Apart from regularly attending the Parent-Teacher Meetings the parents

need to have discussions with the teachers. Their presence as audience and
observers at various school programmes or as professionals judging
competitions, delivering lectures, etc., are significant markers of the
rapport they share with the school.

If parents willingly substitute for teachers on leave, contribute to the

community welfare projects of the school such as the blood donation
camps, and volunteer for activities such as sports days and trips and
excursions, then the bonds of trust and confidence are well in place.

The mother‘s participation in a sports event

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 The father‘s race to compete

This symbiotic relationship is not only mutually beneficial but also allows
the school to undertake initiatives in the community which it otherwise
could never have achieved. This then allows the school to serve as an
instrument of social change.

The school can then launch itself into community projects like adopting a
neighbourhood community, opening vocational centers and run workshops
in the community, organizing health check-ups and literacy projects (each
one teach one) for adults.

Dr. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India amidst students

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 These projects provide the children with the rare opportunity to interface
with people who are not like them, understand their problems and realities,
and empathize with them. An attitude of caring and sharing is the
cornerstone of peaceful societies.

The home and school should not only provide an environment that is a
microcosm of the larger social milieu, but should also be able to spark
change in the society.

4.5 Values through Partnerships

In order to counter this, there is a need to propagate values in ways that could be best
understood by the learners. Values and ethics can never be taught in isolation, but
must be an intrinsic part of the school‘s ideology, activities and practices.

The Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes that are part of the process of Values Education
must be viewed as skills rather than being dogmatically imposed upon the students at
any juncture. This has been amply clarified in the values framework brought out by
the CBSE in the CCE Teacher‘s Manuals.

While it is not possible to measure their impact quantitatively, the following

partnerships may be kept in mind while planning and implementing Values Education
programmes/ activities.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM

SCHOOL COMMUNITY

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4.5.1 Individual Values Focus

Self respect

Tolerance

Truthfulness

Respect for human dignity and

differences

Openness to new ideas and change

Reconciliation

Compassion Individual participation enhances

learning capabilities
Ability to access and utilize relevant information

Caring and empathy

Social responsibility and accountability

Sensitivity to disadvantaged (economic and social background), disabilities,

etc.

Control over thoughts and actions

Gender and caste sensitivity

Environmental awareness

Communication skills

Critical thinking and problem solving approach

Positive outlook

Leadership and decision making qualities

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4.5.2 Classroom Values Focus

No discrimination

Cooperative group work

Respecting each other

Peaceful resolution of conflict

Recognition of diversity
Working together is a good value
Respect for rules and regulations

4.5.3 School Values Focus

School mission

Varied and interesting teaching

pedagogies

Adults as role models

Secure and non threatening

climate

Activities to promote Save the environment awareness parade

international understanding,
environment and sustainable development

Staff development programmes

Parent-teacher partnership

Caring and provision for counseling

Activities that focus on impact of conflicts and wars, and nuclear disarmament

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4.5.4 Community

Interaction with diverse groups is a learning exercise

Outreach programmes through Sahodaya School Complexes

Taking leadership initiatives

Exchanges with other institutions

Partnerships with other schools/ organizations

Problem solving attitudes

4.6 Concluding Thoughts

The nature and scope of home-school-community partnerships are fundamental to the
functioning of a school as an institution that not only imparts learning within the
classroom but also extends itself beyond its boundaries as a social entity.

The fact that teachers and parents are the people who have the greatest impact on
the child‘s life is an undisputed reality. Parents do not abandon their ward to the
school. They remain deeply involved with the process of their ward‘s development and
maturity through the years and in fact forge ties with the school that endure a
lifetime.

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 Direction for Social Work

At the societal level, education for values aims at promoting social cohesion and national
integration for transforming societies, nations and creating a better world. It can contribute to
create the aspiration for transformation of the culture of war, violence and greed into a culture of
peace; where people learn and understand more about each other‟s uniqueness, human rights and
fundamental freedom; where people learn to care and share to live together in a just, peaceful
and compassionate society both in their immediate contexts and in the world at large.
- ‘Education for Values in Schools – A Framework’ by NCERT

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131
 Holistic Development

ADOLESCENCE
Understanding
Tolerance and
Care & Inclusion
Compassion
MIDDLE
CHILDHOOD
Understanding Responsibility
Tolerance & Care &
Inclusion Compassion
Doing Your Respect
Best
EARLY Respect
Doing YEARS
Your Best Responsibility
Understanding
Tolerance and
Inclusion Integrity
Respect
Integrity Care &
Compassion
Freedom

Responsibility

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Minimum Programme of Action

In the present social environment, it has become necessary for all schools to plan a ‘Minimum
Programme of Action’ for Values Education in order to create a humane and caring society.
The school is a good place too start as the teacher is a friend, guide and philosopher and can
play a crucial role to in preparing the students for leading a life of dignity and self-respect as
well as making a positive contribution to their nation and society.

Some suggestions are offered in the following pages:

Minimum Programme of Action (NUR-II)

Values Inside the school Outside the school

Good 1. Personal hygiene & keeping the 1. Greeting relatives, neighbours,

manners school neat & clean by not elders, etc.

littering the school premises. 2. Saying thank you, please and sorry
2. Settlement of disputes through wherever applicable.
discussion and interaction. 3. Acknowledge our helpers like the
3. Identify need and discuss values gardener, postman, doctor, guard,
connected with each lesson. milkman, etc., and become aware

4. Role-play/ dramatization, story of how important their services are

telling of incidents. to us.

5. Greeting teachers, seniors and

fellow students.

6. Obeying the schools & assembly

rules.

7. Emphasis on pleasant and polite

manner of speech and ettiquette.

Sharing & 1. Children should be encouraged to 1. Each child helps his/her parents,

helping share their books, note-books, family, friends, siblings, etc.

help their class fellows in 2. Emphasis should be on building up
classwork/ homework.

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 2. Donate books & toys for a worthy patience & acceptance.
cause. 3. Joy of giving week where books,
3. Team-work to be encouraged toys are collected & given to
while playing games, organizing orphanage, etc.
small class functions and other
such activities.

4. A class library can be developed

where children share books with
one another.

5. Students learn to get along with

everyone in class by making new
friends.

Self 1. Make children bring their own 1. Chalk out various activities to

Reliance things as pencils, scale, etc. make children self reliant in day to

2. Remind children to switch off day activities.

lights/fans when they are leaving 2. To be independent in action &

the classroom. thought (under the guidance and

3. Preparing and displaying bulletin supervision).

boards class wise.

4. Students using the school

property and equipment should
learn to put them back in their
right place.

Minimum Programme of Action (III to V)

Values Inside the school Outside the school

Hygiene & 1. Keeping the classroom in order 1. Schools should take turns and
Cleanliness and neat & tidy. organize cleanliness drives.

2. On the class Display Board 2. Make squads of children to talk to

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 maintain a progress chart, the people in the neighborhood
tabulated under the headings about recycling & making
personal cleanliness, uniform, compost-pit.
upkeep of books, room for every
3. Making a survey for follow up.
student.
4. Making posters on cleanliness &
3. Organizing programmes such as
displaying in the neighborhood.
a class wise cleanliness week.

4. Schools should set up a student

body (by rotation) to help the
school authorities in keeping the
playfield beautiful.

5. Encourage use of dustbins. Hold

competitions in making
attractive dustbins from waste
material – these can be placed
strategically in the classroom to
liven up the surroundings and
remind children to use them.

6. Encourage children to select or

bring stories and topics based on
values.

7. Appoint monitors to check the

uniform/general cleanliness of
classrooms.

Punctuality 1. Getting up on time to reach 1. Follow a routine at home.

school on time.

2. Do their work on time.

3. Discussing lessons highlighting

the value thus creating

135
 awareness.

4. Moral stories on punctuality.

5. Regularity in submission of
assignments.

6. Reporting for assembly, to the

bus, submission of assignments
on time.

Minimum Programme of Action (VI – VIII)

Values Inside the school Outside the school

Environmental 1. Make children understand the 1. Plantation drives on occasions

Concern importance of ecology. like Earth Day, Environment Day.

2. Explaining the concept of 2. Say no to plastic bags campaign

sustainability through various in the community.
activities.
3. Making & distributing paper bags.
3. Familiarize the students on the
three R’s-Recycle, Reduce,
and Reuse.

