Times of India, Bangalore, 22nd August, 2008
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, shares his insights into education:
Question: Do you think volunteering and community service by individuals can make a difference in education for children who have no access to formal schooling?
Sri Sri: Volunteerism is not an alternative to formal schooling. A formal school education is essential and we must focus on it. In this curriculum, we must have volunteerism for kids. We do have the National Service Scheme (NSS) system, but it comes much later, at the college level. There should be some service activity which must be introduced at the primary level itself, where children are asked to distribute things, etc.
Question: How can the problem of lack of education in rural areas, stemming from a lack of infrastructure, teachers and social conditioning, be countered?
Sri Sri: If all corporate houses adopt a few villages and a few districts in the country (this can be taken care of). There are 612 districts in the country and thousands of corporate houses. If NGOs, the government, and corporate houses can work together, I think the goal is not far away from being achieved.
Question: Do you think our education system’s methodologies need to be reviewed?
Sri Sri: Definitely. Children are asked to carry whole loads of books on their backs. So many children have a backache by 16, they can’t do anything else because their back hurts. We need to bring about a revolution in the education system, where a child learns with his own aptitude. We need to come up with innovative methods and not just learn byheart poems in a foreign language. When we were kids, we were taught Shakespeare’s verses. It is simply notnecessary. Memorizing is such a load. Instead, we must give them an education which uses the use right brain and left brain, like music and logic; relaxation, some yoga; give them proper food. All this will enable a child to learn better and learn more than you expect them to.
Question: How can attitudes be changed in rural areas towards education of the girl child?
Sri Sri: Through awareness campaigns. Kerala has 100% literacy. Karnataka is moving towards that. Tamil Nadu has high literacy. It needs to be a joint effort between religious institutions, NGOs and the government. Religion can help in a big way. People are religious, women are religious. If religious heads emphasize that every child should be educated, why wouldn’t a woman herself learn and send her daughter to school? If every priest in the village says the people must send the girl child to school, his word will be honoured.
Question: One of the primary problems in government schools is absenteeism, both among teachers as well as students. What is the solution to ensure attendance?
Sri Sri: Learning has to be made more fun. Then schools will be able to hold or draw the children to school. In some NGO schools, including Art of Living schools, the children want to come to school even during the holidays. That is because teachers have the attitude of caring for children, they take personal care of them. Teachers and principals must create such an atmosphere in schools.
Question: The Education Bill which will promise universal primary education is expected to be presented in Parliament. How important will this be in ensuring a fundamental right to education? What role should the government play in improving education infrastructure?
Sri Sri: Many a time, we see that policy makers in education have prejudices.Even among historians, there are left- and right-wing historians. A prejudice-free mind is absolutely essential for policy makers. We must have a balanced outlook.We also need to be contemporary. Some policy makers do not know how to operate a computer. They are two generations behind. They have lost touch with the mental state of the students in schools and colleges. A good teacher is one who can recognize where a child is and where he must reach. Only when a teacher understands the dfficulties or challenges of a student, can you become a good teacher, or a good policy maker. We need to have interaction, brain-storming. So often policymakers are not intouch with the ground reality. We need to keep having seminars, so that teachers and policy makers can update their knowledge. It is appalling to know that 40% of teachers are depressed. When teachers are depressed, what can they transmit to children? That’s why children don’t want to be in school, they want to run away from school. Policy makers must create learning systems for the teachers. One, through continuing education programmes. Two, by deleting unwanted things in the books that burden a child’s mind. A child who has studied high school and college, goes back home in the village and does not know how to repair a pump. They don’t know anything about agriculture. They don’t know how to fix a radio or a bulb. That is, students can’t earn a living with what they have studied. If education cannot help you earn your bread, we have to reframe education. After school, simple skills must be taught, specially in rural areas. Some knowledge of agriculture is a must.
Question: There has been talk of making education more inclusive by inviting public schools to open up their premises to accommodate second and third shifts after traditional school hours for the education of under privileged children.Do you think that can be an effective strategy?
Sri Sri: I think it’s good. It will go a long way in bridging the urban-rural divide, and the rich-poor divide. Quality education can be given to such children. Not just in cities. Even in semi-urban areas, buses must fetch the children from remote places. Taking a ride in a bus every day can motivate children to go to school. Adult literacy is also important. These institutions can play a major role in this.
Question: Broadly speaking, what measures do you think are required to achievethe Millennium Development Goal of education for all?
Sri Sri: Four institutions are needed to be able to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. The government’s role is essential. There must be a greater budget allocated to education. Not for just opening universities and having more unemployment, but for giving primary education at the lowest cost, or free of cost .Today, in India, 51% of postgraduates, 39% graduates and 0% of the illiterate are unemployed. This is appalling. Why would you want your son or daughter to spend so much time and so many years to become unemployed? When they are unemployed, crime increases.Therefore, a good primary education is a must. Religious and spiritual institutions must join hands in this. Those with a spiritual education will not get involved in criminal activities. So, spiritual institutions have a role.The third is NGOs as they have creative ideas, plans and proposals. If they implement these in their schools, such schools excel. The fourth is corporate houses. If all these four sectors come together, the MDG will not be a dream,but achieved in a couple of years.
Question: More than 90,000 people have responded to Teach India’s call for volunteers. What message would you like to give them and NGOs involved in education?
Sri Sri: Work together. Intellectuals often do not come together. Each one thinks he knows best. There is no team spirit. But they must come together with one goal — in bringing quality education for all. If this can be done, we can achieve it. For this, we need a violence-free environment, volunteers must be healthy, free from prejudices; with a little tinge of spirituality — it can bring about so much joy in those who want to work. If you are working as an expression of your joy, you will create that happiness all around. You will create that sort of education that you are aspiring for.
