Putting back values in Education!

While technological advances are wont to throw up all kinds of questions about pedagogical practices and the evolution of the learning environment, the role of values in education gets far less attention. This seems strange, given that developing a basic set of values has always been a cornerstone of a students’ education.

So what kinds of values should teachers help students to develop, and how can they do so without coming across as preachers more than they do educators?

To decide, an educator would first need to consider context: students now live in a fully globalized world in which more people than ever are connected via the web. One of the significant results of this greater communication and access to advanced technology is the deluge of information we receive – news, entertainment, opinions, advertisements and so on. How are young minds to cope with all this stimulation? Are they properly equipped to cope with it at all?

Values in education can help ensure that they are.

Even though the world changes rapidly, the values that students need to develop are actually not really much different to those that were taught in bygone generations. It is just the application of those values in education that has changed.

Showing respect to others, for instance, or caring for the environment are just as important as they ever were – and maybe even more so – but they are now applicable in a variety of new ways. For example:
Teaching students to be respectful of others can now be applied to their behavior online as well as off-line. Students should understand the importance of acting responsibly and respectfully when using forums, social media, or mobile devices.
Similarly, good citizenship can now be equally applied to practicing good digital citizenship, whereby students learn to avoid the misuse of information or to acknowledge and respect others’ right to peace and privacy.
Showing tolerance and understanding to those less fortunate. The escalating refugee crises is challenging both communities and schools to integrate people in a respectful and sustainable way. School is the ideal place to start teaching the correct values towards refugees and develop understanding of different cultures around the world.