--by L P Bhanu Sharma
One might ask a question: what is so lacking in current education that holistic education promises to fulfill? Education, as is understood and taken today, is an attempt to discover, understand and instill the various aspects of human living to each individual with the purpose of enhancing the living standard of people. This education teaches us all about our living. But it somehow fails to explore, discover and teach students about themselves, their own life and its dimensions. It teaches the students how to earn, but fails to talk anything about the person for whom the wealth is sought to be earned. It teaches about different aspects of life, but leaves no clue about the life itself. In a nutshell, it studies the objects in the exterior world but has nothing to do with the subject in the inner world.
A basic premise of holistic education is the belief that our life has a meaning and purpose greater than the mechanistic laws described by science, and greater than the ‘consensus consciousness’ of any one culture. The current system conceives education as a “race”—a competition forcing schools, teachers, and students to contend for some sort of victory. This has poisoned the very human psyche which strives for understanding and meaning, more than just quantitative living. Defined as a competitive race, current education is not yet a collaborative art of mentoring and nurturing the young, but a harried and random effort to succeed according to some external measure of success—to reach some goal line established by those in authority.
The past century witnessed the most intensive efforts in education, perhaps much more than the entire millennium put together. Many nations have been able to hit the literacy rate of close to one hundred percent. It was hoped that an educated world will bring all the wealth, happiness, friendliness and peace in the world. But the results, to our dismay, fail to meet any such targets. The entire human race is suffering from stress, negativities, worries, anxieties and uncertainties. Family ties are less than strong; distrust has become the rule of the day and threat of wars hover around our heads. And the credit for all this goes to the educated people. This is not to undermine their contributions to physical and financial well-being and all the progress in the science, technology and other disciplines. But, a deeper look at the minds and hearts of the individuals will show that they clearly lack something special in life.
What is holistic education? First, holistic education attempts to nurture the development of the person as a whole. This includes the intellectual, emotional, physical, social, aesthetic, and spiritual elements. Perhaps the defining aspect of holistic education is the spiritual.
Holistic education is based on the notion that there is an active creative force within each person, and that this force has an intrinsic purpose and direction. If properly explored, understood and channelised, this force will pave way for total development of each individual and a much better social ecosystem. It would provide opportunities for students to be creative, contemplative and imaginative, while also being scientific and truthful. It allows time to tell old and new stories of heroes, ideals and transformation. It encourages students to go deep into themselves, into nature and into human affairs. It values service to others and the world.
Various dimensions of holistic education will be explored in the ensuing issues of New Business Age.
- The author is the President of Jeevan Vigyan Kendra, a modern spiritual organization, and Principal of Apex College. He can be contacted through [email protected]
