Education agenda is one of the main schemas for every political party in Bangladesh as well as many countries across the world. This agenda is always politicized by the politicians and the party. It is good news for Bangladesh that recently the Chairman of the National Education Policy- 2009 Formulation Committee Prof. Kabir Chowdhury handed over the final draft of a new education policy to the Education Ministry Nurul Islam Nahid.
Various media reported that since the independence of Bangladesh, successive governments have formed at least eight education commissions including Dr. Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission 1972. The new education policy is one of the important agendas for the ruling government that included in the election manifesto. Awami League affirmed before the election that enrollment at the primary level of education would be raised to 100% by 2010, and education up to the level of bachelor’s degree would be made free in phase, while health care for all would be ensured by 2013. Of course, the forming of the education committee was a noble initiative for the government as well for the nation. Besides, the Sheikh Hasina government also increased the education budget 2009-2010 than any other years.
As we can see that Bangladesh education sector has been going through its chronic problems, such as quality education policy, quality of education-contents, relevance of curriculum, quality of teachers, lack of quality teacher’s training and teaching methods, school buildings and safety, accountability, effective local and national assessment tools, inadequate research funds and institutions, lack of quality educational leaders, and lack of partnership with stakeholders (student-teachers-parents-other stakeholders partnership).
It is affirmative indication that the proposed education policy 2009 incorporated the general education and Madras education, which will enable to solve a long-time multi-dimension educational practice in Bangladesh. The Sheikh Hasina administration also has emphasized educating Madrassa students on general and vocational curricula alongside religious education to bring up a skilled population for the nation.
The committee widely proposed and modified the curricula and years of studies in primary and high school levels. Besides, the committee has emphasized vocational education in the proposed policy according to the needs of the nation. However, the committee has excluded some of the vital elements, such as promoting volunteerism, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution. If we research on the last 37 years of Bangladesh education, then we can ask questions on the quality of education that the primary and higher educational institutions have been providing to the nation! What kind of education the elderly people have received? What kind of education the children have been getting from the schools and colleges/universities in the present day? People’s negative, destructive, unproductive, unprofessional, unskilled, and unethical behavior and attitudes, and actions could be the most important elements in order to justify the outcomes of the education.
A holistic education policy implementation is most essential in the reality of Bangladesh. Every students need to be developed their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual growth. The education policy must acknowledge and emphasize the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and psychological needs of young children from the beginning of its establishment and this will continue to foster growth in each child. Besides promoting skill-based education, the policy must encourage children to learn and nurture the social and cultural values, integrity, tolerate, respect and love others, service to others, and to be a responsible person. The students can learn all these good values from schools.
Early age is the best learning stage of every child. What the children learn at the early age they remember and practice them at a later age. The modern educational institution’s main goal is to nourish and develop each child’s spiritual, physical, emotional, social, academic growth and knowledge, and skill. The school focuses on the growth of the whole person. Education should emphasize the great products and discoveries the human mind. Curriculum should help students clarify their beliefs and values and thus achieve commitment and dedication to guide their lives. To achieve the goals the school works closely with every student and develops a strong relationship and partnership with all parents and stakeholders to make the school effectiveness and productive. If there are quality education policy for the primary and high school levels and thus implement effectively, then the students can develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for a productive life to go to higher education or to serve the community, nation, and world.
For example, in addition to the final exam in the end of the 12th grade (high school), the government can adopt 100 hours volunteer service in the education policy. Every student must complete his/her 100 hours volunteer service to the community through various organizations/social clubs in order to achieve the high school certificate. This service will enable every student to be involved in social activities. They could see deeply the social problems, social needs, their responsibility to the community. This exposure can enrich their knowledge to analyze the problem, learning to think effectively, and promote ability to critical thinking in solving the community problems. This would also increase the young volunteerism and help them become socially responsible and care giver citizens.
Of course, the specific contents such as, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution are very important to include in the primary and high curriculum. Numerous researches have shown that Bangladesh is one of the countries that by next 20 years Bangladesh will be highly affected by the climate change. As the school is the social institution and it is the right place to teach children about environmental issues and teach them how to take care the earth. Indeed, children can learn about their health and nutrition in school. In order to be a healthy person, children must know what they should eat, how to eat healthy food, what kind of nutrition in the food, and what food is important for their body. It has impression that healthy student, healthy think, and healthy student become good student. The same way, children also can get lessons to develop skills in conflict resolution and to promote character/moral life education in the early age. This learning is for life-long that would help student’s daily life and to the later workplace as well. These subjects could apply to teach according to the grade levels. It might be raised the question that who would teach these subjects? Therefore, it is very important for school’s effectiveness that the teachers must be knowledgeable, upgraded on the contents, and skilled to teach the classes. In addition, the government can create job opportunity for primary & high schools to teach health & nutrition, conflict resolution, environment, and so on. Today, the nation and the world do not need only high skilled workforce, but also need more moral developed workforce as well.
It is no doubt that the new education policy 2009 has proposed wisely excluding some of the rudiment guts that could promote a holistic person. Without promoting solid early age foundation of a child, it is impossible to build a child to absorb the digital Bangladesh and to live in the digital world. Early development of a child in a school promotes children a good/moral and productive habit, self-control, skilled, discipline life, and responsible citizen. The government should emphasis knowledge-based, skill-based and character-based education for all children equally to make the nation and the world a better place for all of us.
Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
Emails: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Saturday, January 8, 2011
What is worth knowing to be a good citizen? : Education philosophy and concept.
Since Bangladesh named in the world map upon its independent it has been published many reports and researches in various media about the country. Analyzing reports and researches period to January 11, 2007 it clearly shows that Bangladesh political leadership was failing to sustain its democracy and its development. It revealed that Bangladesh is a nation at risk and the nation in an uncertain chapter. The effects of that reflect in our every life in social and national level.
It is true that every sector in Bangladesh, especially government and other volunteer institutions in every where people are involved directly and indirectly in such unlawful, corruptions, cheating, bribe, dishonest, injustice, distrustful, stolen, selfishness, and all the distractive behaviors and activities. These kind of unethical and unlawful activities are not only government institutions but also it finds in various non-government organizations as well. Many of the not-for-profit organizations have been doing business in the name of social welfare and services. The businessmen involved in cheating and dishonest business activities to make profit that they are not following any business code of ethics and so on. People are cheating each other however they can. None of the religious in the world teaches to think and behave like this way. Some people become richest within a short period of time. The other hand, some honest people are working hard, but never reach to their certain level of living standard and safe life that they deserve for. The result is that some people are going to richer and a large number of people in the country are going to be poor and poorest. Where does the nation stand after 39 years of its independence? However, some times, the stories and talking about development by the politicians that embarrassing all people in the nation and abroad. It is very true that if there were any noble prize given by somebody then Bangladesh suppose to win that prize five times in last ten years and more, no doubt. This praise and discredit ultimately goes to political leaders and they are the responsible person and accountable for it. It is very common question may raises that what kind of human resources produce by the national responsible leaders? Or what we think about human development? We have to think and prepare our citizens not only for Bangladesh but also to be competent citizens for the world. Our citizens should compete with other citizens in the world with their values, intelligent/knowledge, skills, and morality. To be competent citizens what we need to be done and need to be learned? Where is the right place to learn?
We know family is a non-formal education institution that children learn in every day. However, there is other important education center is “school.” The school is the workshop of human development. In school there is learning environment and also there are expert and skilled professionals. Many parents are not educated, even there are so many educated parents do not spend time educating their children. Therefore, parents always depend on school learning. People always carefully listen what teachers say about their children. But if there is lack of skilled, knowledgeable, and intelligent teachers in school and lack of learning environment then what a student should learn in school? There are many reports that that teachers helped students to cheat in exams and without preparation of particular subject and topic teachers teach in the class. Teacher means thinker and researcher, our teachers are going to forget this concept. We have to be remembered that why do we learn? What things we learn? And how do we learn? It is very few teacher can be model of students that student follow them in their life long as model. The result many students have their academic certificates but in a real world what they learned and they do not know what they know exactly. So, what are the curricular in school and who teach those curriculum, it is question to our nation? Those little learning educated people and unskilled people are taking the responsibility in our social and nation and taking our nation to sink in ocean. This way the nation is wasting money, time, and wise, intelligent, skilled, and honest people are disregarded.