4. Special assembly on Van

Mahotsav & Earth Day.

5. Establishing Eco clubs to

sensitise students.

Responsibility 1. Appointing students as class & 1. Sharing responsibility with family

subject monitors/ in charge, & friends.
etc.
2. Responsibility towards society &
2. Making – monitors, prefects & community by being a part of

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 students’ council members. social campaign & drives, e.g.,
literacy mission, each one teach
3. Setting up of Leadership Clubs.
one, shramdaan.
4. Organising Mock Parliament.

Empathy 1. Teacher helps the children to 1. Spending time with old people,
discover themselves through orphan children & the physically
peer groups. challenged.

2. Teacher helps the children to 2. Participating in community

become sensitive & caring projects & social events.
towards others, e.g., helping a
3. Contributing towards Social work.
classmate who is sick.

3. The teacher helps the children

to become attentive to
different capabilities and
positive qualities of each
student.

MINIMUM PROGRAMME OF ACTION (IX – XII)

Values Inside the school Outside the school

1. Respect 1. Teacher needs to focus on 1. A mixed gender group should

differences gender equality by participate in inter-school events.
conducting class programmes
Gender 2. A Group Survey can be
where boys & girls plan &
undertaken on different
Race & participate together.
professions & the role each
Religion
2. An event can be organized gender plays.

Culture where salient features of

3. Students can visit different places
various religious and races
Economic of worship as a group.
are highlighted/ exhibited.

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 Diversity 3. Cross cultural exchanges 4. Celebrate all festivals in the spirit
encouraged through of brotherhood.
appreciation of dance,
5. Sensitize themselves with people
music, etc.
of different economic groups.
4. The students should be
taught to repect everyone’s
positive qualities irrespective
of their religion, gender or
economic status.

2. Sports- 1. Leadership quality, fair play, 1. Children should focus on

manship respect for rules & participation in different
regulations and team spirit activities rather than winning.
should be encouraged.
2. Sportsmanship and the spirit of
2. Activities such as learning a participation should be
set of spellings, manifested during inter-school
brainstorming for a events.
paragraph writing and getting
3. As a spectator one should
together to arrive at a
appreciate good game or speech.
conclusion should be
encouraged.

3. Organize group activities and

team events work which
allow for healthy
competition.

4. Divide the class in groups.

Each group should see what
every member of the group
can contribute to the task.

5. Giving students a choice to

elect their leaders/ topics/

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 projects.

6. Children should learn to

applaud their opponents’
victory.

7. Children should appreciate

the abilities in others singing,
dancing, theatre etc.

3. Universal 1. Maintain a progress chart for 1. Classwise parents-teachers

Values the class. Each child’s meeting should be organized to
performance with respect to form partnerships between the
Honesty
the following can be home and school for Values
Punctuality recorded: Education.

Self- i. Punctuality in the 2. A child can relate to any incident

discipline assembly outside the school that fosters
these values.
Good ii. Discipline

conduct 3. Nukkad natak & street plays on

iii. Making use of corridors
these values.
Loyalty (giving way to teachers)

Tolerance iv. Manner and etiquettes

v. Any other
Courtesy

2. Teachers should also

Patience
maintain a record if s/he
comes across a certain
behaviour which is not
healthy. Based on this s/he
can plan future remedial
actions.

3. A specific value can be

selected for a week. The

139
teachers can ask the students
to identify a role model &
anecdotes connected with
him/her that can be shared.

140
141
 In the dissemination of values, schools would do well to use every opportunity to engage the learners with the values from their surroundings.
Developing a value calendar would enable schools to focus attention on values that are aligned with their own ethos and vision.
This will enable the teachers to plan the curricular and co-curricular schedule for the optimum internalisation of values.
While National festivals like Republic Day (26th Jan), Independence Day (15th Aug) and Gandhi Jayanti (2nd Oct), are integral to a value calendar,
it may also include the following:
1.National Days
2.International Days
3.Role Models
4.Freedom Fighters
5.National Festivals
6.Holidays
7.Eminent Writers, Authors, Poets
8.Eminent Singers, Dancers, Musicians
9.Famous Sports Personalities
(trying to cover the majority/ most of the games)
10.Scientists, Mathematicians
11.Artists, Painters
12.Outstanding Personalities
13.Educationists
14.Religious Leaders
15.Nobel Laureates
16.Any Others
Bindiya Thapar

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4.8 Suggested Activities
1. This is my Class 7. Bonding as a Class

2. Shaping up 8. Relay Race

3. My Reflection 9. Group Tangrams

4. My Beautiful City 10. Magic Squares

5. A Human Machine 11. The Thousand Maze

6. Happy Birthday

Learn to live together

1. ‘This is my class’

Activity will help in bringing the class together as a cohesive community.

Level: Secondary

Curriculum Objective: At the beginning of the academic year helps in managing

the class.

Objectives:

● Helps the teacher and students to get to know one another better

● Develops a sense of ownership towards the class.

Material Required:

A blackboard

Three display boards

Pens

Activity:

Say: "The teacher can ask the class how they would like to contribute to it. What
responsibilities and duties would they like to assume?"

● Which values do they adhere to in their personal life or at home.

143
 ● What changes would they like to bring in the society? The same could be listed
on the board.

Ending conflict

Respect for women

Caring for the environment

● The children would choose those values they seek to bring into the classroom.

● These could be displayed on the classroom display board against the names of
the student‟s contribution.

QUALITY STUDENT’S NAME

Generosity Jai
Care Uday
Respect Simran
Kindness Raina
Peace Leena
Honesty Rashid

● This should be followed by a discussion. “How can the selected value be

practiced in class and school?”

Note: It will be useful to review and always encourage students to motivate them
and others to uphold the values.

2. ‘Shaping up’

This activity enhances co-operation and team work.

Level: Upper Primary upwards

Curriculum objective: Sports / helps in relaxing the group.

Objective: Learning to work together.

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 Activity: The children can be taken to the sports field or any open area. The
class can be divided into groups of 10 each. They cannot change their group. The
group that makes the biggest shape wins.

Discussion: Children‟s responses on the following:

Was it fun and enjoyable?

How did you decide the shape?

How did you go about creating the shape?

Did you learn anything?

Note: The children may be confused to begin with. However, they will soon see
that they can create a shape using their personal belongings and organizing
themselves to stand in a particular position.

3. ‘My Reflection’

Self-discovery through mirroring of actions.

Level: Primary and Secondary

Curriculum Objective: Sports – Enables individual students to understand the

importance of their body language and non-verbal communication.

Objective:

Conveying our feelings through actions.

Understanding how our actions mirror our mental and physical state.

Being empathetic towards others.

Activity: The students are asked to face their partner in an open space. Then one
is given a feeling to express. The partner imitates the action that the first
student is performing. Soft music can be played during the activity. After 5
minutes ring a bell and the partners can switch places.

145
 For expression:

Hurt

Praise

Joy

Peace

Compassion

Anger

Kindness

Intolerance

Note:

Allow the children to have fun while doing the gestures.

Students can also be asked to express a feeling.

The acting will allow students to release suppressed feelings and visualize
their own actions by observing those of their partner.

Discuss:

Ask children

What did you learn from the activity?

Did you enjoy the activity?

Could you understand what was being enacted by your partners?

What did you have to keep in mind while imitating the action?

4. ‘My Beautiful City’

This will help students to share their ideas through the creative medium of art.

Level: Upper Primary and Lower Secondary

Curriculum Objective: It will help students to internalize values and understand

interdependence.

146
 Objective: Learning to work in groups.

Material Required: A chart paper for each group to draw and color.

Activity: The class is divided into groups of 6. They are asked to design a city
that has a clean environment and good infrastructure for its diverse population.
Each group brainstorms what it needs to include before making the chart as a
team. Each group makes a presentation about their dream city.

Discussion:

What did you keep in mind while planning the city?

How did each member contribute to the group?

Do you think an individual could have created a better city or a group?

How did the activity help you to learn about co-existence and cooperation?

Other suggested topics – A day in my school

A neighbouring country

This is my State

5. ‘A Human Machine’

Children would understand the importance of each individual within the team.

Curriculum Objective: Sports – The activity would help students relax and learn
to appreciate one another.

Objective: To make students understand and experience the importance of team

spirit.

