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| Saturday, 16 October 2004 |
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Features | |
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Reading as a key to character-building by Saumya Kodagoda The fundamental cause of the problems not only in children, but also of the following 19 surging problems of the super-high-tech-society is simply "lack of Culture - Wisdom - Humanness - Character" or rather rejection of it. 1. Misbehaviour, 2. Corruption, 3. Violence, 4. Drug addiction, 5. Crime, 6. Suicide, 7.Child abuse and street children, 8. Violence against women and children, 9. Examination failure and problems associated with the school, 10. Shattering of governance and work strikes, 11. Politicisation, 12. Abuse of power, 13. Unemployment, 14. Poverty, 15. Malicious disease such as HIV/AIDs, 16. Environment pollution, 17. Natural disasters, 18. Splitting of the family, 19. Unsustainable development.
The resultant, present Western mass education systems, which are confined to imparting secular knowledge and skill development sans wisdom has created a spiritual vacuum, intensifying in each generation, gradually draining off culture. Consequently the "habit of reading for versatility - (Bahaussruta Bhaavaya)" which was a main attribute of character for 25 centuries, was condemned and rejected. Our minimum standard of versatility was reduced to the so-called "literacy" limited to mere reading and writing one's name and a sentence, which is the requirement of democracy to mark the cross in the ballot paper. Reading was reduced to a mere isolated skill. The new methodology developed to remove the root cause of all these problems by the writer-researcher is the Cultural Clinic. It can be replicated effectively in any part of the world. It is based on the new indigenous theory of "Education of the Emotions" or promotion of wisdom, which imbibes humanness - character. "Spirituality" comprises 60% percent of the role model character of the wise person. Aesthetic sense 14%; versatility/erudition 14%; subject (secular) knowledge and skills 06%, good health habits 06%.
This small unit is an aid to the family to bring up wise children, who can live together in peace, good health and happiness enjoying sustainable comforts. Two sub-clinics, 1. Spiritual Clinic and 2. Reading Clinic, function within the Cultural Clinic to ensure the growth of wise persons. Two types of Cultural Clinics according to location also have been developed: 1. General Cultural Clinic-located in a temple or a community centre. 2. Family Cultural Clinic - in the home for a very rich family. This is also an ideal character development unit to build up the lost confidence in street children, refugees, orphans in orphanages, children suffering from post traumatic conditions and rehabilitate juvenile delinquents and to prevent low income children who are not looked after when they return from school, from being abused, from gang activity and for tutoring them. Wisdom-Kit (Patent nos. - 4529 and 4530) (Photograph 1) a character development - kit, is the new mechanism which activates the Cultural Clinic. It consists of the 10 components listed below. 1. Specially designed steel cupboard with teak-finish on castor wheels, 2. Items required for promotion of spirituality, 3. Organized special collection of 850 books selected out of the identified categories, to promote reading for versatility and main attributes of the book role model character, matching the needs of the children and the families concerned, 4. mini-catalogue for the collection, 5. Basic tools and accessories required for training information skills (Photograph 2), 6. Library stationery and equipment, 7. Learning aids (Photograph 3), 8. Monitoring tools and the self-evaluation tool (Photograph 1), 9. Children's oaths, diagrams illustrating the new theory and the name board of the Cultural Clinic, 10. Database (optional). Wisdom-Kit includes all the basic material required for character building from pre-natal stage up to 14-16 years of age. As it promotes versatility in whole family it coincides with "adult education" too. Although this highly specialized organised book collection, containing the message of wisdom is the backbone of the Cultural Clinic, it is a fixed collection, which does not expand and is therefore not a library. Misinterpretation of this concept had drastic effects on certain Cultural clinics. Main function of the Spiritual Clinic is imbibing humanness - sensitivity through spirituality, into the emotions of especially the children. As such the work of the Cultural Clinic at Rathugala (Ampara) commenced with observing religious rites and rituals. Then each child was examined individually and a child profile was opened. Next activity was repeating the oath for children for self-realisation and training the children in maintaining the Diary of Good Work. Each family was given a set of handbooks on carrying out these main activities. By the end of the first month twenty three (23) children out of the 74 families of this small isolated village maintained Diaries of Good Work. The three children who had recorded the highest number of Good work and their parents too were awarded prizes. Thus after clearing their minds, the work of the Reading Clinic commenced. Reading level of each