It is quite appreciateable that the present government established new "Education Policy 2010" within the short time of taking their power. The policy emphasized modern education, skill-based, knowledge-based, and moral-based education. It is very important to educate citizens that the goals of education mush emphasize and prioritize not only academic achievement or learning, but also to develop and implement character education curriculum, which is necessary knowledge in order to teach and learn how to be a good and responsible citizen.
A progressive educational philosophy that states that character education and ethical disposition provide the foundation for students in a democracy to be able to improve their quality of life and their ability to respect, responsible, care, and work for highest happiness. Ancient Greece philosopher Socrates’ educational philosophy clearly considered that the educated person was precisely the person who knows himself or herself and his or her limitations. Socrates defines his philosophy as a virtuous life and true knowledge, and knowledge is the matter key of virtue. Plato’s philosophy is that education is a matter of leading a person from mere belief to true knowledge. The educated person uses the dialectical process to discover true beauty, goodness, and justice. In a similar manner, Plato’s
great philosophy in education is that it is the theory of forms (idea) that will enable people to lead good and productive lives. Another ancient philosopher, Aristotle, believes that a human being, through education, cultivates the natural desire to know and comes as close as it is possible in this world to actualizing the human potential.
It is important for human beings to seek highest good that can be found in human happiness. To know the good is to do good things. An educated person unites morality and reaction to virtuous action. Dewey one of the American educational philosophers he believed that a democratic society could exist and function well only if the citizens was well-educated and contributed to the success of the society. Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy advocates an education that provides meaningful experiences those that help citizens think, solve problems, communicate ideas, and develop an interest in improving themselves for their society. They learned that life is an educational setting, learned on tolerance and patience through a cooperative learning and living environment, developed interpersonal relationships as well as developed self-esteem and self-confidence. At this point obviously, the question may rise: what does “good citizen” mean? A good citizen is basically what a moral person should be like. A moral person should be marked by honestly, self-control, friendliness, selflessness, fairness, respect, responsibility, compassion, loyalty, empathy, and a cooperative spirit.
In short, those who are moral should be good people. The school is the best social institution for children to learn to be good citizens. As Dewey believes that the school is primarily a social institution. Children come to school to learn and share their values and home experiences. School is a learning lab where children reproduce activities in such way that the children will gradually learn the meaning of the subjects and be able to interact with others with their own ideas and thoughts. The school is a community life, not an individual life. The school is the heart of social change and individual development. Many psychologists said that by birth human beings are virtuous and the potential of virtuous need to be nurtured to be actualized. Aristotle also suggests that proper education, performing good acts, and developing good habits enable a person to achieve moral excellence and become ideal citizens ready and able to perform their responsibilities as rational members of society.
Moreover, students in school need to learn civic knowledge; citizens ought to know about their rights and responsibilities. Students should know about their civic life, politics, government, political system, and the roles of citizens in constitutional democracy that each citizen is a full and equal member of a self governing community endowed with fundamental rights and entrusted with responsibilities. Citizens should understand that through their involvement in political life and in civil society, they can help to improve the quality of life in their communities and nation. Most important is knowing the civic dispositions which refer to the traits of private and public character essential to the maintenance and improvement of constitutional democracy. Traits of private character include moral responsibility, self-discipline, and respect for the worth and human dignity of every individual is imperative.
Schools must provide opportunities for students to discover what is most worth knowing, as they prepare, not only to be citizens, but also good workers and good private individuals. Therefore, schools choose to engage in character education in hope for any sort of peaceful coexistence that would allow students to learn and thrive. Character education that enhanced the universal values in an education program focused on teaching students specific universal values that help them think and behave in an ethical way, such as caring, courage, love, equality, freedom, peace and justice, generosity, hard work, honesty, kindness, tolerance, relationship building, and respect. In regards to performance, a focus is placed on teaching values, such as hard work, to provide students with a greater awareness of their skills and abilities.
School is an agent of socialization that can also be an effective way of addressing students’ needs through the development of a school environment that is focused on caring and community. Administrators and teachers must strive to establish a learning community that treats students as developing human beings rather than as commodities; an environment that emphasizes and models ethical behavior and promotes academic success. Teachers, educators, administrators, and parents need to work together in an informal manner to provide students with a caring learning environment and an interlocking support system that addresses their moral, physical, psychological, social, and academic needs. Collaboration and cooperation provide bonding, a type of social capital which promotes a sense of harmony and respect between educators and parents. It can also facilitate a sense of shared responsibility for student character development.
Character education must be integrated in the fabric of the curriculum and into extracurricular activities. To create a moral climate within schools, we must train teachers in character education, both those in pre-service and those currently in service. Recently, character education is defined by such things as: positive perception of school, emotional literacy, and social justice activism. It is also defined by being respectful, fair, tolerant, self-oriented, virtue, and self discipline.
In addition, to help students and educators construct meaningful, administrators need to have personal integrity, knowledge and understanding of the purpose of education, an understanding of the role of leadership in modern society, belief in the values of character education, a commitment to using the influence of his office constructively and productively in the service of all students and their families, and the ability to treat people fairly, equitably, and with dignity and respect. Administrators must demonstrate a personal and professional code of ethics, respecting the rights and dignity of all, and thus inspiring integrity and ethical behavior in others.
Respect and responsibility are the two foundational values that are worth knowing to be good person. Of course, many other values corresponding to be good citizens—such as honesty, fairness, tolerance, prudence, self-discipline, helpfulness, compassion, cooperation, courage, and host of democratic values. In a democracy society, patriotism does not mean my country is right or wrong, it means loyalty to the great democratic values on which the country was founded. Building on the philosophic character development understandings, it is essential that schools offer a way of thinking about character that is appropriate for the values of education that character consists of operative values, or values in action. We progress in our character as a value becomes a virtue, a reliable inner disposition to respond to situations in a morally good way. If our children and citizens can practice all these values in real life then there is possible to promote a whole developmental process of an individual. To educate children with those values every religious educations are very important. Religious institutions have a vital role for the nation. It is not necessary to teach religious education in school, rather applying and practicing character education in teaching and learning environment, when teachers teach subjects, which are belongs to religious values. In addition, religious education can be taught through each religious institutions out side the school. A morally educated persons develop relationship with God, develop strong faith on God, pray daily, respect human beings, love, care, and serve human and nature, work honestly, and be loyalty to the nation. Though private schools have certain hidden character education curriculum, question may raise- how much does it gives importance and what kind of character education curriculum apply in the private and government schools? What is most impressive is that learning to become a moral or character person, according to Lickona has three interrelated parts: character involves moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action.
A model of good character: (1) Moral Knowing: Awareness, Values, Reasoning, Decision-making, and Self-knowledge; (2) Moral Feeling: Conscience, Self-esteem, Empathy, Loving the good, and Self-control; (3) Moral Action: Citizenship, Competence Community service, Good discipline, and habit.
Good character consists of knowing the good, desiring the good, and doing the good—habits of the mind, heart, and action. All these values are very important and necessary for leading a moral life; all three make up moral maturity. A good citizen is one who knows about, cares about, and acts upon core ethically values such as respect, responsibility, fairness, compassion; values learned through the contributions of people from a variety of cultures, races, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities in the school and community.
Down through history, in countries all over the world, education has had two great goals: to help children to know and understand so that they become smart, and to help them become good people. Realizing that smart and good are not the same, wise societies since the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have made character/moral education a deliberate aim of schooling. They have educated for character as well as intellect, decency as well as literacy, virtue as well as knowledge. They have tried to form citizens who will use their intelligence to benefit others as well as themselves, who will try to build a better and just world. True education proved that character educational knowledge, skills, and ethical disposition provide the foundation for students in a democracy and improved quality of life and for life-long learners who are able to love and work. I argue that our schools and colleges/universities need to look towards creating good citizens through teaching character education as regular part of the curriculum in order to help students and teachers in the decision-making process of any dilemma. It is important and essential to know the elements of good character and to bring them in action. Our nation needs good citizens and good leaders to establish a democratic society and nation.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
It is true that every sector in Bangladesh, especially government and other volunteer institutions in every where people are involved directly and indirectly in such unlawful, corruptions, cheating, bribe, dishonest, injustice, distrustful, stolen, selfishness, and all the distractive behaviors and activities. These kind of unethical and unlawful activities are not only government institutions but also it finds in various non-government organizations as well. Many of the not-for-profit organizations have been doing business in the name of social welfare and services. The businessmen involved in cheating and dishonest business activities to make profit that they are not following any business code of ethics and so on. People are cheating each other however they can. None of the religious in the world teaches to think and behave like this way. Some people become richest within a short period of time. The other hand, some honest people are working hard, but never reach to their certain level of living standard and safe life that they deserve for. The result is that some people are going to richer and a large number of people in the country are going to be poor and poorest. Where does the nation stand after 39 years of its independence? However, some times, the stories and talking about development by the politicians that embarrassing all people in the nation and abroad. It is very true that if there were any noble prize given by somebody then Bangladesh suppose to win that prize five times in last ten years and more, no doubt. This praise and discredit ultimately goes to political leaders and they are the responsible person and accountable for it. It is very common question may raises that what kind of human resources produce by the national responsible leaders? Or what we think about human development? We have to think and prepare our citizens not only for Bangladesh but also to be competent citizens for the world. Our citizens should compete with other citizens in the world with their values, intelligent/knowledge, skills, and morality. To be competent citizens what we need to be done and need to be learned? Where is the right place to learn?
