The Panel Conference

The Purpose of Education

The Rev. J. Christo, President of the Northern Region, seventh day Adventist church of India, exposes the emptiness of present day education and suggests alternatives

Mr Chairman, Delegates

Only one who has an ostrich like outlook on today’s law and order situation will deny that something has gone wrong somewhere, and that the picture of society and civilisation in this generation is grim. Those born today will inherit as their legacy an era in which crime has soared as on wings. If we study statistics on all types of crimes we find the figures are higher than ever and going higher.

Is there something wrong with our present educational system, or our home environment, or perhaps in our social and political order? I would like so submit that the predicament we find ourselves in today is a result of neglecting one of the most important factors of life. Much stress has been placed on the mental and physical development of our generation. To a lesser degree, scope has been provided for certain social development; but little has been done about the spiritual or moral health of the individual. This, I contend, result in the moral decadence which is destroying the foundation of everything we hold precious and dear. Mankind has been able to conquer outer space, but has failed to find the meaning of his Inner Space. When man began to understand the intricacies of the universe, he considered himself to be the arbiter of his own destiny. The industrial revolution uprooted man from his ancient traditions and propelled him into an atheistic mechanical world. Men orbiting in outer space declared that their journey into space justified their belief that there was no God, he should now be consider dead, as mankind really had no need of Him any more. Some believe that God is a Creator of the ‘haves’ to lull the masses into submission.

Education includes more than the formal three R’s taught in the classroom. True Education includes the whole begin and covers the entire span of life given to an individual. I submit that the education offered to our children and youth today is too narrow. True Education teaches the best use not only of one but all our acquirements. Thus it covers the whole circles of obligation – to ourselves, to the world, and to God.

Character building is the most important work entrusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study so important as now. Never was any previous generation called to meet issues so momentous; never before were young men and young women confronted by perils so great as confront them today.

At such a time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is appeal most often made? To self seeking. Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In True Education the selfish ambition, the greed for Power, a counter influence. God plan of life has a place for every human being. Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honour.

E.G. White

The home is the foundation of all growth and it must also be the place for Spiritual Growth. Psychologists tell us that a child’s learning process begins at birth. It is therefore imperative for a child to have adequate moral influences during babyhood. With so many broken homes, and working mothers and fathers anxious to work more than one shift a day keep up with the Joneses, the Child’s training is often relegated to an occasional growl from papa.

In our secular society the safeguarding of the Spiritual Development has been left to the parents and to the religions organisations to which the parents subscribe. The schools supported by public funds concentrate mainly on mental and on the physical development. Man is a four dimensional personality – physical, mental, social, and spiritual – and inasmuch as True Education includes the development of all these faculties, schools also share a responsibility in providing opportunities for all these faculties to develop.

Oscar handling professor of history at Harvard, recently concluded,

that colleges are actually killing education. In the 1970’s we sentence more of our youth to more years in school than ever before in history, so that never before have Americans been so poorly educated as now.

This perhaps could also be said of education in India.

It would be well for us to consider the aims of education:

1. Foremost is the formation of character. The object of education should be to restore in man the likeness of his creator – bringing him back to that perfection in which he was created. All True Knowledge will tend to make the being perfect. A sound character is real in the sense that it deals with substance and not show.

2. Secondly is the development of the intelligence. A good moral education is not meant merely to take away our ‘simian’ characteristics or the tiger within us, but to strengthen minds weakened by self indulgence and lack of control. The mind is to be activated and placed in contact with an all intelligent creator.

3. Equipment to earn one’s living. True Education is not primarily to help equip one with the ability to earn a living; that is necessary, but too narrow. True Education is more than a preparation for the life that now is; it has to do with the whole period of existence possible to man. This includes eternity.

More and more educators recognise that our present system of education has neglected the important aspect of manual aspect of manual labour. Jerry L. Pettis, a U.S. Congressman who recently visited China, made this comment:

I was keenly interested in the philosophy that prevails in China on the subject. All students are required to spend two years on a farm. After a student finishes the equivalent of the American high school, he is assigned to a farm, or ‘commune’. At the end of the two years period, the other members of the commune decide whether he is college material and whether he should obtain further education. In such a vast country, it is impossible to provide advanced education of everyone; therefore, a student must, in the opinion of his peers, have a reasonable chance of success plus the motivation to succeed, or he will not be given the opportunity … As the peasants and youth work side by side, helpful philosophies are communicated, and the young maintain a solid contact with reality.

4. Finally the advancement of knowledge must result in the pursuit of Truth. This should be the end of all education. Truth is acquiring a knowledge of God and finding out His plans for our lives.

Many a growing child is repelled by the seeming hypocrisy evident in today’s adult world. Double standards confuse the child, and the gap between precept and practice is puzzling. The knowledge of hypocrisy breaks out in rebellion against society. Someone has said hypocrisy is bad at any time, but doubly so when it is clothed in religion.

Glaring differences between riches and poverty, gluttony and hunger, love and hatred – these contradictions lie within the human breast. The unlovely instincts can be conquered and subdued as an individual realise his role in this world in relationship to his God and his brother. What the world needs today is not more theology it needs a demonstration of God Love, described in the Bible as:

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud. Never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever Truth wins out.

Unselfish Love and concern can break down barriers of neglect, suspicion, and hatred. Unselfish Love can unite the world in one brotherhood. Unselfish Love is the universe greatest need.