Value Education Notes

Module 1: Introduction to Value Education

Lecture 1: Right Understanding, Relationship, and Physical Facility

Holistic Development and the Role of Education
Understanding Value Education
Tutorial 1: Practice Session PS1 Sharing about Oneself
Lecture 3: Self-exploration as the Process for Value Education
Lecture 4: Continuous Happiness and Prosperity – the Basic Human Aspirations
Tutorial 2: Practice Session PS2 Exploring Human Consciousness
Lecture 5: Happiness and Prosperity – Current Scenario
Lecture 6: Method to Fulfill the Basic Human Aspirations
Tutorial 3: Practice Session PS3 Exploring Natural Acceptance

Universal Human Values (UHV)

Existence is Co-existence

About the Material and Effort on Universal Human Values

Prepared by UHV TEAM (uhv.org.in). Licensed under CC0 1.0.
No royalty or fee is charged, to enable widespread usage.
Acknowledges the effort by generations of human beings for understanding and living by truth, love, and compassion.

Guidelines for Value Education

Universal: Applicable to all human beings at all times, in all places. Not dependent on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
Rational: Amenable to logical reasoning, not based on blind beliefs.
Verifiable: The student should be able to verify the values on their own right, based on natural acceptance and experiential validation.
Leading to Harmony: Enables living in peace and harmony within oneself and with others (human beings and nature). Should not lead to contradiction, differentiation, sectarianism, struggle, chaos.

Value

Value of a unit is its participation in the larger order.
- Example: The value of a piece of chalk is its participation in the classroom.
What is valuable?
- The chalk writes on the blackboard in the classroom.
- The chalk scratches the blackboard in the classroom.
Context is always the larger order.
Value of a unit is definite and is also referred to as its role.
- The role of chalk is to write on the blackboard.

Human Value

Value/Role of a human being is its participation in the larger order.
- Example: My participation in the family defines my value in the family.
Living in accordance with human values leads to mutual happiness.
- My happiness
- Happiness of the other human being (in human-human interaction)
In human-rest of nature interaction, living in accordance with human values leads to mutual prosperity.

Understanding Human Values

In nature, every unit participates with every other unit in a mutually fulfilling manner.
- Example: air nurtures plants and plants enrich air
Except for human beings (who do not understand human values).
For a human being to live with human values, they have to understand human values.
- For a human being to live with a feeling of respect, they have to understand the feeling of respect.
To live with happiness, human beings have to understand human values.
They have to understand their participation and their role.

Role of Human Being in the Larger Order

Individual: I have a role within myself (ensuring happiness in the self and health in the body).
Family: I have a role in my family (ensuring the feeling of relationship and prosperity).
Society: I have a role in society (participating in social systems for ensuring justice, peace, and harmony).
Nature/Existence: I have a role in nature/existence (mutual fulfillment with the rest of nature).

Deciding Our Values

Do you want to be able to decide on your own right?
Or do you want somebody else to decide for you?
- This somebody may be a group of people, it may be society or the education system, etc.
If you are not able to decide on your own right then:
1. Someone else is deciding what is valuable and what is not valuable for you.
2. Unconsciously you keep accepting those things as values.
3. You get busy with how to implement them, how to realize them, materialize them.

Values Decided by Others

Example: In a professional college, many first-year students start to use foul language within a very short time.
They are made to assume that this sort of language is one of the indicators of their freedom, of their own progress to adulthood and they may adopt it as a new value.
Similarly, with sleeping late and getting up late and so many things.
Did they decide it for themselves? Did it just happen “unconsciously”, without being aware of it? Is it worth it for them? Is it fulfilling for them? Is it fulfilling for others (like their family members)?
So, if we are unable to decide on our own right, we are programmed by the other; our values are decided by someone else.

Deciding Human Values on Our Own Right

Would we decide on the basis of whatever we like, whatever we believe?
- If we decide in this manner, human values will be different for different people.
Or is there some definite, existential basis, something we can understand, something we can be assured about, something that ensures mutual fulfilment in living?
- If this is the case, then there is a possibility that human values are universal, they are the same for all of us
Value education is about exploring into this possibility.