We know family is a non-formal education institution that children learn in every day. However, there is other important education center is “school.” The school is the workshop of human development. In school there is learning environment and also there are expert and skilled professionals. Many parents are not educated, even there are so many educated parents do not spend time educating their children. Therefore, parents always depend on school learning. People always carefully listen what teachers say about their children. But if there is lack of skilled, knowledgeable, and intelligent teachers in school and lack of learning environment then what a student should learn in school? There are many reports that that teachers helped students to cheat in exams and without preparation of particular subject and topic teachers teach in the class. Teacher means thinker and researcher, our teachers are going to forget this concept. We have to be remembered that why do we learn? What things we learn? And how do we learn? It is very few teacher can be model of students that student follow them in their life long as model. The result many students have their academic certificates but in a real world what they learned and they do not know what they know exactly. So, what are the curricular in school and who teach those curriculum, it is question to our nation? Those little learning educated people and unskilled people are taking the responsibility in our social and nation and taking our nation to sink in ocean. This way the nation is wasting money, time, and wise, intelligent, skilled, and honest people are disregarded.
It is quite appreciateable that the present government established new "Education Policy 2010" within the short time of taking their power. The policy emphasized modern education, skill-based, knowledge-based, and moral-based education. It is very important to educate citizens that the goals of education mush emphasize and prioritize not only academic achievement or learning, but also to develop and implement character education curriculum, which is necessary knowledge in order to teach and learn how to be a good and responsible citizen.
A progressive educational philosophy that states that character education and ethical disposition provide the foundation for students in a democracy to be able to improve their quality of life and their ability to respect, responsible, care, and work for highest happiness. Ancient Greece philosopher Socrates’ educational philosophy clearly considered that the educated person was precisely the person who knows himself or herself and his or her limitations. Socrates defines his philosophy as a virtuous life and true knowledge, and knowledge is the matter key of virtue. Plato’s philosophy is that education is a matter of leading a person from mere belief to true knowledge. The educated person uses the dialectical process to discover true beauty, goodness, and justice. In a similar manner, Plato’s
great philosophy in education is that it is the theory of forms (idea) that will enable people to lead good and productive lives. Another ancient philosopher, Aristotle, believes that a human being, through education, cultivates the natural desire to know and comes as close as it is possible in this world to actualizing the human potential.
It is important for human beings to seek highest good that can be found in human happiness. To know the good is to do good things. An educated person unites morality and reaction to virtuous action. Dewey one of the American educational philosophers he believed that a democratic society could exist and function well only if the citizens was well-educated and contributed to the success of the society. Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy advocates an education that provides meaningful experiences those that help citizens think, solve problems, communicate ideas, and develop an interest in improving themselves for their society. They learned that life is an educational setting, learned on tolerance and patience through a cooperative learning and living environment, developed interpersonal relationships as well as developed self-esteem and self-confidence. At this point obviously, the question may rise: what does “good citizen” mean? A good citizen is basically what a moral person should be like. A moral person should be marked by honestly, self-control, friendliness, selflessness, fairness, respect, responsibility, compassion, loyalty, empathy, and a cooperative spirit.
In short, those who are moral should be good people. The school is the best social institution for children to learn to be good citizens. As Dewey believes that the school is primarily a social institution. Children come to school to learn and share their values and home experiences. School is a learning lab where children reproduce activities in such way that the children will gradually learn the meaning of the subjects and be able to interact with others with their own ideas and thoughts. The school is a community life, not an individual life. The school is the heart of social change and individual development. Many psychologists said that by birth human beings are virtuous and the potential of virtuous need to be nurtured to be actualized. Aristotle also suggests that proper education, performing good acts, and developing good habits enable a person to achieve moral excellence and become ideal citizens ready and able to perform their responsibilities as rational members of society.
Moreover, students in school need to learn civic knowledge; citizens ought to know about their rights and responsibilities. Students should know about their civic life, politics, government, political system, and the roles of citizens in constitutional democracy that each citizen is a full and equal member of a self governing community endowed with fundamental rights and entrusted with responsibilities. Citizens should understand that through their involvement in political life and in civil society, they can help to improve the quality of life in their communities and nation. Most important is knowing the civic dispositions which refer to the traits of private and public character essential to the maintenance and improvement of constitutional democracy. Traits of private character include moral responsibility, self-discipline, and respect for the worth and human dignity of every individual is imperative.
Schools must provide opportunities for students to discover what is most worth knowing, as they prepare, not only to be citizens, but also good workers and good private individuals. Therefore, schools choose to engage in character education in hope for any sort of peaceful coexistence that would allow students to learn and thrive. Character education that enhanced the universal values in an education program focused on teaching students specific universal values that help them think and behave in an ethical way, such as caring, courage, love, equality, freedom, peace and justice, generosity, hard work, honesty, kindness, tolerance, relationship building, and respect. In regards to performance, a focus is placed on teaching values, such as hard work, to provide students with a greater awareness of their skills and abilities.
School is an agent of socialization that can also be an effective way of addressing students’ needs through the development of a school environment that is focused on caring and community. Administrators and teachers must strive to establish a learning community that treats students as developing human beings rather than as commodities; an environment that emphasizes and models ethical behavior and promotes academic success. Teachers, educators, administrators, and parents need to work together in an informal manner to provide students with a caring learning environment and an interlocking support system that addresses their moral, physical, psychological, social, and academic needs. Collaboration and cooperation provide bonding, a type of social capital which promotes a sense of harmony and respect between educators and parents. It can also facilitate a sense of shared responsibility for student character development.
Character education must be integrated in the fabric of the curriculum and into extracurricular activities. To create a moral climate within schools, we must train teachers in character education, both those in pre-service and those currently in service. Recently, character education is defined by such things as: positive perception of school, emotional literacy, and social justice activism. It is also defined by being respectful, fair, tolerant, self-oriented, virtue, and self discipline.
In addition, to help students and educators construct meaningful, administrators need to have personal integrity, knowledge and understanding of the purpose of education, an understanding of the role of leadership in modern society, belief in the values of character education, a commitment to using the influence of his office constructively and productively in the service of all students and their families, and the ability to treat people fairly, equitably, and with dignity and respect. Administrators must demonstrate a personal and professional code of ethics, respecting the rights and dignity of all, and thus inspiring integrity and ethical behavior in others.
Respect and responsibility are the two foundational values that are worth knowing to be good person. Of course, many other values corresponding to be good citizens—such as honesty, fairness, tolerance, prudence, self-discipline, helpfulness, compassion, cooperation, courage, and host of democratic values. In a democracy society, patriotism does not mean my country is right or wrong, it means loyalty to the great democratic values on which the country was founded. Building on the philosophic character development understandings, it is essential that schools offer a way of thinking about character that is appropriate for the values of education that character consists of operative values, or values in action. We progress in our character as a value becomes a virtue, a reliable inner disposition to respond to situations in a morally good way. If our children and citizens can practice all these values in real life then there is possible to promote a whole developmental process of an individual. To educate children with those values every religious educations are very important. Religious institutions have a vital role for the nation. It is not necessary to teach religious education in school, rather applying and practicing character education in teaching and learning environment, when teachers teach subjects, which are belongs to religious values. In addition, religious education can be taught through each religious institutions out side the school. A morally educated persons develop relationship with God, develop strong faith on God, pray daily, respect human beings, love, care, and serve human and nature, work honestly, and be loyalty to the nation. Though private schools have certain hidden character education curriculum, question may raise- how much does it gives importance and what kind of character education curriculum apply in the private and government schools? What is most impressive is that learning to become a moral or character person, according to Lickona has three interrelated parts: character involves moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral action.
