Necessity of value-based education

Character- building is an integral part of value based education. It has been rightly said by Nelson Mandela that "Education is the most powerful weapon through which you can change the world". It replaces an empty mind with an open one.

The education system at present lays more emphasis on rote and memorisation learning of factual information without depth knowledge in particular subject and less emphasis on the values. However, the aim of education should not be to impact knowledge alone but to inculcate strong values in children.

Today, students are lacking a humanitarian approach hence value- based education is the need of the hour. It is a teaching framework in which values are taught both explicitly in the classroom and implicitly by example. The framework consists of teaching tools and techniques that involve the development of the school environment and practices positive universal values.

Value-based education provides a successful environment for teaching and learning of the full range of academic, social and interpersonal skills. It supports students to become successful and happy members of the global society. It encourages reflective and inspirational attributes and attitudes. The students can be nurtured to help people, discover the very best of themselves which enables them to be good global citizens and prepare them for their working life.

Therefore there is need of value based schools rather than rote learning schools. In value based schools, students develop a secure sense of 'Self'. They become more empowered to take responsibility of their own learning. They develop academic diligence when they are involved with a value based school. They develop rational trust. They become articulate and able to talk freely and well through silence and quietude in a value based framework.

• Improvements in education system
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• Make learning more engaging
• Make learning relevant
• Nurture creativity and imagination
• Expose students to new opportunities
• Fact-based education is not good
• Education driven by facts, gives us logical or the analytical perspective of life, but a human life is much more than that.
• It can only give a theoretical aspect of the problem but not the practical aspect.

 A data feeding society can only make robots and not humans.

 It makes people more insensitive about the problems around us like rapes, lynchings, hatred, discrimination, etc

Importance of values

Values like empathy, tolerance make people more responsible citizens.

Values are important for making a decision. It gives us guidance to decide what is right or wrong.

Values make people more conscious of their acts.

The main aim of education is to enlarge the perception of things around us. Facts and values should go hand in hand for making a better society.

Value- based schools

Value-based schools emphasise value of education in the curriculum and teaching.

Students become academically more diligent.

School acquires a more peaceful ambience,

Better student-teacher relationships are forged,

Student and teacher wellbeing improves

Parents are more engaged with the school.

Explicit teaching of values provides a common ethical language for talking about interpersonal behaviour.

It also provides a mechanism for self-regulated behaviour.

An important outcome of value based school enhances the quality teaching and enables teachers to raise the bar for student performance.

Academic diligence

Students can show attentiveness in class

Enable students to work independently with a greater capacity

More responsibility for their own learning asks questions and work together more cooperatively. Take greater care, put more effort in their schoolwork and take more pride in their efforts.

School ambience

The school ambience witnesses a decrease in the conflict among students.

Demonstration of greater empathy, honesty and integrity.

Students become more tolerant and cooperative in their interactions.

Classrooms and playgrounds become safer and more harmonious.

Greater kindness and tolerance among students is seen.

Students take greater responsibility with school equipment and routine tasks.

Students treat the school buildings and grounds 'WITH RESPECT'.

Student-teacher relationships

Student-teacher relationships become more trusting.

More democratic classrooms are established.

Students were allowed of their choices in learning activities.

Students manage their own behaviour or resolve conflict with others.

Teachers seek opportunities to acknowledge and reinforce appropriate behaviour.

They listen to students and respond to their concerns and opinions.

Students perceive that teachers treat them fairly and thus behave more respectfully, politely and courteously towards the teachers.

Student-teacher wellbeing

Students feel a greater sense of connectivity and belongingness.

Students gain a greater capacity for self-reflection and self-appraisal.

They develop a greater capacity for regulating their own and their peers' behaviour.

Teachers receive collegial support, strong leadership, confidence and knowledge through opportunities for professional development and through staff collaboration.

They re-examine their practices and role. The relationship and trust among staff and between teachers and families get fostered.

In nut shell, when the Values of Education is explicit, a common language is established among students, staff and families. This not only leads to greater understanding of the targeted values but also provides a positive focus for redirecting children's inappropriate behaviour.

When values are explicitly endorsed, acknowledged and valued within a school culture, it becomes incumbent on schools to ensure that staff, as well as students are both benefactors and recipients in respectful and caring interactions.