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Flora Teckie-A Bahá’í perspective
The International Day of Education underlines the important role of education in the empowerment and development of our children and youth.
Education is vital to the development of individual potential and must be provided to everyone. However, according to the data released by UNICEF: “244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 and 18 worldwide are still out of school”.
Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, states: “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom”. Therefore, are we not denying all those millions of children the chance to develop their potential, capabilities and talents?
Regarding the importance of providing education to everyone, the Universal House of Justice, the governing council of the Bahá’í international community says: “The cause of universal education … deserves the utmost support that the governments of the world can lend it. For ignorance is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetuation of prejudice. No nation can achieve success unless education is accorded all its citizens”.
A balanced and all-inclusive education
A balanced and all-inclusive education is the key to the spiritual and social transformations of individual and societies. A balanced education — with both intellectual and spiritual components — is essential in developing the full potential of individuals, and to enable them to contribute to building better communities.
“Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation”, state the Bahá’í Writings, which also confirm that: “knowledge is praiseworthy when it is coupled with ethical conduct and virtuous character”.
For example, “A physician of evil character, and who betrayeth his trust, can bring on death, and become the source of numerous infirmities and diseases”.
The kind of education that would enrich both mind and spirit should develop in our children the moral attributes — including truthfulness, courtesy, love, generosity, compassion, justice, and trustworthiness — whose reflection in their everyday lives can create harmonious, productive families and societies.
According to a statement of the Bahá’í International Community, “Successful education will cultivate virtue as the foundation for personal and collective well-being, and will nurture in individuals a deep sense of service and an active commitment to the welfare of their families, their communities, their countries, indeed, all mankind”.
Three kinds of education
The Bahá’í Writings speak of three kinds of education: material, human and spiritual. Material education is about the progress and development of the body; teaching individuals how to improve their physical well-being: improving their hygiene and nutrition, better family health and greater capacity to earn and to provide food, clothing and shelter.
Human education concerns civilisation and progress in activities which are essential, for example: knowledge of commerce, the sciences and arts, and the understanding of institutions and policy.
Moral and spiritual education deals with acquiring the right values and with the shaping of character. Spiritual education must complement other kinds of teaching. Because it is through such teaching that one is directed to use the knowledge, tools and means acquired through material and human education, for the advantage of humanity.
Education for international understanding and peace
While it is important to provide a balanced education to every child, it is not enough to focus only on enrolling children in schools. We need to generate in our children a vision of the kind of society they wish to live in — a peaceful society, a society in which development and empowerment of everyone is ensured.
Once they have such a vision, we can help them shape their future and to be the kind of individuals that will help bringing about such communities.
According to a statement of the Bahá’í International Community, “True education releases capacities, develops analytical abilities, confidence, will, and goal-setting competencies, and instils the vision that will enable … [individuals] to become self-motivating change agents, serving the best interests of the community”.
Furthermore, we need to nurture in our children and youth an appreciation for the richness and importance of the world’s diverse cultural, religious and social systems, as this will help them to free themselves of prejudices that are the main causes of conflicts and wars.
It is important that children are taught the concept of justice, and fair-mindedness in their homes and at their schools.
According to the Bahá’í Writings: “Children must be so raised as to regard every soul, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or any other affiliation, as a fellow human being and to hold dear the words [of Bahá’u’lláh] that capture the spirit of the age: “The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch”.
Our school curricula must become an instrument for promoting peace and the belief in the oneness of humanity must be cultivated in our children and youth throughout their education.
They must appreciate the role of unity in diversity as the basis for social integration.
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