A model of good character: (1) Moral Knowing: Awareness, Values, Reasoning, Decision-making, and Self-knowledge; (2) Moral Feeling: Conscience, Self-esteem, Empathy, Loving the good, and Self-control; (3) Moral Action: Citizenship, Competence Community service, Good discipline, and habit.
Good character consists of knowing the good, desiring the good, and doing the good—habits of the mind, heart, and action. All these values are very important and necessary for leading a moral life; all three make up moral maturity. A good citizen is one who knows about, cares about, and acts upon core ethically values such as respect, responsibility, fairness, compassion; values learned through the contributions of people from a variety of cultures, races, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities in the school and community.
Down through history, in countries all over the world, education has had two great goals: to help children to know and understand so that they become smart, and to help them become good people. Realizing that smart and good are not the same, wise societies since the time of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have made character/moral education a deliberate aim of schooling. They have educated for character as well as intellect, decency as well as literacy, virtue as well as knowledge. They have tried to form citizens who will use their intelligence to benefit others as well as themselves, who will try to build a better and just world. True education proved that character educational knowledge, skills, and ethical disposition provide the foundation for students in a democracy and improved quality of life and for life-long learners who are able to love and work. I argue that our schools and colleges/universities need to look towards creating good citizens through teaching character education as regular part of the curriculum in order to help students and teachers in the decision-making process of any dilemma. It is important and essential to know the elements of good character and to bring them in action. Our nation needs good citizens and good leaders to establish a democratic society and nation.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Education policy must consider promoting a holistic individual.
Education agenda is one of the main schemas for every political party in Bangladesh as well as many countries across the world. This agenda always politicizes by the politicians and the party. It is good news for Bangladesh that recently the Chairman of the National Education Policy- 2009 Formulation Committee Prof. Kabir Chowdhury handed over the final draft of the policy to the Education Ministry Nurul Islam Nahid. The various media reported that since the independence of Bangladesh, successive governments have formed at least eight-education commissions including Dr. Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission 1972. The new education policy is one of the important agendas for the ruling government that included in the election manifesto. AL affirmed before the election that enrolment at the primary level of education would be raised to 100% by 2010, and education up to the level of bachelor’s degree would be made free in phase, while healthcare for all would be ensured by 2013. Of course, the education committee forming was a noble initiative for the government as well for the nation. Besides, Sheikh Hasina administration also increased the education budget 2009-2010 than any other years.
As we can see that Bangladesh education sector has been going through its chronic problems, such as quality education policy, quality of education-contents, relevance of curriculum, quality of teachers, lack of quality teacher’s training and teaching methods, school buildings and safety, accountability, effective local and national assessment tools, inadequate research funds and institutions, lack of quality educational leaders, and lack of partnership with stakeholders (student-teachers-parents-other stakeholders partnership).
It is affirmative indication that the proposed education policy 2009 incorporated the general education and Madras education, which will enable to solve a long-time multi-dimension educational practice in Bangladesh. The Sheikh Hasina administration also has emphasized educating Madras students on general and vocational curricula alongside religious education to bring up a skilled population for the nation. As Sheikh Hasina has declared the “Change for Charter for building a digital Bangladesh by 2021” then without promoting quality education and skilled population, there would be no alternative to achieve the goal to build a digital Bangladesh. There are many evidences find through out the world that many countries probed that quality education policy produced knowledgeable and skilled population who contributed to build the nation and developed a democratic structure in the nation.
The committee widely proposed and modified the curricula and years of studies in primary and high school levels. Besides, the committee has emphasized vocational education in the proposed policy according to the needs of the nation. However, the committee has excluded some of the vital elements, such as promoting volunteerism, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution. If we research on the last 37 years of Bangladesh education, then we could ask question on the quality of education that the primary through higher educational institutions have been providing to the nation! What kind of education the elderly people have received? What kind of education the children have been getting from the schools and colleges/universities in the present day? People’s negative, destructive, unproductive, unprofessional, unskilled, and unethical behavior and attitudes, and actions could be the most important elements in order to justify the outcomes of the education.
To read, write, and arithmetic educational philosophy is not sufficient education for Bangladesh. A holistic education policy implementation is most essential in the reality of Bangladesh. Every students need to be developed their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual growth. The education policy must acknowledge and emphasizes the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and psychological needs of young children from the beginning of its establishment and this will continue to foster growth in each child. Besides promoting skill-based education, the policy must encourage children to learn and nurture the social and cultural values, integrity, tolerate, respect and love others, service to others, and to be a responsible person. The students can learn all these good values from schools.
Early age is the best learning stage of every child. What the children learn at the early age they remember it and they practice at the later age. The modern educational institution’s main goal is to nourish and develop each child’s spiritual, physical, emotional, social, academic growth and knowledge, and skill. The school focuses on the growth of the whole person. Education should emphasize the great products and discoveries the human mind. Curriculum should help students clarify their beliefs and values and thus achieve commitment and dedication to guide their lives. To achieve the goals the school works closely with every student and develops a strong relationship and partnership with all parents and stakeholders to make the school effectiveness and productive. If there are quality education policy for the primary and high school levels and thus implement effectively, then the students can develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for a productive life to go to higher education or to serve the community, nation, and world.
For example, in addition to the final exam in the end of the 12th grade (high school), the government can adopt 100 hours volunteer service in the education policy that every student must complete his/her 100 hours volunteer service to the community through various organizations/social clubs in order to achieve the high school certificate. This service will enable every student to involve in the social activities. They could see deeply the social problems, social needs, their responsibility to the community and nation. This exposure can enrich their knowledge to analysis the problem, learning to think effectively, and promote ability to critical thinking in solving the community problems. This would also increase the young volunteerism and help them become socially responsible and care giver citizens.
Of course, the specific contents such as, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution are very important to include in the primary and high curriculum. Numerous researches have shown that Bangladesh is one of the countries that by next 20 years Bangladesh will be highly affected by the climate change. As the school is the social institution and it is the right place to teach children about environmental issues and teach them how to take care the earth. Indeed, children can learn about their health and nutrition in school. In order to be healthy persons, children must know what they eat, how to eat healthy food, what kind of nutrition in the food, and what food is important for their body. It has impression that healthy student, healthy think, and healthy student become good student. The same way, children also can get lessons to develop skills in conflict resolution and to promote character/moral life education in the early age. This learning is for life-long that would help student’s daily life and to the later workplace as well. These subjects could apply to teach according to the grade levels. It might be raised the question that who would teach these subjects? Therefore, it is very important for school’s effectiveness that the teachers must be knowledgeable, upgraded on the contents, and skilled to teach the classes. In addition, the government can create job opportunity for primary & high schools to teach health & nutrition, conflict resolution, environment, and so on. Today, the nation and the world do not need only high skilled workforce, but also need more moral developed workforce as well.
It is no doubt that the new education policy 2009 has proposed wisely excluding some of the rudiment guts that could promote a holistic person. Without promoting solid early age foundation of a child, it is impossible to build a child to absorb the digital Bangladesh and to live in the digital world. Early development of a child in a school promotes children a good/moral and productive habit, self-control, skilled, discipline life, and responsible citizen. Education policy and government should emphasis knowledge-based, skill-based and character-based driven education for all children equally to make the nation and the world a better place for all of us.
(Writer is a specialist in Educational Administration & Policy Studies; Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, and Freelance Journalist)
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com or Gomes@cua.edu
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
As we can see that Bangladesh education sector has been going through its chronic problems, such as quality education policy, quality of education-contents, relevance of curriculum, quality of teachers, lack of quality teacher’s training and teaching methods, school buildings and safety, accountability, effective local and national assessment tools, inadequate research funds and institutions, lack of quality educational leaders, and lack of partnership with stakeholders (student-teachers-parents-other stakeholders partnership).
It is affirmative indication that the proposed education policy 2009 incorporated the general education and Madras education, which will enable to solve a long-time multi-dimension educational practice in Bangladesh. The Sheikh Hasina administration also has emphasized educating Madras students on general and vocational curricula alongside religious education to bring up a skilled population for the nation. As Sheikh Hasina has declared the “Change for Charter for building a digital Bangladesh by 2021” then without promoting quality education and skilled population, there would be no alternative to achieve the goal to build a digital Bangladesh. There are many evidences find through out the world that many countries probed that quality education policy produced knowledgeable and skilled population who contributed to build the nation and developed a democratic structure in the nation.
