by Urmila Devi dasi
Acknowledgements
This work is the fruit of a collaborative effort, mostly among members of the Education Team of the Krishna-Avanti School of the I-Foundation in the United Kingdom in 2006–07.
Particular thanks for participating in the development of this paper, whether in the initial conception, details of the categories, or suggestions for editing and changes go to:
Sītā Rāma Dāsa
Rāsamaṇḍala Dāsa
Gurucaraṇapadmā Devī Dāsī
Kṛṣṇa Vallabha Devī Dāsī
Bhaktivijñāna Goswami
Drutakarmā Dāsa
Tattvavit Dāsa
Prāṇa Dāsa
Ānandavṛndāvaneśvarī Devī Dāsī
Jagaddhātrī Devī Dāsī
Introduction
Defining “philosophy of education”
A philosophy of education is a description of principles upon which learning and teaching rest. It delineates what education is, its purpose, the relationship between education and society, the definition of the learner’s basic needs and identity, relationship between learners and teachers, and the process of learning.
The purpose of articulating a philosophy of education
Every school’s materials and activities imply a philosophy of education. An articulated and applied philosophy of education can create a clear learning culture and environment for staff, parents, students, and community. One feature of schools with high achievement is that teachers discuss pedagogy and make clear links between their practice and educational theory.
However, for many schools, their philosophy is never openly recognized or examined. Furthermore, it is probably true in a large number of schools that various implied or stated philosophies of education, some in direct conflict with one another, underlie the differing learning strategies, discipline procedures, and resources the staff employ. In addition, the actions of leaders and teachers may bear little resemblance to stated philosophies. In summary, it is rare for a school to have a unified theoretical philosophical base for all facets of its operations, rarer still for that unified philosophy to be public, and exceedingly rare for a clearly stated theory of philosophy to be practically evident in nearly all aspects of that school.
In order for a school to achieve its purpose, staff and parents must clearly know that purpose and how it can be achieved. Most importantly, school leaders who are most likely to accomplish their mission are those who frequently assess whether and to what extent the philosophy of education is evident in the materials, words, and behaviours of all school staff. The value of a school can be determined, at least in part, by how much it reflects on and lives its philosophy of education.
These are the major aspects of a school which should be based on its philosophy of education:
- Educational materials and resources
- Methods of teaching and learning
- Content of what is taught
- Goals and process of student discipline and training
- Methods and substance of teacher training
- Methods and substance of teacher and student assessment
- Relationships (student/teacher, teacher/parents, teacher/administrator, staff/government, etc.)
- Policies
Why this philosophy of education is based on the Śrī Īśopaniṣad of the Yajur Veda, and upon the Bhagavad-gītā of the Mahābhārata
Since Īśopaniṣad is śruti, part of the Yajur Veda, the vast majority of those who consider themselves followers of Vedic religion¹ accept the Īśopaniṣad as authoritative sacred literature. In his purports, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda relates many of the Īśopaniṣad’s concepts to sections of the Bhagavad-gītā, a scripture that is also widely accepted among Hindus. Īśopaniṣad contains preliminary and advanced spiritual concepts in a relatively short work, easily usable as a basis for training teachers and staff in the school’s philosophy. Because the essential concepts are fairly simple, anyone can grasp them in a short amount of time. It covers most of the major concepts necessary to a philosophy of education and contains much specifically related to education.
How this document was created
It might seem most reasonable to start with various aspects of education and then look in scripture to find support or condemnation. However, with such a process it is easy to be misled. It is possible to support almost any philosophy of education by using isolated sections of scripture. However, what appears to be supported in one place will again appear to be condemned in another. Also, what is ideal and “common sense” among educators changes radically with time. What was once accepted as standard educational practice is sometimes gradually considered abhorrent, only to have educators again discard current ideas and return to what they had rejected. Therefore, starting with an idea and then looking in scripture will only serve, in most cases, to make it appear that a philosophy currently in vogue represents scriptural tradition.
Nor would it be best practice to use only those parts of scripture that empirical research supports. Empirical research is flawed by definition², and it is a rare study that has incontrovertible results. Even in such cases, generally various studies contradict one another, or have results that cannot be applied in a general way. While empiricism is useful as an adjunct to understanding, it cannot give us definitive truth.