Activity: The students can be divided into groups of 6-8. Each group will organize
themselves into a working machine – such as a car, train, sewing machine or any
other. The group can decide which machine they want to portray. Each group
will showcase their machine after 10 minutes to the other groups.

Discussion:

Which machine did you build?

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 Was it functional?

How did each individual contribute to the working of the whole?

What would happen if a part of the machine stopped working?

6. ‘Happy Birthday’

This will enable students to resolve problems as a group.

Level: Secondary and Middle

Curriculum Objective: Sports – Help the students understand

the importance of non – verbal communication.

Concepts: Working as a team to organize themselves for tasks.

Objective: Helping students to understand the role of team work for

accomplishing complex tasks.

Activity:

1. The task before the students is to organize themselves into 12 groups on the
basis of the month of their birth. They have to identify other students who
share their birthday month.

2. They cannot speak to one another during the activity and can communicate
only through gestures.

3. The teacher verifies that the groups have been formed correctly.

Discussion:

During a follow up discussion students can be asked:

Did you enjoy the activity?

Do you think verbal communication will help?

How were you able to locate the month?

What difficulties did you face?

Do you think other problems can be solved through collective action?

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7. ‘Bonding as a class’

This activity teaches togetherness through the play – way method.

Level: All levels

Curriculum Objective: Helps build a classroom community from a diverse group

of students.

Objective: Experiencing group coherence.

Activity: The class is divided into groups of 10. Ask each group to discuss, within
their group, likes and dislikes with respect to –

Food

Colour

Sport

Book

Dress, etc.

Discussion:

What did you learn about your friends / class?

What were the similarities / differences in the group?

Were all members of the class in agreement in any area?

8. ‘Relay Race’

This is an activity about co-operative and creative problem solving.

Level: All levels

Curriculum Objective: Sports – when you want to play an enjoyable group game.

Objective: Experiencing working in groups.

Activity: Divide the class into groups of six on the playfield. Let the groups
organize themselves for the relay. Ask each group to decide who will run in
which order.

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 Discussion:

What did you have to keep in mind during the activity?

Which group won? Why?

How can the group‟s performance be improved?

9. ‘Group Tangrams’

This is an activity about cooperative problem solving.

Level: Middle School

Curriculum Concern: Mathematics / Drawings/ Shapes/ to make the children

familiarize themselves with geometrical forms.

Pre requisite knowledge: Information about Tans.

How to make Tangram Puzzle.

Material Required: One set of Tangrams for each Group.

Activity: Introduce the puzzle. Divide the class into groups of six. The fifth one in
the group will have a set of Tangrams and make a meaningful shape. The sixth
one becomes the observer. The group that completes first wins.

Instructions to prepare Tangrams:

1. Draw a square of any size and name it ABCD.

2. Join A and C. Find the midpoint of AC and name it E.

3. Join D and E.

4. Find the mid points of AB and BC. Name them F and G respectively. Join F
and G.

5. Find the mid points of AE and EC, and name them H and I respectively.

6. Join H and F.

7. Produce DE to meet FG at J.

8. Join I and J.

9. Cut all the seven parts.

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Discussion: Did everyone participate?

What did you learn by engaging in this activity?

What did you learn about Tangrams?

151
10. 'Magic Squares'

This is an activity about cooperative problem solving.

Level: Middle School

Curriculum Concern: Mathematics / to make the children familiar with Magic

Squares.

Activity: Introduce the Magic Squares. Divide the class into groups of five. Four in
the group will take any set of 16 consecutive natural numbers and arrange them
in a square using the “Cup Method”. The fifth becomes the observer. The group
that constructs the maximum number of magic squares wins.

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Instructions to Construct a Magic Square:

Write numbers from 16 – 31 in the following pattern:

16 23 27 28

17 22 26 29

18 21 25 30

19 20 24 31

Keep the top row and the bottom row as it is. Invert the middle two rows and
get a magic square.

16 23 27 28

29 26 22 17

30 25 21 18

19 20 24 31

4 × 4 Magic Square with numbers 16 – 31 (each square totals 94).

153
 Discussion: Did everyone participate?

Did you enjoy working together?

Did you learn to construct a magic square?

11. 'The Thousand Maze'

This is an activity about cooperative problem solving.

Level: Middle School

Curriculum Concern: Mathematics / To improve calculation skills.

Method used – Trial and error

Activity: Divide the class into groups of five. Four members of the group will
solve the maze by “Hit and Trial” method and the fifth will become the
observer. They will follow the numbers starting from the entrance till the exit so
that sum of all the numbers in the way is 1000. The observer makes notes on
each one‟s contribution in solving.

Discussion: Did everyone participate?

Did you enjoy working together?
What did you learn from the group work?

Education in values also prepares student for the world of work. The attitudes and
values of hard work, discipline, cooperation, communication skills, etc., enable them to
develop healthy interpersonal relationships at home and in school which in turn
facilitate their better adjustment on the job. The employers too look for these qualities
in their prospective employees. It is a common observation that the advancement in a
career depends not only on the intellectual abilities but also the ability to sustain hard
work, assume responsibility and ability to work in teams and cooperate with others.
While educational qualification helps to enter a job, efficiency to deliver in a job is often
dependent on qualities of perseverance, cooperation, genuineness, hard work,
communication and relationship skills.
-‘Education for Values in Schools – A Framework’ by NCERT

154
 Activity with solution

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2
4.9 Learning from People, Events and Stories

4.9.1 Doing Your Best

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told

his employer contractor of his plans to leave the
house building business to live a more leisurely life
with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He
would miss the pay cheque each week, but he
wanted to retire and was sure that they could get
by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go

and asked if he could build just one more house as
a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his
heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior
materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter
finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the key to
the front door to the carpenter and said “This is your house…. my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked.

What a shame! If only he had known he was building his own house, he would have
done it all so differently.

But so it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best
into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house that we
have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

But you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail,
place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, „Life is a do-it-yourself project.‟
„Your attitude and the choices you make today help build the house‟ you will live in
tomorrow, therefore build it wisely.

REFLECT: Why had the carpenter done a sub standard job?

156
4.9.2 Self Esteem - Key to Success

In the month of May, 1893, Gandhi reached Durban. Accompanied by Dada Abdulla,
one of the richest Indian traders in Natal, who also happened to be his employer, he
went to visit the Durban Court. The European magistrate at the court instructed
Gandhi to remove his turban. He not only disobeyed the commands of the magistrate
but issued a protest letter to the press. This was, however, just the lull before the
storm. The final provocation took place during his journey to Pretoria from Durban. It
shook the consciousness of the young lawyer to such an extent that he assumed a
staunch position against racial prejudice. This incident played a major role in carving
out the future course of Gandhi's life.

Gandhi was travelling to Pretoria on a first class ticket, bought by his client. When his
train drew into Pietermaritzburg, a white man entered his compartment and sought
the help of an officer to move Gandhi to the third class compartment. This was only
because Gandhi was a 'coloured' person, of Asian origin. When Gandhi refused to oblige
the white man, a constable turned him out of the compartment to suffer in the bitter
cold at the waiting room. Humiliated and insulted, Gandhi reflected on his next
action. It was at this moment that a steadfast determination took hold of him. He
resolved that under no circumstance would he allow racial discriminations to get an
upper hand. The larger cause of human respect and the honor of the Indian community
became critical to him. After a few weeks in Pretoria, Gandhi called a meeting and

157
addressed the Indian community, where he upheld before them the dismal conditions
under which they lived. To represent Indian interests, Gandhi and other Indians,
decided to form a permanent body. This organization was named the Natal Indian
Congress and Gandhi assumed its leadership. At the same time Gandhi worked
assiduously for the lawsuit that brought him to South Africa.

As Gandhi was preparing to return to India after the completion of his lawsuit, the
news of a proposed bill, to be introduced by the Natal Government, reached him. This
bill would lead to disenfranchising of the Indians in South Africa. Pleaded by his fellow
Indians Gandhi remained back and took up the issue. Although the bill was passed in
spite of Gandhi's attempts, his crusade continued for twenty long years.

REFLECT: How do you think the incident affected Gandhiji?

Self Esteem

Why would you want to be someone else?

When you could be better by being yourself.
Why pretend to be someone you are not ?
When you have something they haven‟t got.