The committee widely proposed and modified the curricula and years of studies in primary and high school levels. Besides, the committee has emphasized vocational education in the proposed policy according to the needs of the nation. However, the committee has excluded some of the vital elements, such as promoting volunteerism, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution. If we research on the last 37 years of Bangladesh education, then we could ask question on the quality of education that the primary through higher educational institutions have been providing to the nation! What kind of education the elderly people have received? What kind of education the children have been getting from the schools and colleges/universities in the present day? People’s negative, destructive, unproductive, unprofessional, unskilled, and unethical behavior and attitudes, and actions could be the most important elements in order to justify the outcomes of the education.
To read, write, and arithmetic educational philosophy is not sufficient education for Bangladesh. A holistic education policy implementation is most essential in the reality of Bangladesh. Every students need to be developed their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual growth. The education policy must acknowledge and emphasizes the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and psychological needs of young children from the beginning of its establishment and this will continue to foster growth in each child. Besides promoting skill-based education, the policy must encourage children to learn and nurture the social and cultural values, integrity, tolerate, respect and love others, service to others, and to be a responsible person. The students can learn all these good values from schools.
Early age is the best learning stage of every child. What the children learn at the early age they remember it and they practice at the later age. The modern educational institution’s main goal is to nourish and develop each child’s spiritual, physical, emotional, social, academic growth and knowledge, and skill. The school focuses on the growth of the whole person. Education should emphasize the great products and discoveries the human mind. Curriculum should help students clarify their beliefs and values and thus achieve commitment and dedication to guide their lives. To achieve the goals the school works closely with every student and develops a strong relationship and partnership with all parents and stakeholders to make the school effectiveness and productive. If there are quality education policy for the primary and high school levels and thus implement effectively, then the students can develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for a productive life to go to higher education or to serve the community, nation, and world.
For example, in addition to the final exam in the end of the 12th grade (high school), the government can adopt 100 hours volunteer service in the education policy that every student must complete his/her 100 hours volunteer service to the community through various organizations/social clubs in order to achieve the high school certificate. This service will enable every student to involve in the social activities. They could see deeply the social problems, social needs, their responsibility to the community and nation. This exposure can enrich their knowledge to analysis the problem, learning to think effectively, and promote ability to critical thinking in solving the community problems. This would also increase the young volunteerism and help them become socially responsible and care giver citizens.
Of course, the specific contents such as, environmental studies, health and nutrition, character education, and conflict resolution are very important to include in the primary and high curriculum. Numerous researches have shown that Bangladesh is one of the countries that by next 20 years Bangladesh will be highly affected by the climate change. As the school is the social institution and it is the right place to teach children about environmental issues and teach them how to take care the earth. Indeed, children can learn about their health and nutrition in school. In order to be healthy persons, children must know what they eat, how to eat healthy food, what kind of nutrition in the food, and what food is important for their body. It has impression that healthy student, healthy think, and healthy student become good student. The same way, children also can get lessons to develop skills in conflict resolution and to promote character/moral life education in the early age. This learning is for life-long that would help student’s daily life and to the later workplace as well. These subjects could apply to teach according to the grade levels. It might be raised the question that who would teach these subjects? Therefore, it is very important for school’s effectiveness that the teachers must be knowledgeable, upgraded on the contents, and skilled to teach the classes. In addition, the government can create job opportunity for primary & high schools to teach health & nutrition, conflict resolution, environment, and so on. Today, the nation and the world do not need only high skilled workforce, but also need more moral developed workforce as well.
It is no doubt that the new education policy 2009 has proposed wisely excluding some of the rudiment guts that could promote a holistic person. Without promoting solid early age foundation of a child, it is impossible to build a child to absorb the digital Bangladesh and to live in the digital world. Early development of a child in a school promotes children a good/moral and productive habit, self-control, skilled, discipline life, and responsible citizen. Education policy and government should emphasis knowledge-based, skill-based and character-based driven education for all children equally to make the nation and the world a better place for all of us.
(Writer is a specialist in Educational Administration & Policy Studies; Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, and Freelance Journalist)
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com or Gomes@cua.edu
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Pope John Paul II’s Life and Legacy.
When the day appears of April 2 the day Pope John Paul II died in 2005, it reminds us his legacy and holy life style spent in his longest pontificate period of time. Pope John Paul II is the only leader who kissed the ground when he arrived any country. During his pontificate the Pope visited more than 100 countries and he showed the world to love people and mother earth. Every person is connected with the ground and John Paul II had a sense of feelings of loving people and nature of this earth.
John Paul II was a leader wherever he traveled, he spoke against war, fascism, communism, dictatorship, materialism, abortion, relativism, unrestrained capitalism, divorce, and what he deemed the culture of death. He is often credited as one of the non-political forces, which contributed to collapse communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Pope John Paul II never compromised with any war and injustice during this long time papacy. His powerful message was that war can not bring peace on this earth. His legacies were to love, serve, forgiveness, faithful to God that will the world more peaceful and livable.
At the beginning of his papacy and in the new year of 1979, the first message for the world of peace, he said, “To reach peace, teach peace.” John Paul II encouraged and inspired people to ask and grant forgiveness because it is by its nature, liberating. Forgiveness, in its truest and highest form, it is a free act of love. But, precisely because it is an act of love, it has its own intrinsic demands, which is respect for the truth.
John Paul II’s insight was very powerful to the young people. Still today, millions of people throughout the world, especially young people, can not forget his love, care, and wisdom that he showed to the world. His one of the legacies of “Youth Day” celebration that has positively inspired young people and showed them the light of life, and new hope of their gift of life.
John Paul II’s messages and his blessings brought positive changes to the inner life of many young people across the world. He said, “The youth are the hope and future of not just the Church, but also the world.” He knew and understood deeply that youth can change the world positively. Youth have talent, strength, spirit, and power. He constantly said that, “Youth is a marvelous gift of God. It is a time of special energies, special opportunities, and special responsibilities; Christ and the Church need your special talents. Use all the gifts the Lord has given you.”
In order to emphasize youth life, in March, 1985 he wrote in his Dilecti Amici that, “In you there is hope, for you belong to the future, just as the future belongs to you.” Today, every nation needs smart, skilled, dedicated, committed, morally good young people and leaders who can make a difference, make a better nation and world. Every young people can be a role model being enlightened themselves. As John Paul II said that, “God wants you … All of you … to be light to the world, as only young people can be light. It is time to let your light shine! It is the time for action is now.” The legacy of Pope John John Paul II will always inspire and teach us what we suppose to do for our life, the lives of others, and for the nature of the world.
Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
John Paul II was a leader wherever he traveled, he spoke against war, fascism, communism, dictatorship, materialism, abortion, relativism, unrestrained capitalism, divorce, and what he deemed the culture of death. He is often credited as one of the non-political forces, which contributed to collapse communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Pope John Paul II never compromised with any war and injustice during this long time papacy. His powerful message was that war can not bring peace on this earth. His legacies were to love, serve, forgiveness, faithful to God that will the world more peaceful and livable.
At the beginning of his papacy and in the new year of 1979, the first message for the world of peace, he said, “To reach peace, teach peace.” John Paul II encouraged and inspired people to ask and grant forgiveness because it is by its nature, liberating. Forgiveness, in its truest and highest form, it is a free act of love. But, precisely because it is an act of love, it has its own intrinsic demands, which is respect for the truth.
John Paul II’s insight was very powerful to the young people. Still today, millions of people throughout the world, especially young people, can not forget his love, care, and wisdom that he showed to the world. His one of the legacies of “Youth Day” celebration that has positively inspired young people and showed them the light of life, and new hope of their gift of life.
John Paul II’s messages and his blessings brought positive changes to the inner life of many young people across the world. He said, “The youth are the hope and future of not just the Church, but also the world.” He knew and understood deeply that youth can change the world positively. Youth have talent, strength, spirit, and power. He constantly said that, “Youth is a marvelous gift of God. It is a time of special energies, special opportunities, and special responsibilities; Christ and the Church need your special talents. Use all the gifts the Lord has given you.”