So, rather than start with preconceptions, this project began with a thorough study of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad, with a view to finding all references related to education in both the mantras and Bhaktivedanta purports to those mantras (with some reference to the purports of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa). Relevant places where texts from the Bhagavad-gītā were cited in the purports were also noted. All the Īśopaniṣad references were then organized into categories normally dealt with in philosophies of education. A team of educators reviewed the work at several stages. By starting with scripture, it is hoped that this work comes closer to the original intent of the personified Vedas.³
Referencing the Bhaktivedanta purports in addition to Īśopaniṣad mantras allows this work to relate those mantras more clearly to education in general, and to how learning is understood at the time of this writing. There are, however, issues relevant to modern times that are not directly or indirectly addressed in Īśopaniṣad or Bhagavad-gītā, but could be included when describing a philosophy of education⁴. Because those issues need to be addressed through sometimes extensive extrapolation from scripture at best, it is best if they are handled separately as part of an individual school philosophy that is an explicitly changeable document subject to current teaching trends and government initiatives.
The Philosophy of Education
The purposes of education: benefits for individual learners
Education prepares an individual learner in relation to God, the material creation, other living beings, and oneself.
The foremost purpose of education is to become attached to the Absolute Truth. By such attachment, one can remember Him at the time of death⁵, which is the perfection of life⁶. In order to do this, one must practice during life⁷. And, in order to practice remembrance of the Supreme, a learner must regularly engage in one or more of the processes of loving devotion, which are:
- hearing about God, Kṛṣṇa,
- chanting His glories,
- remembering Him,
- serving His feet,
- worshipping Him,
- praying,
- becoming a servant of the Lord,
- being the friend of the Lord, and
- dedication of the self⁸.
It is especially important to note that the Supreme Being is described in the Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā as the best friend⁹. Because remembrance of Him is the ultimate goal of life, Bhagavān is also the ultimate goal of knowledge¹⁰. Loving service to the Personality of Godhead is the central purpose of the process of knowledge described in both Īśopaniṣad’s mantra ten and Bhagavad-gītā 13.8–12¹¹. Īśopaniṣad clearly states in mantra sixteen that it is the form of the Supreme which is the top goal—a form that includes the localized aspect of Paramātmā and the pervading Brahman. Indeed, in mantra sixteen the request is made that the light of Brahman covering the Lord’s form be removed. The supremacy of the form of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa over the Brahman effulgence is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā¹². Attachment to the Supreme Lord includes attachment to His devotees, especially those who act as teachers, or gurus¹³.
Attachment to the spiritual implies detachment from the material, the next goal of education. This detachment means using everything in the Lord’s service, not inaction. Learners must, therefore, understand the definition of, and reaction to:
- action (karma),
- forbidden action (vikarma),
- and free action (akarma)¹⁴.
To accomplish this attachment and detachment, temporary material life and eternal spiritual life must be complementary subjects of education, pursued parallel to each other¹⁵. One must know all aspects of the material creation—science, geography, and so forth—alongside all details of the Supreme Being, learned in a way appropriate to the particular developmental stages of each learner¹⁶.
Education is not only for knowing the Supreme Lord and the nature of matter, but also for knowing oneself. Self-realization operates on three levels:
- Learners come to know their individual identity as soul, of the same quality as the Lord, having a spiritual form as the Lord has a spiritual form¹⁷.
- They identify themselves as part of a society of God-conscious persons, which may be understood broadly (inclusive of all who serve a Supreme Being) or more narrowly (those with similar practices and beliefs)¹⁸.
- Education should help learners discover and develop their individual interests and aptitudes that make up their conditional, external identity¹⁹.
As learners mature, they require specific training for a livelihood²⁰ in accord with the individual bodily and mental proclivities that constitute their material identity. In addition, education should prepare learners to enter the various stages of āśrama (such as marriage and retirement) with a view towards progressive spiritual development.
Mature knowledge of the Supreme Being, matter, and one’s self will result in respect for all living beings, the inculcation of which is a prime purpose of education²¹. Learners need both a deep, heart-felt respect towards all, as well as training in external etiquette to behave as “ladies and gentlemen”²². In order to have such respect, learners must refrain from violence towards others, including abstaining from eating meat, fish, and eggs. Education has to emphasize that all life forms are souls, equal in quality and value, inhabiting various bodies according to their desires and past deeds²³.