Cheating yourself of the life you have to live,

Deprives others of that only which you can give.
You have much more to offer by being just you,
Than walking around in someone else‟s shoes.
Trying to live the life of another is a mistake,
It is a masquerade; nothing more than a fake.
Be yourself and let your qualities show through,
Others will love you more for being just you.

Remember that God loves you just as you are,

To Him you are already a bright shining star.
Family and friends will love you more too,
If you spent time practicing just being you.

Ellen Bailey

158
 BE COMPASSIONATE
Hatred cannot be conquered by hatred. Hatred can only be conquered by compassion.

–Lord Buddha.

Once a man went to the Buddhist sangha. He did not believe in the teachings of Buddha and
was cynical of his following. He found the smile on the Buddha‟s lips and his expression of
bliss annoying. In the palm of his closed hand he carried an insect. He approached the Buddha
and asked him, in a mocking tone, “Can you tell me with your great powers of perception
whether what I have in my hand is dead or alive?”

He was prepared to expose the Sakyamuni, for if the Buddha replied that it was alive, he
would crush it and if the Buddha said it was dead he would release it to freedom. The Buddha
smiled his enigmatic smile and gently replied, “It all depends on you, my friend.”

Filled with shame and remorse he fell to the feet of the Buddha and asked his forgiveness.

REFLECT: What does the story tell us about attitude?

159
 TOGETHER WE CAN

In a sense all life is inter-related. All persons are caught in an inescapable network of
spirituality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all
indirectly. -Martin Luther King Jr.

There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each

year his produce fetched him a good price at the local
fair. One day a newspaper reporter interviewed him
and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed

corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share
your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with
yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn
and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will
steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors
grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his
neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions.

Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace.

Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the values of a life is
measured by the lives it touches.

And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each
is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors
grow good corn."

REFLECT: How did the farmer see his own welfare?

160
 THINK POSITIVE

The Victor

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will.

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are.

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of your-self before

You can ever win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

- by C. W. Longenecker

161
 HONESTY

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an
acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your
friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I‟d like you to pass a little
test. It‟s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?”

“That‟s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a
good idea to take a moment and filter what you‟re going to say. That‟s why I call it the triple
filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to
tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “Actually I just heard about it and ...”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don‟t really know if it‟s true or not. Now let‟s try the
second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend
something good?”

“No, on the contrary…”

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you‟re not
certain it‟s true. You may still pass the test though, because there‟s one filter left: the filter
of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really …”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even
useful, why tell it to me at all?”

REFLECT: How can applying the triple filter in our interactions help us?

Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by
becoming more.

Tony Robbins.

162
 CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

THE CHIPKO ANDOLAN

In the 1970s, an organized

resistance to the destruction of
forests spread throughout India
and came to be known as the
Chipko movement. The name of
the movement comes from the
word 'embrace', as the villagers
hugged the trees, and prevented
the contractors from felling them.

The Chipko movement of 1973 was one of the most famous among these. The first Chipko
action took place spontaneously in April 1973 in the
village of Mandal in the upper Alakananda valley and
over the next five years spread to many districts of the
Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh. It was sparked off by the
government's decision to allot a plot of forest area in
the Alaknanda valley to a sports goods company. This
angered the villagers because their similar demand to
use wood for making agricultural tools had been earlier
denied. With encouragement from a local NGO (non-
governmental organization), DGSS (Dasoli Gram
Swarajya Sangh), the women of the area, under the
leadership of an activist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, went
into the forest and formed a circle around the trees
preventing the men from cutting them down.

The success achieved by this protest led to similar

protests in other parts of the country. From their
origins as a spontaneous protest against logging abuses in Uttar Pradesh in the Himalayas,
supporters of the Chipko movement, mainly village women, have successfully banned the
felling of trees in a number of regions and influenced natural resource policy in India. Dhoom

163
Singh Negi, Bachni Devi and many other village women, were the first to save trees by
hugging them. They coined the slogan: 'What do the forests bear? Soil, water and pure air'.
The success of the Chipko movement in the hills saved thousands of trees from being felled.

Some other persons have also been involved in this movement and have given it proper
direction. Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, whose appeal to Mrs.
Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, resulted in the green-felling ban. Mr.
Bahuguna coined the Chipko slogan: 'ecology is permanent economy'. Mr. Ghanasyam Raturi,
the Chipko poet, wrote a poem describing the method of embracing the trees to save them
from falling:

'Embrace the trees and

Save them from being felled;
The property of our hills,
Save them from being looted.'

REFLECT: Are we doing enough for our environment?

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our
responsibilities.

Josiah Charles Stamp.

164
 PRAYERS AND SONGS IN VALUES EDUCATION

In our common pursuit of framing scientific and concrete projects, programmes, curricular
and co-curricular activities to promote humaneness in man and prevent deterioration, the
famous quote of Tennyson “Many things are wrought by prayers than the world dreams of” is
significant.

A colourful melody

The importance of prayers and songs as a teaching device to project values cannot be
underestimated. A child is like a seed which can sprout into a full and healthy plant if it is
given a nurturing environment. Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave firmly believed and advocated
the role of prayer because it could elevate the mind, illumine the intellect, sublimate the
senses, purify the heart, awaken the soul and help in establishing a rapport with ourselves.

The practice of morning assembly which consists of meaningful songs, speeches and prayers
which have a great impact on the mind of a child over a period of time followed by several
pace - setting institutions have a subtle impact.

Start the day with Prayer and finish it the same way. Then the day is bound to be good even if
it brings tough experiences. Prayers introduced in the routine of a school help in soothing
troubled minds, consolidate one‟s daily inputs and can serve as an important tool to defuse
greed, tension, strife, conflict and restlessness. The schools may design a schedule of prayers
selected from a variety of readings and abstracts depending upon the beliefs, policies and

165
ethos followed by them. They may feel free to select from whatever they feel can be
integrated into their philosophy. The purpose here is only to strengthen the belief in the
Creator.

Prayer, we know is:-

Prayer is talking to God

Prayer is listening to God

Prayer is being quiet with God

Prayer is learning to think the thoughts of God

Prayer is learning to seek the words of God

Prayer is understanding the power and wisdom of God in nature

Prayer is understanding the love and mercy of God in human experience

Prayer is believing in God

Prayer is trusting in God

Prayer is resting on the promises of God

Prayer is becoming identified with God

Prayer is being committed with God

Prayer is working with God

Prayer is waiting for God

Prayer is conquering with God

Prayer is praise and thanksgiving

Prayer is joy and assurance

Prayer is being at peace with God

Some think of prayer as something to do – a rite, a routine, a spiritual chore.

Actually, prayer is a way of life.

166
School anthems or songs play a very important role in
inculcating values within the consciousness of
children.

Schooling engages children in a fourteen year

dialogue and these songs are heard every day in the
assemblies and programmes.

The constant reiteration of values that comes across through listening

and singing of these songs reaffirms the value system that a child can
grow up with.

Schools can collate through their Sahodaya Clusters a variety of such

lyrics or compose their own. This will help in the dissemination and
assimilation of values.

The CD with this Values Education Kit is a collection of songs which

students have sung collectively on issues that affect sustainable
development, environment, gender, nature, integrity and peace.

167
 Songs
u
k
n&L
o
je
~ ¯
¡p
sf
ge
ky
;
j
pu
k& ,
-,
e-jk
o] v uqo
kn& fd
’k
k
sj
Bqd
j
k
y
l
qf
iz;
kc
k
sle
f
ydv
kSj
lj
k
ste
ksg
U
rh
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
v;e fut ijk so sf
r x . k
u ky ?k qpsr "
k
k
aA I saw above me that endless skyway
m
nkj pfjrkuk
ar qo k
lq/So d qVqEc de ~A
A I saw below me that golden valley
e
/qj
e u k
n Loj e ~ This land was made for you and me
l
ke osnxk;ue~
; w¡ p yr s& pyr sd ne k
sd k sr d rs
H
k
kok
jl N Une~l axh
re ~A
A
1
-u kn czª l sf ud y k; sl alkj i g q¡p
slqu g jhx ax kd srV i
s
ukn czª g ht x d kg Sv k/ k j p kj k
srj iQ l sv ko kt v k
b Z
lkjst x d kst k
sMs+ l ax h
r e ~AA ; s/ j
rhg e l c d hg SI; k
j h
2
-t k
st u Ł ; ko sl Ir lqj u d ks t c g
e usi d M+hb d y ac
hj k
g
lksghf j
> k
o sl c x qf
ut u d k
s r k
s ī j l sn s[kk; suhy kv k
l eka
t u e k
ul n; x qaf
t r e ~A A v kSj uh
p sns[kk/ M +drho k n
h
r
jk
u k
%&
; s/ jrhg e l c d hg SI; k
j h
u
kfnj nkuhrqe f
nj n k u h
f
ne ru ur & ( 2)
] u kf n j & ( 2
)] ¯ ¡p sf
ge ky; l sd U;kd qe k
j h
f
ne ru uu u u & ; y fy ; yfy ;y
] / j r hr qEg k
jh/ j r hg ek
j h
f
ne ru uu u u & ( 2 ) / kf d V rd/ we&f
d Vr
d v kSj c
zª iq=
kl sd SEcsdh[ k k
M+h
f
/rk
aM
+ k a/kk a/ k& ( 2 ) kau kf nj-
-
-
--
-
- -
-
-
--
-
--
-
-
-- ; s/ jrhg e l c d hg SI; k
j h

