In my earlier blog articles (https://www.mayoan.com/post/15-formative-years-of-a-human and https://www.mayoan.com/post/7-about-the-value-system), I wrote about value systems and formative years of a human.
I pondered upon the kind of value educations that can be imparted at our schools and universities. Timing is critical. We cannot break the bubble earlier or later. Besides, some value educations (e.g. sex education) has to be delivered keeping in mind the maturity of the audiences – adolescent teens at schools and as young adults in universities. Hence it is safe to break that up into several lessons that are well timed.
As a teen, around their 5th or 6th grade, moral value systems can be taught. In the place where I come from, these moral lessons were presented through ancient Tamil literary works like “Thiru Kural” and “Aathichoodi”. There are many such worldly wise literature from the Tamil Sangam period (Please refer - Sangam literature - Wikipedia) that can be used to impart moral lessons to the adolescent teens and young adults (yes ! for university students too). The other parts of the world can similarly explore their traditional literary works that can be used to deliver moral lessons. Again, new content can also be created by the experts to meet the demands of the changing times.
Important moral/value lessons can be from the local and local cultural aspects that are related to
1· Nation’s constitution/law & order
2· Local religious bodies not violating any other general moral principles and constitutional
rights/laws.
3· Local culture and traditions related understandings
4· Sensible use of time – Dos and Don’ts
5· Mental and Physical well-being.
6· Nurturing relationships and managing one’s ego.
7· Career options/path discussion.
8· Meditation and focus.
9· Academic counselling to identify and align students with interests, passion and skills at
high school and at A-levels (secondary levels).
10· Education about exploring family history, local history besides nation’s history and world
history
11 Understanding local economy – what powers us
12· Integrating self with community and volunteering.
At the right age, when it is time to bring the adolescent teens out of the bubble, sex education should be imparted. This should be basic, and I leave it to the experts in this field to deep dive and construct the syllabus.
At the intermediary stage of the University/Collage, the advanced lessons related to sex education can be imparted. Again, I leave it to the experts in this field to deep dive and construct the syllabus.
When the time is ripe when the young adults of the universities are ready to enter workforce, additional value education related to the below can be imparted:
1. Corporate social responsibility
2. Corporate communication nuances
3. Corporate culture and its importance
4. Workplace ethics
5. Pointers on keeping one relevant in his field of choice.
6. Decision science
7. Common Productivity techniques
8. Handling the proverbial mid-life crisis
9. Basic Financial planning
10. Important global initiatives such as the ones related to climate change, UN SDG 2030, ESG etc.,
11. Forces shaping the current times.
12. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Thus, a very sophisticated supplementary value education system is much needed in our times along with the curriculum/syllabus driven primary education programs.