Role of Education

Should education help you to develop holistically?
- Understanding - What to do - Values - Value Education
- Learning - How to do - Skills - Skill Development
- Doing - Skills guided by Values - Practice
The problems around you are more due to lack of skills? Or more due to lack of values?
Are both, values and skills, required?
- Both are required; Values and skills are complementary to each other.
If both are required, then what is the priority?
- Values (what to do) first, then skills (how to do), but both are required.
What is the state in present-day education?
- Education has become skill-biased (there is a need to make appropriate changes).

Guidelines for Value Education

Universal: The content needs to be universal – applicable to all human beings and be true at all times, all places
- It should not depend on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
Rational: It must be amenable to logical reasoning.
- It should not be based on blind beliefs.
Verifiable: The student should be able to verify the values on one’s own right
- Should not be asked to believe just because it is stated in the course
Leading to Harmony: Values have to enable us to live in peace and harmony within our own self as well as with others (human being and rest of nature).

Guideline 1: Universal

It is universally applicable to all human beings and be true at all times and all places.
It is about the basic principles of human existence which are universal.
And if it is universal then it is not dependent on any sect, caste, creed, nationality, gender etc.
Example: Living with a feeling of relationship is naturally acceptable to all human beings it is universal.
Value Education has to be universal or sectarian?
It has to be dependent on time, space and individual or independent of time, space and individual (i.e. apply equally to all of them)?
If it is universal then it is secular and it is more than that.
When you say secular, it is a negation. Universal is more than secular.
One of the interpretations of secularism is that we not talk about religion or sex.
What has happened in the name of secularism is that we have stopped talking about human beings.
So, secularism is basically a negation, not an assertion. When you say universal, it is an assertion.

Guideline 2: Rational

It is a set of proposals about reality, not a set of negations
It is amenable to reasoning
It is not based on whims, fancies, dogmas or blind beliefs
It is not a set of sermons
It is not a set of do’s and don’ts
It is not antirational
It is not illogical
It can be communicated clearly
It can be questioned
It can be verified
It can be understood

Guideline 3: Verifiable

We want to verify these values ourselves, i.e. we don’t want to assume something just because something is stated, rather, each one of us will want to verify these to find out whether they are true for us
It has to be naturally acceptable, and experientially verifiable in terms of mutual fulfilment in my behaviour and work
- Behaviour with human beings leads to mutual happiness
- Work with the rest of nature leads to mutual prosperity
If it is naturally acceptable, it leads to commitment to live in that manner without being forced in any way or conditioned by another person
Every individual needs to be able to verify these values oneself

Guideline 4: Leading to Harmony

Finally, value education must be able to enable us to be in harmony within and live in harmony with others in the complete expanse of our being, of our living
As an individual, it needs to take care of all the dimensions of our individual existence – thought, behaviour, work, and the realization
Also, it must cover all levels starting from individual to family to society and to nature/existence
Hence, when we live on the basis of these values, we start understanding that it will lead to harmony in us and harmony in our interactions with other humans and the rest of nature. That is, it leads to human conduct.

Content of Value Education

Holistic, All Encompassing
Covers all levels of living:
1. Individual (human being)
2. Family
3. Society
4. Nature/Existence
Example: As a Family, Society – we want Fearlessness / Trust NOT fear (due to mistrust / opposition)

Four Dimensions of a Human Being

Understanding
Thought
Behaviour
Work/Participation in the larger order

Proposal

Content of Value Education (Detailed)

Holistic, All Encompassing
Covers all levels of living:
1. Individual (human being)
2. Family
3. Society
4. Nature/Existence
Example: As a Family, Society – we want Fearlessness / Trust NOT fear (mistrust / opposition)
Covers all dimensions of being, as an Individual:
1. Understanding/Realization
2. Thought
3. Behaviour
4. Work/Participation in the larger order
Example: In Thought – we want to have clarity (a state of resolution, solution) NOT confusion (a state of problem)

Process of Value Education

Universal: The content needs to be universal – applicable to all human beings and be true at all times, all places
- It should not depend on sect, creed, nationality, race, gender, etc.
Rational: It must be amenable to logical reasoning… should be able to question
- It should not be based on blind beliefs
Verifiable: The student should be able to verify the values on one’s own right
- Should not be asked to believe just because it is stated in the course
Leading to Harmony: Values have to enable us to live in peace and harmony within our own self as well as with others (human being and rest of nature)

Process of Value Education (Detailed)

Whatever is said is a Proposal (Do not assume it to be true or false)
Verify it on Your Own Right – on the basis of our Natural Acceptance
It is a process of Dialogue
- A dialogue between me and you, to start with
- It soon becomes a dialogue within your own self between what you are and what you really want to be (your natural acceptance)
The purpose of this course is to initiate this internal dialogue, to help you to be self-referential, self-confident
Is this process naturally acceptable to you? Is the purpose of this course valuable for you?