168
 t
y
laj
{
k
.k ?kj dls] eu dks lkiQ j[ksa ge chekjh ls nwj jgsa]
jpuk & MkW- lqjsUnz 'kekZ
Hkkstu djus dks cSBsa rks gkFkksa dks ge lkiQ djsaA
fon~;ky; vkSj cl] nqdku ij ykbu esa gh [kM+sa jgsa]
ty thou gS] thou ty] viuh ckjh tc vk;s rks la;e ls gh dke djsaA
ty fcu ugha py ldrk izk.kh rsjk thou dyA
laè;k dks lksus ls igys vius eu dh tk¡p djsa]
gks--------- gks
Hkwy&pwd dh {kek ek¡xdj fcLrj ij vkjke djsaA
cw¡n&cw¡n ls Hkjrs ns[ks dq,¡] iks[kj] xkxj]
cw¡n&cw¡n ls ?kVrs ns[ks] gSa lc us gh lkxj
ty dks u"V rw djds djrk gS [kqn ls gh Ny ---
'
k
k
fU
r,o
al
n
~H
k
k
o
ty thou gS] thou ty ----
bd vueksy lEink rq>dks nhuh gS Hkxoku] jpuk % iQknj ,MoMZ vkWfyfojk

mldh j{kk rsjk thou tku ys rw bUlku]

fiQj /jrh ij tho uk gksxk] ty ;s x;k tks py --- oans ekrje~
ty thou gS] thou ty ---- ;g esjk ns'k viuk Lons'k
;s esjs liuksa dk I;kjk izns'k\
bl esjs ns'k esa lc dk fuokl
vuq'kklu xhr lc esa gS izse dh vkl ;g esjk ns'k Lora=k izns'k ;g bafM;k
jpuk & jek nÙk
1- lkxj ufn;k¡ cgrh jgrh bl ns'k esa]
ioZr ?kkVh ?kus taxy gj dksus esa
ge lc cPps izkr%] mBdj] lHkh CkM+ks dks ueu djsa]
lqUnj dfy;k¡ gj fnu f[kyrh bl taxy esa
vuq'kklu thou esa ikysa] lksp le> dj dne /jsaA mM+rs iaNh mlesa xkrs eneLrh ls
fon~;ky; esa lHkh cM+ksa dk vkSj xq: dk eku djsa] fgeky; dh pksVh ls dU;kdqekjh rd iQSyk gqvk
dHkh u nsjh] dHkh u NqV~Vh] Bhd le; dk è;ku j[ksaA esjk ns'k
pysa lM+d ij tc Hkh cPpksa fu;eksa dk Hkh è;ku j[ksaA 'kgjksa esa dLcksa esa eueksgd xfy;ksa esa] je.kh; esjk
ns'k
ck,sa ns[ksa] nk¡, ns[ksa] rHkh lM+d dks ikj djsaA

169
2- eaxyik.Ms] y{ehckbZ lc flikgh] within my doubts
bu ohjksa us LorU=krk dh fcxqy ctkbZA come wake up me
usg: xk¡/h] oYyHk HkkbZ vkSj usrkth your homeland true

vktknh ds lsykuh lHkh ns'k ds jkghA Chorus........

bl /jrh ij [kwu cgkdj os lc gq, cfynku] this is our world

izk.kksa dh vkgqfr nsdj c<+k;k Hkkjr ekrk dk we are its people
lEekuA a nation that's free
to realize it's dream
3- fgUnw] eqfLye] ckS¼] tSu] fl[k] bZlkbZ]
feyds jgrs cuds os lc HkkbZ&HkkbZA A dream that's for all
vkil esa ge HksnHkko j[ksa u dksbZ] with hand in each hand
,d gh eu ds] ,d gh fny ds HkkjroklhA to live as one people
lR;] vfgalk vkSj izse ijLij bu /eksaZ dk lans'k] one people, one world

lkjh /jk ij ekuo feyu gks] bu /eksZa dk mn~ns'; there is a people

an ancient people
oans ekrje~] oans ekrje~A
their spirits rest
deep in this world

One People One World their dream time is

Lyrics & Music - Monica Brown living and giving

Make this world a sacred place

There is a world
they seek a world
An ancient world
a true embrace
It bears a vast and rugged face
life that concerns
It spirit's free
all that we are
Haunting and free
Chorus........
It calls to you, it calls me
And from different shores
come find your soul
Many have come

170
 To find a home on this beautiful land
l
M
+d
l
qj
{
k
k
Where the spirit yearns to see
jpuk & foØe flag
To unite as one soul
Chorus........
vxj lqjf{kr jguk rks] iVjh&iVjh pyuk gS
lM+d&lqj{kk ds fu;eksa dk] ikyu gjne djuk gSA
eksckby ;k gks LdwVj] gSyesV iguks dldj rqeA
lhV cSYV dks igys ck¡/ksa] vxj dkj ls djks liQj rqe
j{kk&lk/ku viukvksa] vxj nq?kZVuk ls cpuk gSA
lM+d lqj{kk fu;eksa dk ------
L
o
PN
rk ihyh :dus dk ladsr] yky jkS'kuh gqbZ&:dks] gjh jks'kuh
gqbZ&pyks
jpuk % MkW- lqjsUnz oekZ
pkSjkgs dks ikj djksA tks Hkh flXuy feys jkg esa mls è;ku
ls i<+uk gS
eu dh liQkbZ t:jh gS] ru dh liQkbZ t:jh gS] lM+d lqj{kk fu;eksa dk ------
eu dh liQkbZ t:jh gS] ru dh liQkbZ t:jh gS] viQlj gks pkgs ckcw] xhr ij j[kks rqe dkcw
fu;e rksM+uk tqeZ gS] ykblsal ijeks /eZ gSA
?kj dh liQkbZ ls igys] xfy;ksa dh liQkbZ t:jh gSA
;k=kk esa O;o/kku u gks] xkM+h dk uqdlku u gks
lkiQ liQkbZ okys gh thou esa [kqf'k;k¡ ikrs]
t+jk lM+d dk eku djks] jkgxhj dk è;ku djksA
lkjh nqfu;k dks vius thou dk jkt crkrs] fiQj u iqfyl Hkh Vksdsxh] u gh dgha Hkh jksdsxh
/jrh dh liQkbZ ls igys] vEcj dh liQkbZ t:jh gSA uk pkyku] uk tqekZuk] rqEgsa u gksxk Hkqxrkuk
dqN ises.V ugha gksxk] ,DlhMSaV ugha gksxk
?kj dh liQkbZ ls igys] xfy;ksa dh liQkbZ t:jh gSA
xkM+h dk lq[k ikvksxs [kq'kh&[kq'kh ?kj tkvksxs
rUn:Lrh dh igyh lh<+h lkiQ liQkbZ j[kuk]
(czsd cfÙk;k¡ lgh jgs] okftc nwjh cuh jgs)
lkiQ liQkbZ okys us gh gS ehBk iQy p[kuk] thou&j{kk lcls igys] vxj lM+d ij pyuk gS
Ldwy dh liQkbZ ls igys] iqLrd dh liQkbZ t:jh gSA lM+d&lqj{kk ds fu;eksa dk gjne ikyu djuk gSA

