Human Values and Education
Contents: Preface. 1. Education, meaning and significance of values. 2. Ethical values and social harmony. 3. Human rights and duties: basic values. 4. Environmental values and sustainable development. 5. Mental and intellectual activities and environment. 6. Yoga: holistic values for human development. 7. Population education values, society and development. 8. Human excellence: an integration of human values. 9. Indian cultural values: truth, beauty and goodness. 10. Aesthetic values and perfection of human beings (a case study of government organisations). 11. Self-confidence and positive attitude. 12. Value for time (punctuality and time management). 13. Selfless service. 14. Inter-personal relations values. 15. Love. 16. Truthfulness and honesty. 17. Positive health. 18. Integrity and character. 19. Value of peace and universal brotherhood. 20. Some other important values. Bibliography. Index.
"Values are principles which direct our actions and activities. They are in-built in our society common to not only all the communities but also to all religions at all times. These values, if deteriorated will hasten or accelerate the breakdown of family, society and nation as a whole. The philosophy about values is that value should help any one to seek the real knowledge and goal of life in a righteous manner. It is equally important to ensure that the youth are equipped with core values needed to live as responsible citizens in complex democratic societies.
There is growing recognition that many adolescents are not sufficiently prepared to deal with the demands of modern society. Traditional mechanisms for passing on lifeskills, (e.g. family, community role models, cultural traditions) may no longer be adequate in many communities. The reasons given for this include the weakening of traditional support structures as urbanization breaks up the extended family. There is also the power of the media in shaping the development of youth and the rapid social changes that make the lives of young people, their expectations, values and opportunities so different from that of their parents. In addition, adolescents face increasing risks to their health and development, such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, stress, violence and suicides.
How can we overcome these problems of 21 century. The answer is the imparting of lifeskills education with values as the most important ingredient. We have tried in this book to look at human values and values education in a broader perspective which can lay the foundation of a society having equity and justice as its motto. In addition, we have tried to explain some individual values to understand their significance. The book has been divided into 20 chapters." (jacket)