In order to emphasize youth life, in March, 1985 he wrote in his Dilecti Amici that, “In you there is hope, for you belong to the future, just as the future belongs to you.” Today, every nation needs smart, skilled, dedicated, committed, morally good young people and leaders who can make a difference, make a better nation and world. Every young people can be a role model being enlightened themselves. As John Paul II said that, “God wants you … All of you … to be light to the world, as only young people can be light. It is time to let your light shine! It is the time for action is now.” The legacy of Pope John John Paul II will always inspire and teach us what we suppose to do for our life, the lives of others, and for the nature of the world.
Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
Intercultural Exposure Enhances Global Understanding.
When I think and talk about intercultural experiences I recall the greatest poet and Asia’s first Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore once who wrote that, “all human beings are by nature twice-born. First, they are born to their home and then, for their fulfillment, they have to be born to the larger world.” Yes indeed, when a person lives in a country, never expose outside the country, does not want to know what is going on outside the world, then the person thinks that surrounding of the place where the person lives is the world looks a like as what he/she sees. There is nothing larger than where he is! It limits everything. However, when the person exposes himself/herself in outside the world in various cultures and nature, the person interacts with different humans, and sees the beauty of the world then it gives a different conceptual understanding about the world and human beings. Intercultural exposures and education in various nations/societies open inner mind and heart. It allows viewing the world differently and helps to see the big picture of the world.
As I was born and grew up in a Catholic family in Bangladesh which is about 150 millions people live in the nation. The size of the nation is about 56, 500 square miles only. There are 85% Muslim population in Bangladesh the third Muslim nation in the world. I grew up and studied with Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist friends. It was my privilege to visit various ethnic groups in the rural area in Bangladesh when I was a college student involved with various student’s movements and socioeconomic development organizations. Moreover, it was my privilege to visit the places when I worked for a NGO called Society for Peace and Development. I met with various people in the rural areas. It was a great advantage for me to understand the rural culture and religious that enhanced me to make them good friends. On the other hand, different religious people understood about my religion. Till today, I could not imagine about one of the experiences when I was accompanied with a German volunteer Diana. She was a university student come from Germany to visit the project in the district of Dinajur, the northern part in Bangladesh, mostly Muslim and Hindu populated rural area. While we were visiting preschools, families, and groups, there were many men, women, and children come to see us how do Christian people look like? Because, they never seen Christian people and white man and woman.
Moreover, they heard that only white men and women are Christian. I was asked many times--why my skin color is not like white woman being a Christian. I was able to share them about Christian history in Bangladesh, Christian faith, and values which were very interesting conversation for them. Rural people they are illiterate and live in a very poor condition. They do not have education and there is no access to get basic education. It imaged us to see the hospitality showed by the poor villagers to the visitors when they boiled and offered visitors the only chicken eggs that they might sell to buy their daily food and essentials for the family members. We found that only chicken gives eggs that the poor family will cook for the visitors. The villagers are economically poor but in heart they are very rich when they show their love, respect, and care for others. It gives them highest happy life.
In addition, in 1993 I have participated more exciting international educational exposure programs in Bangalore, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that the university students attended in the programs represented 85 countries with so many diverse knowledge, ideas, cultures, and experiences that enriched participant’s theoretical understanding of differences and learned in depth knowledge of diverse cultures and traditions of the different parts of the world. Moreover, we had an opportunity to share on local, national, regional, and international socioeconomic issues, problems, and analyzed problems to find the solutions, roles of individual, different groups, and national student’s movement to solve the problem. Also we visited the rural school that runs by not-for-profit organizations. We visited various slum areas in Bangalore and Rio de Janeiro that stirred my heart. These visits inspired me lots to think and feel of the poor people of the world, and to do something for the poorest of the poor people within my limited resources. In 2002 and 2003 more inspiring experienced that I have gathered by visiting Bockhorn, Germany when I was studying my undergrad in the Catholic University of America. I visited a foster care center in Bockhorn run by one of German friends who is a social worker. I have visited few families there. I deeply realized that in the different parts of the world still there are so many serious social problems, such as inadequate education facilities and curricula, health care/support for poor families, AIDS, homeless and foster children, teenage pregnancy, school violent, juvenile crime, abortion, unemployment, global warming, environmental problem, and youth formation/development are all an unsolved and unspoken in publicly, those problems need to be solved for the greater benefits of the world.
Furthermore, I have gathered more extensive and cultural diverse experiences working and studying in the Catholic University of America. The most accomplishment I have gathered to visit various diverse countries that created an enormous opportunity for me to know and understand other cultures, self-developed to respect, tolerate, love, care, and serve others. Intercultural education allowed me to make friendship with so many unlike populations. It has changed my worldview. Indeed, I have developed my research and writing skill on various social problems. For example, value of education, good citizenship, importance of character education in school, technology and social values, cultural values practice for human beings, peace and non-violent, and higher education for poor and middle class families, all these have been publishing in the daily/weekly English electronic and printed newspapers in Bangladesh and US.
Being exposed in various nations I got a great reflecting opportunity to think globally and act locally. My volunteer activities with various socioeconomic organizations and intercultural experiences inspired and motivated me to set up a scholarship program called “Seeds of Hope (SH)” to continue school for poor children and skill training program for youth in my native village in Bangladesh. From 1995-2010 SH successfully operated its activities in the rural area in Bangladesh. Human beings are born in different culture and environment. Every human being has so much differences, resources, and talents. Any kind of intercultural educational programs can reduce each other differences and distances, and make the true friendship among each others, that promote individuals to share talents, resources, and wealth, and so many others things that make the world more livable and peaceful. I believe and act that my single drop of social welfare activity, continuing writing articles, research, and features writing on various socioeconomic issues can make a big difference.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
As I was born and grew up in a Catholic family in Bangladesh which is about 150 millions people live in the nation. The size of the nation is about 56, 500 square miles only. There are 85% Muslim population in Bangladesh the third Muslim nation in the world. I grew up and studied with Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist friends. It was my privilege to visit various ethnic groups in the rural area in Bangladesh when I was a college student involved with various student’s movements and socioeconomic development organizations. Moreover, it was my privilege to visit the places when I worked for a NGO called Society for Peace and Development. I met with various people in the rural areas. It was a great advantage for me to understand the rural culture and religious that enhanced me to make them good friends. On the other hand, different religious people understood about my religion. Till today, I could not imagine about one of the experiences when I was accompanied with a German volunteer Diana. She was a university student come from Germany to visit the project in the district of Dinajur, the northern part in Bangladesh, mostly Muslim and Hindu populated rural area. While we were visiting preschools, families, and groups, there were many men, women, and children come to see us how do Christian people look like? Because, they never seen Christian people and white man and woman.
Moreover, they heard that only white men and women are Christian. I was asked many times--why my skin color is not like white woman being a Christian. I was able to share them about Christian history in Bangladesh, Christian faith, and values which were very interesting conversation for them. Rural people they are illiterate and live in a very poor condition. They do not have education and there is no access to get basic education. It imaged us to see the hospitality showed by the poor villagers to the visitors when they boiled and offered visitors the only chicken eggs that they might sell to buy their daily food and essentials for the family members. We found that only chicken gives eggs that the poor family will cook for the visitors. The villagers are economically poor but in heart they are very rich when they show their love, respect, and care for others. It gives them highest happy life.
In addition, in 1993 I have participated more exciting international educational exposure programs in Bangalore, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that the university students attended in the programs represented 85 countries with so many diverse knowledge, ideas, cultures, and experiences that enriched participant’s theoretical understanding of differences and learned in depth knowledge of diverse cultures and traditions of the different parts of the world. Moreover, we had an opportunity to share on local, national, regional, and international socioeconomic issues, problems, and analyzed problems to find the solutions, roles of individual, different groups, and national student’s movement to solve the problem. Also we visited the rural school that runs by not-for-profit organizations. We visited various slum areas in Bangalore and Rio de Janeiro that stirred my heart. These visits inspired me lots to think and feel of the poor people of the world, and to do something for the poorest of the poor people within my limited resources. In 2002 and 2003 more inspiring experienced that I have gathered by visiting Bockhorn, Germany when I was studying my undergrad in the Catholic University of America. I visited a foster care center in Bockhorn run by one of German friends who is a social worker. I have visited few families there. I deeply realized that in the different parts of the world still there are so many serious social problems, such as inadequate education facilities and curricula, health care/support for poor families, AIDS, homeless and foster children, teenage pregnancy, school violent, juvenile crime, abortion, unemployment, global warming, environmental problem, and youth formation/development are all an unsolved and unspoken in publicly, those problems need to be solved for the greater benefits of the world.