171
 rqe le; dh jsr ij ¡ lkxj ckWVk
/jrh ckVh
er ck¡Vks---------------
jpuk & ljLorh dqekj ^^nhid**
oS".ko tu

rqe le; dh jsr ij] NksM+rs pyks fu'kkaA oS".ko tu rks rsus dfg;s ts ihM+ ijkbZ tk.ks js]
ns[krh rqegs T+keh] ns[krk gS vklekaAA ijnq%[ks midkj djs rks;s eu vfHkeku u vk.ks jsAA
fy[krs pyks ukSfugky fur ubZ dgkfu;k¡
rqe feVk nks Bksdjksa ls tqYe dh fu'kkfu;k¡ vkT+kknh
dy dh rqe e'kky lcls csfelky gks jpuk & fou; egktu] pk:y HkjokM+k
fruds&fruds dks cuk nks ftUnxh dk vkf'k;k¡
/eksZ esa Hkh tkfr esa Hkh
fj'rks esa Hkh R;ksgkjksa esa Hkh
er ck¡Vks bUlku dks lM+dksa is Hkh 'kgjksa esa Hkh
jpuk & ijost beke x¡ko esa Hkh pkSjkgks es Hkh
xfy;ksa esa Hkh vkT+kknh dk ukjk gh
eafnj eafLT+kn fxjtk ?kj us vkT+kknh uk dk'kh vkT+kknh uk eFkqjk
ck¡V fy;k balku dksA uk eDdk efnuk uk ckbZcy uk iksFkh
/jrh ck¡Vh lkxj ck¡Vk osn iqjku vkT+kknh u xhrk
er ck¡Vks balku dks uk iQknj u iafMr
vc Hkh gjh&Hkjh /jrh gS uk xksjk uk dkyk
Åij uhy forku gS vkT+kknh gjk gS u dslfj;k
ij u I;kj gks rks tx lwuk uk ;s ikfdLrku uk ;s fgUnqLrku
tyrk jsfxLrku gSA uk ;s baxfy'rku uk caxykns'k ;k bjku
uk ;s gS bjkd uk ;s rkfycku
vHkh I;kj dk ty nsuk gS
uk fØlel uk gksyh
gj tyrh pV~Vku dks
uk bZn uk fnokyh

172
 uk fiVj uk vgen balku gSa ge
uk lyek uk xkSjh
jpuk & fou; egktu ,oa pk#y HkM+okM+k
uk ozr uk jksT+kk
uk dFkk uk dYek fgUnq ;k eqlyek¡] fl[k gSa] bZlkbZ gSa ;k ikjlh gSa ge
uk >sye uk fla/q I;kj ls] ,rckj ls] vkt ls dgsa bUlku gSa ge
uk xaxk uk ;equk ;gwnh gSa] cq¼ gSa] tSu gSa] vkfLrd ;k ukfLrd gSa ge
vkT+kknh rks gSa gj balku dk liuk pkj gksa ;k gtkj gksa] feyds dgsa bUlku gSa ge
vkT+kknh rks gS ,d lksp ,d fopkj uk pk¡n ij] 'kfu ij] 'kqØ ij
ftlls gqvk gS ekuork dk m¼kj uk lwjt ij] rkjksa ij] eaxy ij
uk vkSj gS dgha ,slh lqanjrk
ftanxh gS viuh gh /jrh ij
n
h
ins[
k
k
sty
m
Bs
jkT+k dh ;s ckr gS] ftanxh th;sa bUlku gSa ge
jpuk & jek nÙk
;gwnh gSa cq¼ gSa -----
nhi ns[kks ty mBs cq>us uk ik, dHkh] cjlksa cjl igys /jrh Fkh pqi
gkFk ftuesa nh gS] oks >qdus uk ik, dHkhA f[ky vk;h /hjs ls ftanxh cgqr
jks'kuh tyrh jgs nqfu;k dh jkgksa esa lnk] dqnjr dh esgur djksM+ks cjl
bUlk¡ cuk ftlls lqanj cgqr
jkg dSlh Hkh gks ysfdu gks ;w¡ gh jks'ku lnk]
,d Hkh] ge vusd Hkh blfy;s dgsa
ik¡o esa Bksdj fdlh ds yxus u ik, dHkhAA
D;¡w uk ge dgsa] bUlku gSa ge
gks v¡/sjk xj rks jks'ku dj nks vius uwj ls]
fganq ;k eqlyek¡ ----
jkg HkVdk gks dksbZ rks oks Hkh ns[ks nwj ls]
ge efLtn esa tk;s ;k eafnj esa
tks dne dHkh mBs rks :dus uk ik, dHkhAA ge xq#}kjs tk;s ;k fxjts esa
ftUnxh viuh Hkh ;w¡ gh jks'kuh djrh jgs] ge vfx;kjh tk;sa ;k nsjklj] ,d gh vkjtw gj fny esa
dke vk, gj fdlh ds ;s 'kek¡ tyrh jgs] izkFkZuk nqvk ,d gS] 'kakfr ls jgsa] bUlku gSa ge
izse dh I;kjh 'kek¡ ;s cq>us u ik;s dHkhAA ;gwnh gSa cq¼ gSa -----

173
 lkFkh js u ?kcjkuk
jpuk & eksgsUnz ljhu

eafty dks c<+rs tkuk

pkgs vk¡/h gks pkgs rwiQku gks
ge c<+rs gh tk,¡xsA
NksVh&NksVh ckrksa is yM+uk ugha
[kksVh&[kksVh gks [kksVh pkyksa esa iQ¡luk ugha
eqf'dy gks jkgsa fny esa gks pkgsa
ge lc lkFk fuHkk,axsA
u,&u, lius ltkuk gS gesa
nqfu;k dks csgrj cukuk gS gesa
lkjs tkg¡ esa feyds] u;k dqN djds
ge fn[kyk,¡xsA
pyks pysa gks pysa nqf[k;ksa ds nq[k ck¡Vysa
vkvks c<+s gks c<+s fxjrksa dks ge Fkkeys
tc Hkh dHkh rqe vkokt nksxs
iy esa ge pys vk,¡xsA

174
 Case Studies

Case studies present realistic situations, allowing students to balance theory with practice.

Case studies can be used as teaching tools to explain the application of a theory or concept
based on real-life situations. Cases can be fact-driven and deductive where there is a correct
answer, or they can be context driven where multiple solutions are possible. Various
disciplines have employed case studies including humanities, social sciences, sciences,
engineering, law, business, medicine etc.

Good cases generally have the following features: they tell a good story, are recent, includes
dialogue, create empathy with the main characters, are relevant to the readers, serves
teaching function and have generality.

Cases come in many formats, from a simple “What would you do in this situation?” question to
a detailed description of a situation with accompanying data to analyze. Whether to use a
simple scenario-type case or a complex detailed one depends on the course objectives.

Let us read a short story and analyse it as a case study for teaching aid.
Once upon a time, a king was rambling in the garden with a heavy heart, as news from the
war front was not good. He saw a little boy and a little girl playing there. The king went to
them and found that they were playing Rama-Sita and looking for someone to play the role of
a Rakshas (monster).

The king in-order to get out of his mental stress, readily agreed to play the role of a monster.
The monster had to die several times in the hands of Rama that particular morning.

Returning to his palace, the king enquired about the children from his Chief Minister and
came to know that the boy Kaushik was the son of a poor Brahmin and the girl Ruchira was
the daughter of the Chief Minister. On the king‟s order, Kaushik was sent to the best
institution of the kingdom much to the displeasure of the pundit (teacher) and the students
who were the children of ministers and higher officials of the kingdom.

The king told the minister that he wanted Ruchira to get married with Kaushik. The Chief
Minister kept silent, as he did not like the idea. The pundit of the institute did not like

175
Kaushik. Though he was a good student, learning lessons only through books was not his
priority. Kaushik believed that there were more to learn from his natural surroundings like
trees, birds, rivers, hills, animals, the stars, the moon and everything that he could lay his
eyes on.

The pundit called Kaushik one day to ask why he was not interested in his study; Kaushik
replied that he had as much interest in books as he had in fellow human beings and the
surrounding nature. The teacher told him to concentrate only on his books to which Kaushik
replied that if done so he would lose interest in his lessons too.

