A FRAME WORK FOR VALUE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

value-based education means the part of the education which imparts certain essential moral, ethical, social, spiritual, environmental, and national values in children for their all-around development and prepares them as a complete man.

1. A FRAME WORK FOR VALUE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS S arath Chandran. R R esearch Scholar Department of Education University of Kerala E-mail: [email protected]

2. INTRODUCTION We have schools with curriculum devoid of values. But our educational aims are not being fulfilled. The quality of education is decreasing day by day. Our current educational system is fully concentrated in syllabus completion for the conduction of examinations . Educational process cannot be value free, as the very objective of education is to prepare children for life in society. Value education in schools has been deeply studied by Sree Prakasha Committee in 1959.

3. Concept of value based education . In simple words value based education means the part of the education which imparts certain essential moral, ethical, social, spiritual, environmental and national values in child for their all-round development and prepares them as a complete man. Value education builds the character and is necessary for the development of personality of individual . . Value education teaches children how to communicate with the society and environment.

4. Value education: a means to understand commitments A human being has lot of commitments. We can classify commitments of a person into four types: commitments to parents and family commitments to society commitments to nation commitments to self.

5. Values to be inculcate in each level of schooling We should impart values on the basis of the psychological level of the students . Today our formal educational system is imparting values indirectly through various subjects. Undoubtedly we are saying that this approach is absolutely wrong because teachers and students are considering these subjects for the examinations only. So we should give value education by a direct approach.

6. Anticipated Frame of value education in schools We know that schooling has been divided into four level such as LP,UP, HS and HSS . In the anticipated frame for the imparting of value education we are considering that LP and UP as a single unit called basic level of value education HS and HSS is considered as another single unit called post basic level of value education. Basic level of value education has been divided into two levels as first (first to third standard) and second level (fourth to seventh standard ).

7. Topics to be taught at each level In first level of basic value education we should teach personal hygiene, environmental hygiene, good habits and sharing mentalities. In second level of basic value education - environmental protection, caring of parents and others, helping mentality, punctuality, kindness, responsibilities, courage, patience , importance of education reading habits, truthfulness, agriculture, team work, forgiveness and hard work . In the post basic level value education should teach traditional and cultural values of the nation, social values, constitutional values, democratic values, cyber values, sexual values etc.

8. Value education as a special subject through direct approach is considered via the anticipated frame work . It includes both theory and practical but theory does not exceed more than 20% and should contain 80% activity oriented value education. This practical value education can fulfill within the school community, with the co -o por a tion of society or with the co -o poration of NSS, NCC, SPC, Red Cross organizations etc ..

9. Recommendations for implementing the value education in schools All Saturdays are to be made working days in schools. Saturdays should be spent for the value oriented practical activities within the school or outside the school. Apart from Saturday activities in basic level of value education one hour has to be spent for value oriented classes (it may be theoretical or practical) every day .

10. In post basic level weekly three hours to be spent for value education besides Saturdays . For implementing value education, selected teachers have to be given special training. To direct the value education, a forum of value educators should be formed in district level. These teachers forum should contain invited councilors, experts in value education etc.

11. Conclusion Knowledge without values is not only useless but also dangerous for the society. Best example is well educated or expert persons are become anti - social criminals. This is due to the absence of values in their life . So we wish to emphasize that imparting value education as a direct approach up to HSS level .

12. THANK YOU