The need for a value-based education system

Anil Pagoda Arachchi

One striking aspect of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's views on education is the emphasis he places on teaching values. And also, one of the outstanding features that separate the Mahinda Rajapaksa government from all the other governments which have ruled the country over the years is the strong emphasis it places on preserving and enhancing the values inherent in the socio-cultural milieu of the country. As comprehensively stated in the Mahinda Chinthanaya manifesto, the President vehemently spearheads all the government and social institutions of the country to achieve this goal. In this context, the education system of the country has, and is expected to play a very vital role.

The changing scenarios of educational theories and approaches combined with the different educational philosophies and the findings of psychology influence the formulation of educational policy, curriculum and syllabi of any country. These changes have apparently impacted on the present education system of the country as well. One of the recent developments relevant to the concept of development is that the future of any society particularly in the developing world depends on their ability to preserve the value systems ingrained in their own respective cultures. This boils down to the fact that protecting and development of the values deeply rooted in the society becomes an important function of the education system of any society.

Examination system

The thematic approach to education has already given way for competency based education which is in vogue in the world today. However, it is pertinent to raise the question as to whether the formulation of educational policy, preparation of curricula and the syllabi for competency based education have been done with a view to strengthening the values found in the Sri Lankan society to protect its fabric.

The writer's experience he obtained through observation of the lessons done by teachers both in the urban and rural sectors of the country is that the majority of the teachers are still compelled by various circumstances to focus more on imparting knowledge to their students. Evidently, the basic competencies to be developed in the students are categorically mentioned in the educational reforms introduced towards the end of the 20th century. The teachers he talked to came up with myriads of reasons as to why they find it very difficult to pay their attention to teach values through their lessons. One major problem they pointed out is the vastness of the syllabi they have to cover.

A number of science teachers told the writer that subject matter to be taught to the Ordinary Level students is too much and they have to stay after school to complete the syllabus. This complaint is generally made by many of the other subject teachers as well. What emerges from this is that this situation has made their teaching process so mechanical that they have to accelerate the phase of their teaching, and as a result, they lack time for the development of attitudes and values in their students.

Another significant point is the exam-oriented education provided by the school system of the country. According to the measures presently being used, the effectiveness of a school is generally identified basically through the results its students obtain at the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level Examinations.

This throws light on the certain weaknesses of evaluation methods used to assess the effectiveness of schools. One pertinent question raised by the teachers and parents alike is whether the examination system of the country has been changed to suit the changes brought by the educational reforms?

One essential phenomenon that has been neglected so far is the fact that education means teaching values. Whatever subject is taught in the classroom, the content used therein must be inculcated in the students only as a value or a component of a value system of the country, but not as a piece of knowledge itself. The knowledge one receives becomes valuable only when one can apply it in different meaningful situations. Education is always connected with the application of what students acquire either in the classroom or outside it.

Different subject areas

This application of knowledge or skills is organically integrated with the value system of the society where one lives. Therefore, the education system has to be based on the particular value system of the society where education is given.

How can the education system of the country help achieve the goals of producing a student with a set of good values from the school? What has been so far attempted is to teach values through different subject areas. It has miserably failed. Then, what can be done to remedy the situation? What is needed today is to teach different subject areas through values. This requires a comprehensive policy for the introduction of a value based system of education. How best can this be done? The introduction and implementation of such a system is not an easy task. The formulation of such policy needs researching into the social and cultural phenomena based on the geographical locality of the country to identify the important values held by the different communities. And also, a look into the future is needed.

The multi-cultural aspects of the Sri Lankan society (if it is to be so identified), have to be researched into in order to find the common core of all the ethnic and religious groups. This will enable for us to lay a very solid foundation of a common system of values to be developed among the schoolchildren of the country.

While the curricula and the syllabi must be planned according to such values so identified, textbooks have to be redesigned in such a way so that the subject mater could be taught through values.

Accordingly, the teaching learning methodology should be changed keeping in touch with the changing tendencies in the outside world but finding an approach of our own by researching into the teaching methods used in the country in the past.

In conclusion, the introduction of a value based system of education will pave the way for the creation of a just society as is stipulated in Mahinda Chinthanaya.