Furthermore, I have gathered more extensive and cultural diverse experiences working and studying in the Catholic University of America. The most accomplishment I have gathered to visit various diverse countries that created an enormous opportunity for me to know and understand other cultures, self-developed to respect, tolerate, love, care, and serve others. Intercultural education allowed me to make friendship with so many unlike populations. It has changed my worldview. Indeed, I have developed my research and writing skill on various social problems. For example, value of education, good citizenship, importance of character education in school, technology and social values, cultural values practice for human beings, peace and non-violent, and higher education for poor and middle class families, all these have been publishing in the daily/weekly English electronic and printed newspapers in Bangladesh and US.
Being exposed in various nations I got a great reflecting opportunity to think globally and act locally. My volunteer activities with various socioeconomic organizations and intercultural experiences inspired and motivated me to set up a scholarship program called “Seeds of Hope (SH)” to continue school for poor children and skill training program for youth in my native village in Bangladesh. From 1995-2010 SH successfully operated its activities in the rural area in Bangladesh. Human beings are born in different culture and environment. Every human being has so much differences, resources, and talents. Any kind of intercultural educational programs can reduce each other differences and distances, and make the true friendship among each others, that promote individuals to share talents, resources, and wealth, and so many others things that make the world more livable and peaceful. I believe and act that my single drop of social welfare activity, continuing writing articles, research, and features writing on various socioeconomic issues can make a big difference.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
Email: Nirmalgomes@aol.com, Gomes@cua.edu
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thanksgiving Festival: an example of reunion and sharing.
It is an outcome of a moral value and gratefulness to give "thanks" while something is received from someone. In general the meaning of thanks is "gratefulness or expressing gratitude." However, many people throughout the world are not used to give thanks to each other, even to God when get any help. But in many countries throughout the world people think that giving thanks is kind of gentleness or it is a kind of moral value in human being.
In the biblical context we find that when God saved Noah's and his family's life from the flood, then at first Noah and his family gave thanks to God and were grateful to God saving all their families (Genesis: 7). Thanksgiving is more deeply reflected in the Paul’s letter and Timothy's letter to Philippians, "... but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart (Philippians 4:6)." Jesus teaching about thanksgiving and praising God showed by His Last Supper (Mark 13:22-23).
In America, it seems that to give thanks to others by receiving something it is one of a gentle cultures and social/moral values. We can say that giving thanks a practice of culture in the American people. But not only that! Thanksgiving one of the biggest festivals in American society. It is a first festival in the United States of America which has been called "Thanksgiving Festival” celebrate on fourth Thursday in November in every year.
In the 16th century while European Pilgrims came to the United States then they started celebrating Thanksgiving festival in New England. In 1621 in New England the Pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving festival when they got up their first crops safely and thanking God for everything in the past. They believed that everything comes from God and God is the main source of all these things. God blessed them in the past and bless them in the present. Therefore, it is a moral duty to give thanks to God. In terms of this celebration later on Thanksgiving was the inspirational image of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sharing their communal meal in harmony. It was a opportunity to build a relationship and cooperation among the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
In the autumn of 1621 Plymouth governor William Bradford invited neighboring Indians to join the Pilgrims for a three day festival of recreation and feasting in gratitude for the bounty of the season. By his influenced, in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving Festival. In 1863, during the President Abraham Lincoln Thanksgiving festival was celebrating in local level and about the day of this festival to be celebrated was very controversial during that period. However, in 1941 President brought up a bill to the Congress and singed that established the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday, which has been ever since. Finally Thanksgiving festival has been celebrating this particular day in New England along with every States in America which is a greatest festival for every single family in America.
In America what a great privilege for multicultural communities to celebrate Thanksgiving festival in the concept of sharing, love, and thanks to God. It is a great reunion day for American. Thanksgiving festival brings deepest coalition, love, and brotherhood among the family members. Avoiding malicious and forgiving all the past family members gather in a family umbrella. The day brings a boundless of joy, love, sharing, happiness, and peace in the family. In this delightful time, celebrating Thanksgiving festival the American people have been leaving an example of coalition, love, unity, and brotherhood for the next generation. Let this celebration bring unity and peace in every family in America and throughout the world.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
In the biblical context we find that when God saved Noah's and his family's life from the flood, then at first Noah and his family gave thanks to God and were grateful to God saving all their families (Genesis: 7). Thanksgiving is more deeply reflected in the Paul’s letter and Timothy's letter to Philippians, "... but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart (Philippians 4:6)." Jesus teaching about thanksgiving and praising God showed by His Last Supper (Mark 13:22-23).
In America, it seems that to give thanks to others by receiving something it is one of a gentle cultures and social/moral values. We can say that giving thanks a practice of culture in the American people. But not only that! Thanksgiving one of the biggest festivals in American society. It is a first festival in the United States of America which has been called "Thanksgiving Festival” celebrate on fourth Thursday in November in every year.
In the 16th century while European Pilgrims came to the United States then they started celebrating Thanksgiving festival in New England. In 1621 in New England the Pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving festival when they got up their first crops safely and thanking God for everything in the past. They believed that everything comes from God and God is the main source of all these things. God blessed them in the past and bless them in the present. Therefore, it is a moral duty to give thanks to God. In terms of this celebration later on Thanksgiving was the inspirational image of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sharing their communal meal in harmony. It was a opportunity to build a relationship and cooperation among the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
In the autumn of 1621 Plymouth governor William Bradford invited neighboring Indians to join the Pilgrims for a three day festival of recreation and feasting in gratitude for the bounty of the season. By his influenced, in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving Festival. In 1863, during the President Abraham Lincoln Thanksgiving festival was celebrating in local level and about the day of this festival to be celebrated was very controversial during that period. However, in 1941 President brought up a bill to the Congress and singed that established the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday, which has been ever since. Finally Thanksgiving festival has been celebrating this particular day in New England along with every States in America which is a greatest festival for every single family in America.
In America what a great privilege for multicultural communities to celebrate Thanksgiving festival in the concept of sharing, love, and thanks to God. It is a great reunion day for American. Thanksgiving festival brings deepest coalition, love, and brotherhood among the family members. Avoiding malicious and forgiving all the past family members gather in a family umbrella. The day brings a boundless of joy, love, sharing, happiness, and peace in the family. In this delightful time, celebrating Thanksgiving festival the American people have been leaving an example of coalition, love, unity, and brotherhood for the next generation. Let this celebration bring unity and peace in every family in America and throughout the world.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Parental Involvement in Children’s Education
Value of education and educating children is alike to all people including educated and uneducated people. Only vary the way individual acts to educate him/her and helps children to educate. Wherever the parents live or immigrate, the parents dream is to have a good education and good life for their children. Indeed, all parents have high expectations on their children. Questions are- how do the children would fulfill parent’s expectations? How would they fulfill their wishes to be when they will grow up? This article focuses and discusses the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, and personal growth, and shows the secret of parental involvement.
As the history of education across the world finds that education was only for wealthy people in order to run the country and run the businesses. In fact, educating children was very expensive for the poor parents. However, now-a-days, education is not only for rich people, it opens for all, though in reality is that education cost is high from early education to higher education. Every country has been giving priority to educate all citizens. Today, UN including many nations in the world proclaims- education is for all. Since late twenty-century, schools were the main learning center for children though it was believed that family is the first school for children. Parents believe that teachers are more educated, they know what to teach, how to teach, and they are professionals to teach their children. Today’s education systems and teaching and learning methods have changed lots in many countries due to socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes. Educators, teachers, and researchers find that school is not only places to educate children. Of course, school is very important place as it is a social institution and place of a human development workshop. Many countries across the world, the government emphasizes to bring all stakeholders together to educate citizens.
However, researchers find that parental involvement is the first priority to help children’s education besides teachers and school learning. No doubt that home is the first school for children. Children in school could earn higher achievement, when parents engage at home and school in children’s education. Numerous research studies have shown that those schools have more parental involvement in children’s education, those schools have high academic achievement and their children completed elementary, middle, and high school successfully, and went to college/university for higher education. Parental involvement in children’s education is very essential in children’s early age. All parents know this concept of education, but many of parents do not know how to help children in their education, because, parents do more than one job or busy with their personal things. From the early age, parental involvement is associated with their behavior development and higher student academic achievement outcomes.
