Educare System
1. What SSE in character education ?
SSE or EHV a character education programme that aims to nurture the innate goodness in each child. It helps to raise and develop children’s awareness of the five universal human values of truth, right-conduct, peace, love, and non-violence. EHV is a fun and stimulating programme that helps children explore the concepts of, discriminate between right and wrong. The programme draws on examples from the world’s great civilizations as well as from the lives of famous people throughout history.
EHV equates human excellence with nobility of character and emphasizes the fact that in order to achieve human excellence the cultivation of good values is a must, and that there must be a union of thought, word, and deed.
EHV lessons are designed to affect both the body and the mind and bring about a transformation both through the experience of truth, right-conduct, peace, love, and non-violence, with the unity of thought, word, and deed.
2. How do children benefit ?
EHV gives children the opportunity to explore and discriminate by themselves the difference between right and wrong, and helps foster empathy and greater compassion towards others. It also develops a greater sense of responsibility, especially as concerns their own actions. All in all EHV teaches children to be happy, confident, and responsible members of the society.
3. How do teachers benefit?
Teachers who use the EHV programme can avail of the ready-to-use lesson plans that require minimal preparation. Moreover, EHV classrooms are quiet and calm, Most of the children are not only more considerate towards the teachers and each other but also evince higher levels of self-esteem and discipline.
4.On what principles is the EHV programme based ?
The EHV programme is based on the five immemorial values as listed below:
Truth:That which remains unchanged irrespective of time, space, and circumstance may be termed truth. Truth is eternal and all-pervasive. Love as thought is truth. A deeper understanding of truth helps one develop one’s ability to discriminate between right and wrong; it also develops one’s sense of honesty and integrity and aids in self-reflection.
Right Conduct: Love in action is right conduct. Thoughts, words, and deeds based on the dictam of the conscience is noble conduct. Sub-values include self-confidence, good manners, forbearance, responsibility, and other social skills.
Peace:Peace is the stage in which the senses having been mastered and held in check, the ego is neutralized and desires are felt no more . It is the elevation of experiences derived from emotional equilibrium, contentment, humility, and optimism. Thus, love as feeling is peace.
Love:Love is the performing of an action without any expectation of return from others. Selflessness is the very basis of love, which is not merely an emotion but our very nature, the lifeforce that encompasses and permeates all creation. Through the teaching of compassion, devotion, sharing, and selfless service, love in children’s hearts expands from the love of the near and dear to love of all creation.
Non-violence:Non-violence is the refraining from harming others in thought, word, and deed. Love as understanding is non-violence, a universal love that embraces all beings and things, living and non-living. Non-violence encompasses cooperation, respect for diversity, and the understanding of the underlying unity of all life.
5. How are the human values taught?
These values are explored both through interactive teaching methods as well as through contemplative practices. On the whole, these activities enable children to develop positive attitudes and raise their levels of self-awareness and creativity, while, at the same time, having a calm effect on them. Some of the techniques used are listed below:
1.Silent sitting:
Silent sitting requires sitting quietly with a straight back on a bench or chair or on the floor. The eyes are closed and the breathing is slow and steady. This time of meditation provides the children with the resources to experience their inner selves, thereby increasing their ability to learn, to create, and to sustain a sense of equanimity and well-being.
2.Prayers/Quotations:
Prayers and quotations from universally respected sources of wisdom not only serve as reminders of positive attitudes and noble ideals but also serve to inspire children to emulate the same.
3. Story telling:
Stories are the bedrock of value inculcation in the EHV system. Stories of honourable deeds, inspirational accomplishments, and eminent role models stimulate children’s vision of personal and social excellence. These stories are drawn from all corners of the globe and serve also as reminders of the rich cross-cultural heritage of the world.
4. Group Singing:
Singing together engenders a feeling of joy and unity, and the power of music stimulates cognitive and emotional development and develops an appreciation for beauty. Songs used in group singing classes emphasize the universal message of love and the other human values.
5. Group Activities:
Various activities such as role playing, dramatizations, discussions, and service, provide a rich source of experience for children to draw inspiration from and also to introspect and evaluate themselves.
The culmination of each lesson is the life application exercise, where children are given the opportunity to practise the values in all facets of their daily lives. The culmination of each lesson is the life application exercise, where children are given the opportunity to practise the values in all facets of their daily lives.
6. Who implements the programme?
The implementation and the eventual success, of the programme is dependent upon a partnership that involves teachers, parents, and the children.
The teachers, as moral leaders, must themselves be practitioners of the values they teach and must strive to bring about with their own example the transformation in the hearts of the children. Parents, as the primary moulders of the character of their children, must be fully aware of both the EHV programmes components and objectives, and also of the fact that their participation is essential to the reinforcement of the values at home.
History of the EHV programme
The EHV programme is the brainchild of the great educator, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. According to whom violence, despair, and fear are present in the world due to the absence of human values. In order to awaken these values in the hearts and minds of children, Sai Baba established an educational system whose methods would be applicable in the teaching of all students, whether they belong to a primary school or to a University. This educational system place a great emphasis on the development of character as on the acquisition of skills and knowledge. The universal nature of EHV is demonstrated by its enthusiastic reception in many countries and communities all over the world where it has been implemented in both private and public educational institutions, youth service agencies, and community based groups.
Methods of teaching human values
1. Mind Map
2. Quietening / Focusing the Mind
3. Quotation / Affirmation
4. Story Telling
5. Group Singing and Music
6. Group Activities
7. Creative Visualization
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