While love for God and all living beings certainly is the root of good character, separate values and behaviors—whose presence indicate the fruit of education—also need to be explicitly taught²⁴. For example, satisfaction with what one achieves honestly²⁵ eliminates cheating.
Learners need knowledge, practice, and values that enable them to keep healthy in all areas, such as emotional, mental, and physical²⁶. Intellectual health involves practice in thinking critically and using logic appropriately²⁷. Each learner should “become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge”²⁸.
The purposes of education: benefits for society
Having rightly educated citizens benefits society. For example, students who are trained in the way the Īśopaniṣad directs will perform perfect social, political, communal, and altruistic activities by dovetailing them with service to Kṛṣṇa²⁹.
Those trained in the philosophy of Īśopaniṣad do not think in terms of personal rights, but of duty and responsibility, knowing that if everyone fulfills proper responsibility, then the rights of all will naturally be respected. Learners know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, and that each living being is given a quota of possessions and enjoyment. Each person should use his or her own quota in Kṛṣṇa’s service, while never encroaching on the quota of others³⁰. Having this value includes the practice of eating only vegetarian food, and first offering that food to the Lord³¹. The principle of acting out of duty, as an offering to God, is dominant in both the Īśopaniṣad and the Bhagavad-gītā, and would form the basis of any educational program based on those scriptures.
Learners will live lives of ecological responsibility when they truly imbibe the realization that all belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and must be used with respect in His service. According to the Bhagavad-gītā, this life includes a close relationship with cows and bulls³². Learners would, therefore, ideally have direct experiences with the land and cows as part of their education.
Īśopaniṣad teaches that a truly educated person sees the oneness of interest in all living beings—to serve the Supreme³³. Thus, while various religions understand God in different features, or to different degrees, the essence of all religions is self-realization and realization of God in all His features³⁴. While a very neophyte practitioner of religion thinks God is only in a sectarian place of worship and quarrels with other religions, education is meant to bring people at least to the second stage of spiritual understanding, where one develops friendship with all other theistic persons. The ideal result of education is elevating learners to saintliness, where even the general distinction between theist and atheist in terms of “us” and “them” is absent—there is only love for everyone³⁵. In contrast, the type of religious identification, nationalism, and sectarianism that causes enmity and even war is simply the result of spiritual ignorance³⁶. Īśopaniṣad rejects such ignorant “religion,” which is an anathema to genuine education.
An education that facilitates the individual and societal goals Īśopaniṣad suggests deserves the support of all people.
The constitutional nature of the learner
Learners are each individual souls who are part and parcel of God³⁷, and therefore, naturally all-good. Although the soul is never equal to God in quantity³⁸, it is of the same spiritual nature³⁹. Therefore, like the Lord, each soul is an individual entity and has free will⁴⁰. This individual nature ultimately manifests in the original, spiritual form of each living being that exists independently of the present material body and mind⁴¹. While the form of the Lord is always spiritual and never material, individual souls can misuse their free will to become embodied in matter, with a body and mind that are machines covering the spiritual self⁴². These coverings constitute a conditioned nature which inclines the pure soul to unnatural materialism⁴³.
In summary, a learner is part of the Lord’s marginal energy, and can live either in the spiritual or material nature. When under the shelter of the spiritual nature, a soul exhibits its natural, all-good qualities. When under the shelter of material nature, the soul appears to be inclined toward the dualities of self-centered desire and aversion.
Classroom management and discipline
Discipline policy, education in values, classroom management, and any aspect of education which deals with the character and general behaviour of learners all need to take into account the dual nature of learners. (That is, learners are all-good by spiritual constitution yet behave as if naturally inclined toward evil in the conditioned state.) Rules, procedures, accountability, and consequences are all necessary to control learners’ conditioned natures. Simultaneously, loving relationships and full nurture of spirituality are needed to awaken learners’ innate genuine natures.
If teachers attempt only to redirect learners’ conditioned natures without awakening the true godly self, the materialistic aspects of conditioned nature will reassert themselves at another time, or in another form⁴⁴. If teachers attempt only to nurture the spiritual without redirecting the conditioned nature, the process will most likely be slow and difficult.