child was identified by testing. As instructed, Mentors (the new category of personnel) monitored their reading, beginning with books to develop spirituality. By the end of the first month 34 children maintained reading Diaries. The three children who had read the highest number of books - more than 50 books and their parents also were awarded prizes at the first follow up workshop. At the 3rd follow up workshop (June 2004) several mothers stated that their children neither could read nor write, prior to the commencement of this programme. Rathugala is no more an isolated village, as more and more children from surrounding villages come to read at this clinic. Impact of the Cultural Clinic (Rathugala) on the school in the adjoining village should receive the attention of both parents and the policy makers. This small isolated village had only 74 families, with only four (4) persons who have sat their O/L, in March 2001. Surprised at the rise in the learning achievement of these indigenous children, two committed teachers have visited the Cultural Clinic to get instructions from the mentor who did not even have the O/L certificate and have started a reading programme in the school in the afternoon. They have now developed their thinking faculty. One out of the two pupils sitting for O/L, has prepared a project report on "Whether integrated cultivation is suitable for Rathugala" and has reasoned out its unsuitability. She has collected information from the latest books on agriculture, in the Wisdom-Kit. So the new mechanism has changed the saying "Kolambata Kiri, Apata Kekiri". Information skills are a pre-requisite for "Reading for Versatility." The information skills-training kit included in the Wisdom-Kit enables even the poorest child in the remotest corner to learn these skills. Nucleal element hidden in the character of each child is stimulated at a very early age, in this process. Material required to develop creative writing and basic mathematical concepts are included. The Wall News Paper and the display of the Best Poem and the Best Painting are the specific features of the Wisdom-Kit, planned for advancement in creative writing and art. (Photograph 1). As fluency in a second language is an indispensable feature of versatility, English is introduced in the reading game, from the age of two years. It is the content of the language that is given priority, NOT the process and technology. Elocution both in Sinhala and English is also included in this programme. Pathetic factor is that only 300 books out of the total collection of 850 books were given to each Cultural Clinic, due to lack of funds. However the Cultural Clinic has now inculcated the habit of "Reading for Versatility" in these children of Rathugala and Watawana. It is quite pathetic that a few who have developed "avid reading" have read all the books and read certain books about four times. What would have been the outcomes if they were given the complete Wisdom-Kit with the full collection of 850 books and if follow up workshops were conducted at least every three (3) months? Indigenous children of Rathugala also would have been fortunate enough to obtain 8-10 A's at the O/L and later gain admission to the university too. Cultural Clinic has provided a solution to the long standing acute problem of "loss of books" in school libraries, which was not reported in these Cultural Clinics. The discipline they have developed, during these 2 years was surprising. About 150 parents and children in each centre were seated for about two hours without any disturbance, which is rare in urban gatherings. Now it has been established that with the new methodology of the Cultural Clinic, children with identified problems, below ten (10) years of age can be transformed within two (2) months and those below 15 years in about 5 months depending on the degree of intensity, history and family support. Succession examinations with high grades would be a mere residual effect. This new methodology provides a natural and an honest system of evaluation too. Monitoring itself is evaluation. But a self-evaluation tool also is one component of the Wisdom-Kit. All the credit for these remarkable achievements goes to the Mentors who maintain the services facing bravely the constrains faced by any new methodology. They are rendering a noble service which is NOT a case of "doing a job to sell labour at a profit". Scaling up of Cultural Clinics would boost the book trade to take a great stride with quality improvement and librarianship may reach the doorstep of each family associated with human character. |
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Produced by Lake House |
It is the fragmentation into unrelated subjects at the surface level
and subordination of human character to its slight segment of secular
knowledge, which is only 6% of the whole, as explained later, which has
caused all these problems.
Wise person would never fail in examinations; never succumb to untimely
death, malicious disease like HIV/AIDS, accidents, venom of serpents or
natural disasters. Cultural Clinic is named so because here each child is
clinically examined for problems (psychological) of character spirituality
and treated, in order to endow every child, the cultural heritage he / she
is entitled to; thereby preventing the germination of violence.
