Encourage Moral Education
The need to change is felt by all, but the will to change, doesn’t find any takers.
By: Syed Maajid Rashid Andrabi
EduCare
Education by far, has been the only tool in the hands of mankind, which has the power to influence the human nature. Be it towards the glory or obscurity, it depends on an individual as to how he may be willing to put it, in use. Nations which excel in education not only steer their way towards progress and development, but, also register themselves for the exemplary services rendered towards the benefit of mankind, through their achievements in every sphere of human life. The essence of education can’t be gauged by any means but its true representation gets reflected through one’s outlook. As they say that, “Education is an ornament in adversity”, so, its role in the intellectual developmental of human beings remains quintessential.
History stands testimony to the fact that education has always been an important tool for the nations which have understood its significance in their advancement and thus, work in the way of its expansion right from elementary level to the highest level. Education rightly brings about essential transformation among the individuals, which is its inherent virtue, due to the fact that it encompasses all the majestic traits which enlighten the human wisdom to explore and improvise. Education being a complete makeover tool, necessitates, it to be used, in the most effective way. Education, in its broader sense, means an all-around development which not only makes an individual competent to the world of knowledge but also grooms his character and temperament to shape him into a noble and virtuous person.
A good education is nothing without strong moral values. Owing to the fact, that the development of education has been the prime focus for all the respective governments, a significant progress in the overall literacy level of a person has been attained to a certain limit but its role in modelling the persona of its seeker to good, is still questionable! While taking a glimpse at the modern society, one surely gets delighted to see the development and progress which has been made, through scientific innovations. Education though has been kind enough to unravel the mysteries of the universe and help man to live a life of ease and comfort through modern inventions, but at the same time it hasn’t been so effective in bringing about a moral enlightenment among the people. Moral education broadens the vision of the people so, that they can behave ethically and judge rationally but that clearly seems to be missing in the context of modern societies.
Taking a look at the crime rate, one fails to understand as to why and how the crimes happen, even, when people are more educated than before!!! Unfortunately what is being observed, is that, the meaning of education has been restricted to get knowledge only, but its main motive, that is personality development, has been overlooked, which is why, people have become so barbarous and self-centred. Since, education involves developing the powers of reasoning and judgement in a person so that he can very well differentiate between the just and unjust practices, but at times, there hardly seems any difference between an educated and uneducated person, so far as their moral behaviour is concerned.
Strange but it is true!!! Our moral values have been diminishing at a very faster pace, the ordeal of which, our societies narrate in a very heart wrenching way. Nowadays, animosity and hatred among people have reached to alarming levels, which has tarnished the image of humanity. In the race of materialism, humans have shown enormous progress but the spirit of solidarity has encountered tremendous setback. The greed for attaining the worldly benefits has surpassed the spirit of mutual brotherhood and co-operation, which has separated the people and has created unnecessary divisions among them. Unfortunately people take pride in showcasing their illegitimate work, whereas, the ones who are steadfast on the right path have to encounter setbacks at every point.
Human conscience has stooped to the lowest ever, with very less empathy towards the fellow beings. Regrettably, honesty has become a trait of the past owing to the hypocrisy of the people. Needless to say that modernization has affected people in adverse manner contrary to making them more humane and noble. Though there are many exceptions, but a general observation reveals that the people have become more intolerant in nature, leading to their proximity to unnecessary altercations. What is more worrisome is the fact that people do not recognize and do justice with their social and moral responsibilities!!! Strange that people don’t bother about others, but remain self centered without even realizing the worth of being helpful to the needy.
There is no better place than a society for a child to learn the basics of life. The place where he dwells, impacts his personality profoundly, to shape his perspective and overall perception towards different aspects of his day to day life. Unfortunately, our societies have become a hub of immoral and iniquitous activities, owing to the fact that we have lost control over the moral decency and have submitted ourselves to the inappropriate and indecent ways of living, which adversely impacts the overall persona of an individual. All sorts of social evils are being witnessed in our societies which have made the life of people doleful.
Social evils in the form of dowry, suicides, molestation, extravagance in marriages, drug addiction and corruption have plagued our society. Every now and then, religious luminaries lay stress on the need of social transformation, but people hardly bother. They tend to carry on with their self-seeking actions which pose a serious threat to the moral fabric of the society. The growth of a country depends on how well its citizens show respect towards the moral and ethical values. Good moral values serve as the building blocks for a harmonious society, where people collectively engage in productive as well as meaningful discussions to bring a good change, for the betterment of all. Self-discipline is the basic of necessity to have good moral values.
Giving a patient hearing to the need of the time is must, if we have to bring about a change. It is the high time for everyone in general and for the intellectuals in particular to wake up to the occasion and change the face of the society and contribute for its betterment. It is only a crime free and healthy society that can produce true political leaders, religious clerics and representatives of other sections of society which in turn can lead to a healthy society. Let us be the change we wish to see in others.
As they say that, “Education without morals, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil”. We need to inculcate good moral education among the students, so, that we could successfully lay a strong foundation of a good future. Moral education needs to be taken care of if we aspire, to, have a civilized and well cultured societies. Our morals should govern our manners and through manners, we should reflect our character.
- The author can be reached at [email protected]
Kashmir Images is an English language daily newspaper published from Srinagar (J&K), India. The newspaper is one of the largest circulated English dailies of Kashmir and its hard copies reach every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley besides Jammu and Ladakh region.