In general understanding parents think that children will learn things according to their age. It is very true. But, do all parents know when do children learn and how do children learn things? It is very important to know for parents the psychology of learning of their children in order to be supportive for children’s growth and academic achievement. We live in a digital world. Children are more connected with technological world and different environment that parents grew up and live with. Even many parents did not experience with this kind of environment. Many time parents unaware about children’s education. Parents hesitate to talk about children’s school and learning. Moreover, children do not feel comfort to talk with their parents about their school, class works, and home works. Children feel that parents do not know the content knowledge and also do not know how to help to do home work and project. For example, once I asked a middle school student who immigrated in US five years ago with his parents. Some point we were taking about a school program and I asked him, why did not you take your parents at that event? “They would not understand this and they were at work,” the student replied. There is a huge lack of communication between children and parents concerning education. Parents must know and learn that the duty of parents is not only to feed, provide shelter, care, and love, buy things for them, give money for education, and so on. Educating children and helping children to search wisdom which is an enormous responsibility for parents. Living self and child without education is similar to who has eyes but lives blind.
So, how parents could be helpful for their children’s education? There are thousands of ways parents can help children in their formal and non-formal education. First things for parents need to be self-motivate to learn things, to help, be role model, self-discipline, hard work, create a home learning environment that encourages learning, express high realistic expectations for children’s achievement and future careers, become involved in their children’s education at school and in the community, and ready to scarify, then make a strategic plan with children what they want to be and make an action plan to achieve the goal. Every parent has lots of knowledge and experiences that could be very supportive for children’s learning and growth.
As we find that school age children spend 70% of their waking hours including weekends and holidays outside school. This vast amount of times children spend either with parents, relatives, nor day care. It is no doubt that most of time children spend with parents. The most important way parents can get involved at home helping children’s home works, reading books together, sharing about children future career, listening to children, watching good TV program together or educational movie, playing together, taking children to the library and educational exposures, setting home library, establishing a daily family routine, monitor out of school activities, express high but realistic expectations, encourage and appreciate children’s development and achievement and participating school activities and programs. Research finds that Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University developed a framework for defining six different types of parental involvement in children’s education that emphasized parent’s continuing education on family literature, training on basic technology use, home work, health, nutrition, and other necessary services, and help parents to establish home learning environment; parents need to develop strong relationships with teacher and school through attending teacher-parent conferences, meeting regularly, make phone calls, send emails, and other communications as needed; volunteer at classroom and field trip to help teachers, administrators, students, and parents; be member in Parent Teachers Association (PTA); and attend back-to-school night and many other school programs. Epstein framework assists leaders, educators, and parents in developing school and family partnership programs that enhances school functions and makes the school more effective. The most important point is that when children see their parents walking and supportive for their every step of life, they feel so proud and inspired.
It is real that parents are busier than ever. But, it is parent’s fundamental duty and full time task to be supportive in children’s education and daily growth. It finds in many countries that mother is more and father is less supportive for children’s education and personal growth. In many cases, this responsibility shows opposite too for many parents. Why it should be? Does not matter who does what for children development? Both parents should have the same accountability for the children. Both parents should manage their personal time to help children. If anyone is not well educated or does not know how to help home work, she/he can sit beside children when they study, can take them in library, can attend school programs, drop off at school when needed, and so many ways parents can help children according to their knowledge, experiences, ability, and skills. So, the parents would feel the ownership of their children’s achievement and development. Every parent must be proud and happy to make a difference educating and showing them a succeed life. Parents have a vital role to promote a better child and citizen for the world. There is no way to avoid this responsibility. Helping children in education, personal development, and promoting good children is very enjoyable sense of duty.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA),Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
As the history of education across the world finds that education was only for wealthy people in order to run the country and run the businesses. In fact, educating children was very expensive for the poor parents. However, now-a-days, education is not only for rich people, it opens for all, though in reality is that education cost is high from early education to higher education. Every country has been giving priority to educate all citizens. Today, UN including many nations in the world proclaims- education is for all. Since late twenty-century, schools were the main learning center for children though it was believed that family is the first school for children. Parents believe that teachers are more educated, they know what to teach, how to teach, and they are professionals to teach their children. Today’s education systems and teaching and learning methods have changed lots in many countries due to socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes. Educators, teachers, and researchers find that school is not only places to educate children. Of course, school is very important place as it is a social institution and place of a human development workshop. Many countries across the world, the government emphasizes to bring all stakeholders together to educate citizens.
However, researchers find that parental involvement is the first priority to help children’s education besides teachers and school learning. No doubt that home is the first school for children. Children in school could earn higher achievement, when parents engage at home and school in children’s education. Numerous research studies have shown that those schools have more parental involvement in children’s education, those schools have high academic achievement and their children completed elementary, middle, and high school successfully, and went to college/university for higher education. Parental involvement in children’s education is very essential in children’s early age. All parents know this concept of education, but many of parents do not know how to help children in their education, because, parents do more than one job or busy with their personal things. From the early age, parental involvement is associated with their behavior development and higher student academic achievement outcomes.
In general understanding parents think that children will learn things according to their age. It is very true. But, do all parents know when do children learn and how do children learn things? It is very important to know for parents the psychology of learning of their children in order to be supportive for children’s growth and academic achievement. We live in a digital world. Children are more connected with technological world and different environment that parents grew up and live with. Even many parents did not experience with this kind of environment. Many time parents unaware about children’s education. Parents hesitate to talk about children’s school and learning. Moreover, children do not feel comfort to talk with their parents about their school, class works, and home works. Children feel that parents do not know the content knowledge and also do not know how to help to do home work and project. For example, once I asked a middle school student who immigrated in US five years ago with his parents. Some point we were taking about a school program and I asked him, why did not you take your parents at that event? “They would not understand this and they were at work,” the student replied. There is a huge lack of communication between children and parents concerning education. Parents must know and learn that the duty of parents is not only to feed, provide shelter, care, and love, buy things for them, give money for education, and so on. Educating children and helping children to search wisdom which is an enormous responsibility for parents. Living self and child without education is similar to who has eyes but lives blind.
So, how parents could be helpful for their children’s education? There are thousands of ways parents can help children in their formal and non-formal education. First things for parents need to be self-motivate to learn things, to help, be role model, self-discipline, hard work, create a home learning environment that encourages learning, express high realistic expectations for children’s achievement and future careers, become involved in their children’s education at school and in the community, and ready to scarify, then make a strategic plan with children what they want to be and make an action plan to achieve the goal. Every parent has lots of knowledge and experiences that could be very supportive for children’s learning and growth.
As we find that school age children spend 70% of their waking hours including weekends and holidays outside school. This vast amount of times children spend either with parents, relatives, nor day care. It is no doubt that most of time children spend with parents. The most important way parents can get involved at home helping children’s home works, reading books together, sharing about children future career, listening to children, watching good TV program together or educational movie, playing together, taking children to the library and educational exposures, setting home library, establishing a daily family routine, monitor out of school activities, express high but realistic expectations, encourage and appreciate children’s development and achievement and participating school activities and programs. Research finds that Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University developed a framework for defining six different types of parental involvement in children’s education that emphasized parent’s continuing education on family literature, training on basic technology use, home work, health, nutrition, and other necessary services, and help parents to establish home learning environment; parents need to develop strong relationships with teacher and school through attending teacher-parent conferences, meeting regularly, make phone calls, send emails, and other communications as needed; volunteer at classroom and field trip to help teachers, administrators, students, and parents; be member in Parent Teachers Association (PTA); and attend back-to-school night and many other school programs. Epstein framework assists leaders, educators, and parents in developing school and family partnership programs that enhances school functions and makes the school more effective. The most important point is that when children see their parents walking and supportive for their every step of life, they feel so proud and inspired.
It is real that parents are busier than ever. But, it is parent’s fundamental duty and full time task to be supportive in children’s education and daily growth. It finds in many countries that mother is more and father is less supportive for children’s education and personal growth. In many cases, this responsibility shows opposite too for many parents. Why it should be? Does not matter who does what for children development? Both parents should have the same accountability for the children. Both parents should manage their personal time to help children. If anyone is not well educated or does not know how to help home work, she/he can sit beside children when they study, can take them in library, can attend school programs, drop off at school when needed, and so many ways parents can help children according to their knowledge, experiences, ability, and skills. So, the parents would feel the ownership of their children’s achievement and development. Every parent must be proud and happy to make a difference educating and showing them a succeed life. Parents have a vital role to promote a better child and citizen for the world. There is no way to avoid this responsibility. Helping children in education, personal development, and promoting good children is very enjoyable sense of duty.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA),Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
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