Exploration in this Course

What is my role (value) in Nature/existence?
What is my role (value) in society?
What is my role (value) in the family?
What is my role (value) with my Body?
Who am I? What is my purpose?
What is my role (value) with myself?

Summary of Key Points

Need for Value Education
- To live with fulfillment, happiness, continuous happiness… it is essential to understand what is valuable for human being (human values)
- To understand human values, we need value education
Basic Guidelines for Value Education
Content of Value Education
- All encompassing
- Holistic
Process of Value Education
- Self exploration
- Becoming Self-referential

Human Aspiration – As an Individual and Current Status

A. Living (Surviving)?
- Physical facility
B. Living with fulfillment?
- Physical facility
- Getting feelings from other
C. Living with continuous fulfillment?
- Having right understanding – in the Self (harmony in the Self, happiness)
- Having right feeling – in the Self (living with fulfillment in relationship with human being, mutual happiness)
- Physical facility – with the rest of nature (living with mutual enrichment with the rest of nature, mutual prosperity)

Human Aspiration – As a Society and Current Status

A. Families living together, in a relationship of mutual fulfillment (common goal)
- Society
B. Individuals living together, but not in a relationship of mutual fulfillment (differing goals)
- Crowd
C. Individuals living separately, in opposition / struggle (conflicting goals)
- Battlefield

FAQs for Lecture 1: Understanding Value Education

Question 1: Need for Value Education

There is a need for value education, but can we deliver it in today’s corrupt environment?
There is no space in the curriculum. Already the students are overburdened. So how do we justify this course?
What is the difference between Value education and a course in moral science? Is it desirable?
Response:
- If yes, then we have to work for it, however unfavorable the environment may be; at whatever level there is a possibility (at least at the individual level… at the level of family to start with) [What else?]

Check: What is generally done in the name of Value Education?

	Value Education (Definite)	Morals (Indefinite)
Understanding (Knowing)	Proposals, humane world-vision	Ideas, morals
Thinking	Self-exploration, natural acceptance	Beliefs
Doing	Self-discipline	Discipline, Instructions
Conduct	Human conduct (definite)	Externally enforced fear, incentive

Question 2: Need for Value Education

Why do we need to teach human values to students in school/college? Isn’t it the job of parents to inculcate values in their kids at home?
We have introduced UHV in higher education. But shouldn’t the UVH start early from childhood. Isn’t it too late to start teaching value education from college?
Due to cut-throat competition and lack of human consciousness in society, the focus of the students is on developing skill for a good pay package and not on values. How to bring their attention to values?
Response:
- Responsibility of 1-parents, 2-teachers, 3-policy makers
- It is essential, desirable but it is not happening so, where do we start?
- Start with the parents… But it should certainly be done in school…
- Even in industry/MNCs preference is given to people who can relate to others, can work with others, are suitable for teamwork… cooperation… develop a conducive environment (expertise is easier to get)
- They anyway want to lead a meaningful life – they are not just resources for the job (after some time, they may accumulate some money, but they feel their life is not very meaningful)
- Understanding the purpose and giving a direction to life is required

Question 2: Need for Value Education - Continued

The parents think that they are paying for education and hence it is the job of teachers.
Teachers think that our task is to cover the syllabus and conduct exams, these things are the responsibility of parents. But ultimately the need is not met. And if it is not met in the family, it is our responsibility as teachers.
Every student ultimately desires a happy and prosperous life. We need to clarify this to the student through a process of dialogue.
We are not stopping the students from going for a higher package. We are only saying that it is not the complete program for life.

Response: Where to start?

If we can start even now
Where to start from: teachers or parents or policy makers?
At what level to start in education: primary or secondary or higher?
It’s good to start value education right from the elementary stage children start learning values right from childhood in their homes from their parents… So, it’s better to start from their parents.
But when you go to educate the parents, ultimately you have to work with grown-ups.
Teachers Society… policymakers
So, why not start with higher education!
Through higher education, you are directly able to address the future teachers, parents, and policymakers.

