KEYNOTES TO KEEP IN MIND
·
The whole goal of the future of the present
effort is to bring humanity to the point where it –
occultly speaking – “enters
into light”.
The entire trend of the present urge
forward, which can be noted so distinctly in the race, is to enable the race to
acquire knowledge, to transmute it into wisdom by the aid of the understanding
and thus to become “fully enlightened”. Enlightenment is the major goal of
education.
·
Two major ideas should immediately be taught the
children of every country. They are: the value of the individual and the fact
of the One Humanity…these two principles… will lead to the intensive culture of
the individual, and then to his recognition of his responsibility as an
integral part of the whole body of humanity.
·
The problem of the children is basically that of
education, using the word in its widest sense, which involves not merely
schooling, but also the home, family relationships and the community
environment. We should not give them false impressions of historical facts by
emphasising nationalism and competition and thus present to their minds
distorted values upon which they are expected to build their lives.
·
Past educational systems have failed to teach
past generations how to live harmoniously and to think in wider terms than
those of their own community. They did not prepare the youth of the world for
sane, co-operative living or for world citizenship so necessary today.
·
Education has largely divorced the spiritual
values from the material values in presenting its picture of the world in which
we live. Aggression has been extolled. Our heroes have been the great
territorial conquerors, the great soldiers or the great explorers. We have eulogised
pioneers who opened up unknown lands and, in spite of the original owners of
the lands, raised the flags of their own nations upon them. But the spiritual
values and the sense of responsibility, blus the moral and ethical virtues have
been neglected. The goals presented to the children are not evocative of their
creative, divine heredity.
·
The problem with which we are faced is to
integrate the best of the past educational processes with the higher and newer
educational trends which are indicative of a changing civilisation.
·
We have to face the necessity [and it is a very
real one] of giving our allegiance to the inner realities which underlie world
education and in learning to train our children in world citizenship. The
instrument to be used in bringing about these changes both in ourselves and in
the world is THOUGHT, and not emotion or feeling.
·
The spiritual horizon must be seen as inclusive
of all the many approaches, and particularly where the youth of the world is
concerned. The current delinquency stems not so much from material poverty as
from spiritual poverty.
·
Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the UN’s
Declaration of the Rights of the Child, “the child, by reason of his physical
and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate
legal protection, before as well as after birth”.
·
Recognising that the child, for the full and
harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family
environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.
·
And that
the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for
the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should
be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume
its responsibilities within the community.
·
Recognising that, in all countries in the world,
there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such
children need special consideration.
·
Taking due account of the importance of the
traditions and cultural values of each nation for the protection and harmonious
development of the child.
·
Recognising the importance of international co-operation
for improving the living conditions of children in every country, in particular
in the developing countries.
·
Our educational systems are largely material in
emphasis and aim to fit children for a competitive life in a material world.
Their horizon is too small.
·
Our religious training [if given at all] has
emphasised a withdrawal from the world and holds out the hope of a future
asylum, heaven or nirvana. This produces conflict and cleavage of which the
results are only too apparent.
·
The New
Education will surely give an inclusive training so that the truly complete
citizen in any nation will also be an active and conscious citizen of the
spiritual world.
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