On the side of redirecting conditioned nature, learners need training to restrict material sense enjoyment as far as possible⁴⁵. The goal is self-control. Particularly, learners should be trained to abstain from illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and the eating of meat, fish, or eggs⁴⁶. Discipline has the goal of gradually and progressively freeing learners from passion and ignorance, elevating them to goodness, in which one is happy, enthusiastic, and automatically learns the science of God. Passion destroys detachment, and in ignorance one cannot know oneself and God⁴⁷. While the goal is having learners who have internalized good character and behaviour, external consequences are also part of God’s universal plan⁴⁸.
There are attitudes and policies which have a dual effect, acting positively to revive learners’ original spiritual nature, and simultaneously controlling conditioned nature. The essence is to give learners guidance, encouragement, and examples in order for them to deliberately apply their free will to act in ways pleasing to the Lord⁴⁹. Teachers who represent bona fide gurus relate to learners with great kindness to awaken the spiritual nature⁵⁰. At the same time, teachers should command formal respect from the learner—not the casual friendship of equals—in order to control conditioned nature⁵¹.
Educational and discipline policies that specifically target the nurturing of the innate godly self of learners joyfully⁵² involve both teachers and learners in the processes of bhakti-yoga. These processes should be incorporated as fully as possible into the learning system, both as distinct activities and part of the regular course of study⁵³. When learning cannot be directly connected with the nine processes of bhakti, it can still be God-centred and thus bring learners to an awakening of their real selves⁵⁴.
How learning takes place within the learner
The Īśopaniṣad describes the general process of learning in several different ways, looking at the same phenomena from various angles of vision. Īśopaniṣad explains that learning is, in broad terms, both didactic and experiential. One must hear knowledge from authority⁵⁵, and must also practically experience the truth of what one has heard⁵⁶. Knowledge is ultimately revealed from within by the Lord, based on the degree of sincere effort of the learner⁵⁷.
Looking at the process empirically, one learns through the senses, evaluated by the mind, with directions from the intelligence, and desire from the soul⁵⁸. Guidance for this process comes from a teacher who is a bona fide guru⁵⁹, without which learners may gain false knowledge, more dangerous than ignorance⁶⁰. The principle of accepting a guru in order to gain genuine knowledge is at the core of Hindu educational philosophy⁶¹. Each bona fide guru is teaching the same truth, presented according to time, place, and circumstance, as well as reflecting the individuality of the particular teacher.
The learner needs to ask questions of the teacher in the spirit of inquisitiveness rather than challenge. The learner also needs to serve the teacher with all respect. A teacher who is a guru, or representing a guru, teaches through practical demonstration and personal example⁶².
It should be emphasized that learning is developmental, the stages of which can be described in several ways. Learners can progress from beginners, to intermediates, to full realization (kaniṣṭha, madhyama, and uttama⁶³). The stages can also be described as:
beginning faith,
association with a teacher and other sincere students,
removal of misconceptions and bad habits,
steadiness,
enjoyment,
attachment,
ecstasy,
and realization of love of God (ādau śraddhā to premā⁶⁴).
Realization of God may also progress from Brahman to Paramātmā to Bhagavān⁶⁵, though it is preferable to develop a loving service attitude toward Bhagavān from the beginning⁶⁶. Bhakti-yoga can be achieved independently of other yoga processes, yet some learners may progress through the stages of:
- karma-yoga (work dedicated to God),
- jñāna-yoga (philosophical search for God),
- dhyāna-yoga (mystic success),
- to bhakti-yoga (love for God)⁶⁷.
A learner’s qualifications for learning
Sacred literature such as Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā explain that attributes such as intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking are not sufficient for gaining wisdom that benefits individuals and society⁶⁸. Good character is also essential. In fact, good character alone can lead to wisdom, whereas knowledge gained by those with bad character leads only to harm⁶⁹. Therefore, learners with special needs can also gain full wisdom through having good character alone.
Bhagavad-gītā 13.8–12 describes the attitudes and behaviours of one with good character. This list is termed the “process of knowledge.” In other words, a learner who possesses these traits will be able to correctly understand sensory perception, use logic clearly, and be receptive to instructions from a genuine teacher. Or, a learner with these traits who has disabilities that affect sensory perception and logic can attract the Lord’s mercy so that knowledge is revealed. Īśopaniṣad mantra ten indirectly states the necessity of good character traits in referring to the “culture of knowledge.”
