A value is an enduring belief a specific mode of conduct that is personally and socially preferable.. The present education system lacks clear objectives and is much examination oriented, because of which the value education receives little attention while teaching a subject. As a result students are misguided and illusioned which leads to frustration, distress, despair, anxiety and other union activities. In views of formalists values should be taught through a compulsory core –course. Whenever the value education is taught through formal method a question eventually provokes in our minds whether values should be taught or caught? In the opinion of behaviourists values are caught through exemplary behaviours, indirect suggestions, and participative experience in value actions, emulative models and impressionistic influence. The value education can be imparted by implementing the following strategies:
- Focusing on for value clarification through instructional objectives.
- Value integration through curriculum
- Education for caring impulse
Children learn more by what they see than what they hear. They catch values from those who practice them. It is easy for them to follow foot prints than advice. Life skills are being imbibed naturally through value education which helps in developing self awareness, decision making critical thinking, creative thinking, interpersonal communication, empathy and problem solving. The increase in cynism has brought to focus the need of inculcating a forceful tool for the cultivation of moral, social and ethical values in young children and society. The most appropriate places are the educational institutions where value education becomes realistic and the children concrete their role towards positive personal values, social values, behavioral values, moral and spiritual values. Teachers act as a catalyst who can touch, and transform young minds. The entire personality of the teacher is a reflection on the minds of the students. Teacher’s basic actions, attitudes, tastes and mannerism have great influence on students. Their virtues are unconsciously imbibed and adopted by the students. Punctual teacher need not to tell students to be punctual. Principal honoring fellow teachers and peons is ultimately teaching lessons of honoring human beings. Discipline is not only obedience but also self control beyond freedom and social progress. Psychologically indiscipline is a defect in character which includes anxiety over life and alters related causes which cause students unrest, disturbances, depression and in security. Value education helps us not only in self evaluation but in self drive too. Values are considered as potent determinants of human behavior. An educated person without values has mere thoughts which remain stagnant and never flow in action. Life of today’s student is eaten up by unresolved tensions, conflicts and violence. There is a widespread spectrum of kaleidoscopic, dissension and conflict, misery, hypocrisy and degradation of minds, moral and relations. As the children are growing up with weak attachments, little empathy and respect for law and order and civility, it becomes a crucial role of teachers that they should impart value education by engaging themselves physically, emotionally, intellectually and morally with children.
As Social Psychologist Williard W.Hartup commented:
“A child effectiveness in dealing with the social world emerges largely from experience in close relationships.”
Positive reinforcement is a miraculous tool which guarantees improvement. The value education which is practiced and reinforced definitely pays off. A pat on the back or light rumours in the class does wonders. It is important to instill in children a respect for authority and a sense of obligation to comply with social rules. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s leaders of the people whom we look to as ethical leaders to uphold cultural and living standards and develop systems that help others behave ethically and socially responsible.
I personally give a lot of importance to character building and always remember that I’m being observed meticulously by my student everyday. The value education aims to attain self actualization .It is important for us to know that in sequence of learning there are four steps to attain self actualization which can only make a man of values i.e
to know…, to do…., to believe and to become
A river cannot rise above its source, so also those who teach values cannot do so unless they themselves hold these high