As time passed away one day the king summoned the pundit and asked him about his best
student to which the teacher replied Ruchira. The king again asked regarding his opinion
about Kaushik. The teacher replied that he has not learnt much. The king called the minister
and concluded that the marriage between Ruchira and Kaushik should not be delayed any
longer. The minister humbly submitted that Ruchira does not want to get married to Kaushik.
The king asked „Doesn’t she consider Kaushik worthy of her?‟. The king then proposed „Let
both of them prove their superiority in front of me and this marriage will take place if
Kaushik emerges as the winner‟. The minister accepted the challenge, as he was sure of his
daughter‟s win.

The pundit (teacher) brought Ruchira along with him. Kaushik went to his guru and touched
his feet and greeted Ruchira with folded hands. Ruchira ignored his greetings. Kaushik had
never taken part in any debate in the institute with Ruchira; the other students also never
invited him to take part in any academic debate out of sheer disrespect for him because of
his economic status. As a result, Ruchira was not mentally prepared for his sharp and prudent
arguments. That made Ruchira perplexed and she was out of her wits. Kaushik left her at the
brim of defeat.

As per the challenge the king ordered the minister to fix up a date for the marriage. At this
point Kaushik stood up and humbly submitted before the king with folded hands that he did
not want this marriage to take place. The king was surprised and asked for the reason.
Kaushik replied „Let the joy and satisfaction of winning be mine and the reward for others‟.

The pundit requested the king to allow Ruchira to compete with Kaushik once again after a
year. The king granted his request. Kaushik left the institute and he was seen rambling
through the hills, the forest and the paddy fields. The pundit engaged all his time and effort

176
to prepare Ruchira for the challenge. But Ruchira had lost control over her mind and heart.
One day the king asked his Chief Minister to send Ruchira to him. She came and stood silently
before the king with her head bowed. The king said “If you agree then I wish to see you play
the game „Rama’s banishment to the forest‟ once again”. Ruchira looked at the king with
delight. The king said “But this time your pundit has to play the role of the monster”.

Rabindranath Tagore had written this story more than hundred years ago. We still are carrying
on with an education system that is not blended with nature; neither did we nor do our
children enjoy the learning. Nature teaches us to be humble and modest and to be
magnanimous and firm. Kaushik had been courteous enough to touch his guru‟s feet and asked
for his blessings; on the contrary, Ruchira was extremely self-conceited and arrogant. She, in
the opinion of the pundit, was the best student (in terms of securing marks in the
examination) but unfortunately, the lesson one learns at the academic institution does not
impart the knowledge one needs to become a good human being.

The purpose of education should not be lost under the burden of books.
It should also make the student modest and not meek, confident and not conceited. Kaushik
derived all these qualities from Mother Nature, animals and his surroundings. Hence, Kaushik
did not forget to show respect to his guru and give honour to Ruchira.

The greatest pundit of the kingdom forgot to give Kaushik his blessing and Ruchira also did
not have the courtesy to accept the honour, let alone to reciprocate it. Even after hundred
years, social status is bestowed on a person according to his financial strength, just as Kaushik
had been looked down upon for being the son of a poor brahmin. Still, in our educational
institutes, more emphasis is given to learning lessons from books than to acquiring knowledge
in various aspects of life and to develop the child into a proper human being. Let us give a
glance to the messages that we get from this story:

(a) Any human being should be judged on the basis of his qualities and not on the basis of
his social status.

(b) The education system does not have all the ingredients for all-round development of a
student.

(c) We learn, as Kaushik did, through our five senses as well and not only through intellect.

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(d) Kaushik enjoyed study because he enjoyed many other things in life. He acquired more
knowledge than his classmates because he never confined himself within the textbooks
and boundary of the classrooms.

(e) A teacher should have the ability to mingle with the students, so that the students feel
free to ask any question, any number of questions. Thus the learning becomes a joyful
experience for the students.

(f) A teacher is responsible not only to the extent of imparting education from books; he is
also responsible to teach the students the basic values and ethics in life. Most
importantly, he himself should be above all meanness unlike the pundit in the story. The
pundit himself could not accept Kaushik as one of his students because of his social
status.

* Reproduced from the book entitled Values Education in Indian Schools: Experiences and
Strategies of Implementation, NCERT, New Delhi, 2003.

Short Story
There was a teacher who wanted to teach the value of honesty to her students. She gave
two seeds to each of them and asked them to germinate them. After two days all of them
brought germinated seeds except Anil. All the students were standing in queue to show
the germinated seeds to their teacher but Anil was standing in the corner of the class.
The teacher looked at all the seeds and called Anil in front of the whole class. She praised
Anil for his honesty. All the students were surprised. The teacher further clarified that
the seeds given by her to the students were boiled means that they were not able to
germinate. All the students except Anil replaced the boiled seeds with the fresh ones and
so they were able to get germinated seeds. So Anil was not able to show germinated
seeds like others but was able to display honesty through his act.

Queries-

1) You have found a ten rupee note on the floor of your classroom. What will you do with
that note?

2) Your mother has given you some money to go to the market and buy vegetables. After
buying vegetables, you are left with some balance amount. Do you think it is your
duty to return that amount to your mother?

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 Glossary
Anecdotal Record: Anecdotal record is a report of descriptive accounts of episodes or occurrences in specific duration of
life of an individual.

Assessment: The process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Brainstorming: An organized approach for producing ideas by letting the mind think without interruption. The term was
coined by Alex Osborn. Brainstorming can be done either individually or in a group; in group brainstorming sessions, the
participants are encouraged, and often expected to share their ideas with one another as soon as they are generated. The
key to brainstorming is not to interrupt the thought process. As ideas come to the mind, they are captured and stimulate
the development of better ideas. Brainstorming is used for enhancing creativity in order to generate a broad selection of
ideas in leading to a unique and improved concept.

Cognitive Stage: The mental process of acquiring information, building a knowledge base, and learning increasingly
advanced reasoning and problem-solving skills from infancy through adulthood.

Collaborative Learning: An umbrella term for a variety of approaches in education that involve joint intellectual effort by
students or students and teachers. Groups of students work together in searching for understanding, meaning or solutions or
in creating a product. The approach is closely related to cooperative learning, but is considered to be more radical because
of its reliance on youth voice. Collaborative learning activities can include collaborative writing, group projects, and other
activities.

Comprehensive: Comprehensive means to cover both the Scholastic and the Co-Scholastic aspects of students „growth and
development‟.

Constructivism: A set of assumptions about the nature of human learning that guide constructivist learning theories and
teaching methods. Constructivism values develop mentally appropriate, teacher-supported learning that is initiated and
directed by the student.

Continuous: Continuous means the evaluation of identified aspects „growth and development‟ of students‟ in a continuous
process.

Cooperative learning: Proposed in response to traditional curriculum-driven education. In cooperative learning

environments, students interact in purposely structured heterogeneous group to support the learning of one self and others
in the same group.

Co-Scholastic: Co-Scholastic aspects include Life Skills, Co-curricular areas and Attitudes & Values.

Creativity: A human mental phenomenon based around the deployment of mental skills and/or conceptual tools, which, in
turn, originate and develop innovation, inspiration or insight.

Critical Pedagogy: A teaching approach which attempts to help students question and challenge domination and the beliefs
and practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice of helping students achieve critical consciousness. In
this tradition the teacher works to lead students to question ideologies and practices considered oppressive (including those
at school)

Critical Thinking: Consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or
propositions that people have offered as true. It forms a process of reflecting upon the meaning of statements, examining
the offered evidence and reasoning and forming judgments about the facts. Critical thinkers can gather such information
from observation, experience, reasoning, and/or communication. Critical thinking has its basis in intellectual values that go
beyond subject-matter divisions and which include: clarity, accuracy, precision, evidence, thoroughness and fairness.

Curriculum- (plural curricula) the set of courses and their contents offered by an institution such as a school or a university.
In some cases, a curriculum may be partially or entirely determined by an external body.

Curriculum Framework: A stepping stone between national standards and local curriculum which encompasses what must
be taught to meet state and national standards.

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Decision Making: It can be regarded as the mental processes (cognitive process) resulting in the selection of a course of
action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an
action or an opinion of choice.

Educational Counseling: Conducted by counsellors in schools. It is intended to help children suffering primarily from
education, family and friends related stress. The counsellor works with the child to help him or her get over the trauma he
or she has suffered.

Educational Evaluation: The evaluation process of characterizing and appraising some aspect of the education enterprise.