Question 3: Teaching of Human Values

Values can only be caught and not taught. Kindly comment.
How to make value education part of life rather than just being taught as a subject in formal education?
Implementation of human values in society holds the key. It is not just sufficient to teach the students for a few semesters in colleges.

Response:

Through self-exploration.
The content doesn’t have to be delivered as a prescription or a moral thing, rather as an essential requirement for continuity of happiness in life.
Agreed. But one needs to be clear what is there to be implemented.
Unless there is content to explore, what will one explore? Hence the classroom input is necessary.

Can Values be Taught?

One of the misconceptions has been that “values cannot be taught, they are caught”
Of course, values are inspired and reinforced in institutions by people who are living models of human values
From the experiments in the last 15 years in mainstream education, it is clear that:
- Human values can be taught!
- Youth, regardless of their background, find it interesting when it is shared as a proposal (rather than a set of instructions or do’s and don’ts).
- They can explore into the proposals, discover the values intrinsic in them
- Self-exploration is an effective means of self-evolution.
- There is a significant perceptual transformation in those exploring seriously

Question 4: Teaching of Human Values

Shouldn’t the course on UHV be taught through practical exercises or short stories or case studies of great people, in place of classroom teaching? By classroom teaching, students will only mug up the content and reproduce in the examination. This will not bring any transformation into their life.
Response:
- When a child is self-exploring, it is essential to give them proposals about basic, underlying principles
- Help them to explore within, find out for themselves
- Answer their questions, clarify
- Provide a conducive environment
- We do have practice sessions
- Live examples
- With that, it is certainly a good idea to introduce stories… particularly when the child is imitating (as in primary education)

Response on Teaching Methodology

There are two parts to this process:
- One, grasp the proposal which states the basic principle about life.
- Secondly, verify and validate in one’s living. And both are necessary.
So, we need to enable our teaching methodology to include both and not leave the second part.
Practical exercises are already included. We can include short stories or case studies of great people too.
But we ensure that the content is grasped clearly. There is always a probability that the stories or memoirs of great men give some otherwise conclusions too.

Question 5: Teaching of Human Values

Students already are not interested in studies. Many of them are sent forcibly for studies. And now we are adding one more course. Is it justifiable?
Are young students mature enough to sit through lectures like this and grasp these values?
Response:
- That’s why we need to include such subjects which can help them relate better to education.
- Students lose interest in studies when they cannot relate the studies to their life and happiness.
- Yes. Students are very much in a position to explore if the content is proposed through a process of dialogue.

Question 6: Teaching of Human Values

There is a vast generation gap between the teachers and students. How to teach this course creatively given this generation gap?
Today people only look for skills and not human values. Students have a feeling that if they care about such courses, they will be lagging professionally behind. Is it really possible to teach values in such a scenario?
How to manage the contradiction between focus on marks (for admission/placement) and importance of human values for life?
Response:
- The generation gap may be there in terms of living, but there is no gap in Natural Acceptance. We have to help the students reflect on their natural acceptance.
- Even in industries today, where they are giving higher priority to teamwork.
Further, we need to make it clear to the students that their basic aspiration is continuity of happiness and prosperity and not just the physical facility.
- To begin with, they may feel that there is a contradiction but when they start working on human values, it is found that they become sincere towards their academics.

Question 7: Basic Guidelines and Content of Value Education

What do we mean by universal here? Does it include all that has been said across the world?
We are saying that we do not have to assume anything as true or false, rather verify on one’s own right. Now how do we verify on our own right whether the earth revolves around the sun or the sun around the earth?

Reponse:

It includes the essence of all that has been said across the world for a happy and prosperous life, a happy and prosperous society.
Universal means applicable to every human being in all time and all place.
Essentially, we do need to verify what is the relationship of any activity (reality) with me, my life, and happiness.
Having verified this, in the process of fulfillment of this relationship, we can get the necessary information through observation or from others (e.g. about earth, sun, and their rotation).

Additional Question: Value vs. Meaning

What is the difference between value and meaning?
Response:
- There are four aspects: 1-words  2-meaning  3-seeing the reality  4-seeing the reality in completeness
- Meaning – description of a certain aspect of reality
- Value – the role of a reality at different levels.
- Value is relative to the context, the larger order
  - Value of human being as an individual
  - Value of human being in family
  - Value of human being in society, etc.
  - Value of human being in its completeness
- Value is one of the aspects of the reality, so a meaning may indicate one of these values