Education Reform: A plan, program, or movement which attempts to bring about a systematic change in educational theory
or practice across a community, state or nation.

Evaluation: A method of determining if students learned what they were taught. It is usually conducted at the end of a
lesson.

Experiential Education: (or "learning by doing") The process of actively engaging students in an authentic experience that
will have benefits and consequences. Students make discoveries and experiment with knowledge themselves instead of
hearing or reading about the experiences of others. Students also reflect on their experiences, thus developing new skills,
new attitudes, and new theories or ways of thinking. Experiential education is related to the constructivist learning theory.

Facilitator: A non-directive, non-judgmental teacher/leader who creates an environment for learning, records student
progress, and motivates students to exercise self-direction in determining and achieving educational goals.

Formative Assessments: FA‟s part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the
information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. In this sense, Formative Assessment informs
both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. These
adjustments help to ensure students achieve targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame. Although
Formative Assessment strategies appear in a variety of formats, there are some distinct ways to distinguish them from
Summative Assessments.

Holistic Assessment: Assessment includes both Scholastic and Co-Scholastic aspects.

Holistic Education: Education involving the whole person--body, soul, and spirit. It integrates all subjects and infuses all
learning with a pantheistic, monistic spirituality.

Inclusion: Assigning all students to regular classrooms, including those with severe disabilities, thus turning each class into a
special education class.

Infusion: A strategy that hides or blends politically correct social philosophies and matching activities into the basic content
of the curriculum.

Journal: A daily record in which students express and deal with their feelings and emotions. Unlike traditional journals
which recorded facts (travel, business, etc.), these journals contain expressions of feelings and attitudes that lay emphasis
on emotional responses, encourage the child to focus on feelings rather than facts and become revealing indicators of
progress towards new values or resistance to change.

Kinesthetic Learning: A teaching and learning style in which learning takes place by the student actually carrying out a
physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration. Building dioramas, physical models
or participating in role-playing or historical re-enactment are some examples.

Language Education: The teaching and learning of a language or languages, usually as foreign languages.

Learning Outcome: The term may refer to course aims (intended learning outcomes) or may be roughly synonymous with
educational objectives (observed learning outcomes). Usage varies between organizations.

Lesson Plan: A teacher's detailed description of the course of instruction for an individual lesson. While there is no one way
to construct a correct lesson plan, most lesson plans contain similar elements.

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Life Skills: Preparation for all life roles. The total development of the child--body, mind, and spirit -- as a learner, worker,
consumer, family member and citizen. What the student must believe, think and do to meet the exit outcomes.

Methodology: Strictly speaking is the study and knowledge of methods; but the term is frequently used pretentiously to
indicate a method or a set of methods. In other words, it is the study of techniques for problem-solving and seeking
answers, as opposed to the techniques themselves.

Parental Involvement: Holds parents responsible for making sure the child attends school, completes prescribed homework
and learns whatever else schools will decide once the system is implemented. The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) is a
way of involving parents in the consensus process, where they, too become part of School‟s decision making process. The
Parent Teacher Meeting (PTM) is an interactive forum where the parents meet their wards‟ teachers and share their
concerns.

Peace Education: The process of acquiring the knowledge and developing the attitudes, skills and behaviour to live in
harmony with oneself and with others. Peace education is based on a philosophy that teaches non violence, love,
compassion, trust, fairness, cooperation, respect and a reverence for the human family and all life on our planet. It is a
social practice with shared values to which anyone can make a significant contribution.

Pedagogy: The art or science of teaching. The word comes from the ancient Greek paidagogos. The word "paidia" refers to
children, which is why some like to make the distinction between „pedagogy‟ (teaching children) and „andragogy‟ (teaching
adults). The Latin word for pedagogy, education, is much more widely used, and often the two are used interchangeably.

Peer Facilitator: Peer learning involves a new role for the students who facilitate the learning of other students. The role
of the peer facilitator, which is focused on learning through supporting other students, would appear to be more social than
the traditional role of learner, which is focused on self-learning.

Problem Solving: Problem solving is cognitive process directed at transforming a problem from the given state to the goal
state when the problem solver is not immediately aware of a solution method.

Project: A task given over a period of time and generally involves collection and analysis of data. It is useful in theme-based
learning.

Quiz: A form of game or puzzle in which the players (as individuals or in teams), attempt to answer questions correctly. A
quiz usually is a form of student assessment, but often has fewer questions of lesser difficulty and requires less time for
completion than a test.

Remediation: A teacher comment that helps students reach a more accurate or higher-level response.

Self-esteem: (or self-worth) Includes a person's subjective appraisal of himself or herself as intrinsically positive or negative
to some degree.

Staff Development: Various, usually formal, training or activities, funded by schools to enhance the attitudes, knowledge
and skills of current employees.

Student Centered Learning: An approach to education focusing on the needs of the students, rather than those of others
involved in the educational process, such as teachers and administrators. This approach has many implications for the
design of curriculum, course content and interactivity of courses.

Summative Assessments (SA): The assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what
students know and do not know. Many associate Summative Assessments only with standardized tests or written
examinations, but they are also used at and are an important part of classroom programs. Summative Assessment at the
classroom level is an accountability measure that is generally used as part of the grading process.

Universal Values: Honesty, integrity, tolerance, and other values believed to be common to all the world's cultures. A
serious look at history counters that presumption.

Values Clarification: A strategy for changing a student's values. It prods students to understand traditional values, then
choose "their own" values based on personal opinions and group consensus.

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 Bibliography
National Council of Educational Research and Training, Education for Values in Schools – A Framework. New Delhi, NCERT
(2011)

Central Board of Secondary Education, Value Education, A Handbook for Teachers. New Delhi, CBSE (1997 and 2003)

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, Learning the Way of Peace – A Teacher’s Guide to Peace
Education. New Delhi, UNESCO ( 2001)

National Council of Educational Research and Training, Values Education in Indian Schools: Experiences and Strategies of
Implementation. New Delhi, NCERT (2003)

Rathore, Dr. Bharti. “Beyond the Text: Values in Language Classes”. Learning to Teach, Charutar Vidyamandalp, ( 2006)

Suggested Readings
Gandhi M. (1940), My Experiments with Truth, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, India

Mandela N. (1994, 1995), Long Walk to Freedom, the Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, Macdonald Purnell, United States of
America

Keller H. (1903), The Story of my Life, the Modern Library, New York, USA

Keller H. (1929), Midstream: My Later Life, Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., USA

Spink K., Mother Teresa, a Complete Authorized Biography (1998), Harper Collins Publishers, New York, USA

Carson C. (ed.) (1998), The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Intellectual Properties Management Inc. and Warner books, New
York, USA

Lincon A. (1905), The Autobiography of Abraham Lincoln, F.D. Tandy company, New York

Roth G. (1993), The Autobiography of Albert Einstein, Atlas Publishing LP, USA

Balasubramanian G. A Beautiful Life Series (1-8), Pearson India, New Delhi

Electronic Sources
EduGreen (edugreen.teriin.org). “The Chipko movement” http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/forestry/chipko.htm
(Accessed on 28 July 2012)

God‟s Work Ministry. “Work From Your Heart” http://www.godswork.org/encouragement15.htm

(Accessed on 2 August 2012)

God‟s Work Ministry. “Socrates Triple Test” http://www.godswork.org/encouragement15.htm (Accessed on 2 August 2012)

Brainy Quotes. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jiddukrish395484.html (Accessed on 5 August 2012)

Scouts. http://www.scout.org/en/about_scouting/the_youth_programme/peace_education/scoutpax/activity_chest/
balloon_prayers2 (Accessed on 26 August 2012)

The Toy Maker. http://www.thetoymaker.com/Toypages/64Fingerpuppets/64FingerPuppets.html

(Accessed on 26 September 2012)

Gandhi in South Africa. “Celebrating the 138th Birth Anniversary of Gandhiji in Association with Gandhi Smriti”
http://www.mapsofindia.com/personalities/gandhi/south-africa.html (Accessed on 5 August 2012).

Glossary of Educational Terms, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_education_terms_(A%E2%80%93C) (Accessed on 10 September 2012)

Teacher Vision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/pro-dev/new-teacher/48466.html#ixzz26u17IyPc

(Accessed on 10 September 2012)

The websites and electronic links listed above have been created by or for organizations outside of the CBSE and are responsible
for the information contained within their respective sites.

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“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

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