These character traits can be organized into three areas:
- A learner’s internal attitudes
- A learner’s dealings with others
- A learner’s relationship with God
Internally, a qualified learner is concerned primarily with the spiritual over the material. Duties in relation to the body, family, and society are done to please God, and not for material enjoyment separate from the Lord’s service. Such a learner is tolerant under provocation, neither overwhelmed by material happiness nor distress. There is a taste for a secluded, calm, and quiet place. These values are gained through realization of scripture.
A learner of good character relates to others without duplicity, giving no anxiety to others by the body, mind, or words, and serving teachers with respect and humility. Religious activities are done for practical action rather than for name and fame⁷⁰. Qualified learners seek to serve Kṛṣṇa continuously with rapt attention, free from personal motive.
It should be noted that in the Bhagavad-gītā’s description of the necessary character to gain knowledge, humility is the first item⁷¹. One cannot learn when thinking one already knows. Nor can an arrogant learner form a respectful relationship with a teacher.
Qualifications of a teacher
Teachers need the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to enable learners to achieve the individual and societal purposes of education. In this regard, the teaching of particular subjects often requires specific relevant qualifications, while rendering some general qualifications of lesser importance. However, teachers’ character—behaviour that indicates values—affects learners for better or worse no matter what the subject.
Therefore, any school which follows the educational philosophy of the Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā needs to think holistically about teachers’ values, character, and behaviour. Certainly many modern school policies state that it is only teachers’ values as exhibited during learning time that affect learners. Yet in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains that the mode of nature which dominates a person affects all areas of his or her life⁷². At least, teachers should be predominantly in goodness, striving toward pure goodness; the modes of passion and ignorance are not acceptable in a teacher.
According to Īśopaniṣad, all teachers should have the quality of dhīra, or at least be striving to attain such a state⁷³. A dhīra has no material hankering, lamentation, or illusion. He or she has realized knowledge, and has been trained in disciplic succession. In other words, a teacher who is a dhīra maintains the mood and practice of a learner with his or her own teacher⁷⁴.
Teachers should be honest about their own convictions and struggles, willing to appropriately air doubts and discuss parts of scripture that are difficult to understand or apply⁷⁵. Teachers who have a mood of honesty and inquiry are more likely to encourage that same mood among learners.
In summary, a teacher would need:
- Realized and practiced values of goodness or transcendence⁷⁶
- Factual knowledge⁷⁷
- Practical skills⁷⁸
- Powers of discrimination⁸⁰
- Love for all living entities, especially the students⁸¹
A school that uses Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā as the basis for its philosophy should, therefore, include consideration of teachers’ personal lives when deciding on qualifications. A teacher would also need to be able to practice the teaching and learning strategies exemplified in the Īśopaniṣad itself.
How teachers teach: values, attitude, approach, basis
Every classroom teacher who is dhīra is taking the role of a traditional guru⁸², or at least of assistant to a genuine guru. The relationship between learner and teacher is that of disciple and spiritual preceptor. A deep relationship of trust is the ideal learner-teacher relationship. Because “both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned⁸³,” teachers seek to command rather than demand respect, and to encourage learners in making autonomous and thoughtful choices.
A teacher who is a bona fide guru knows that advancement in knowledge is generally gradual and progressive. Expert teachers understand a learner’s current stage and instruct accordingly for natural progress to the next level. Both imitation by students of higher stages, and an artificial assumption by teachers that learners are at higher stages than their true understanding, hinder learning and lead only to hypocrisy and cheating⁸⁴. Learners’ readiness needs to be determined in all areas of life—intellectual, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Teachers who take the role of guru are acting as the external representative of the Lord within the heart of the learners. It is ultimately the Supreme Being who gives all knowledge, remembrance, and understanding⁸⁵, with the teacher acting as the facilitator of that natural process.
The mood and goal of teachers are not simply the transmission of information, skills, or theoretical values. Rather, the focus is on experiential knowledge and personal transformation, especially on the spiritual level⁸⁶.
Effective teachers strive to nurture the unique individual talents of each learner⁸⁷. Each learner is valued for his or her abilities, and guided to use those God-given propensities for both spiritual and material benefit. The teacher should also be absorbed in offering everything to Kṛṣṇa in order to make all activities beneficial⁸⁸. When learning and gaining knowledge are fully beneficial for learner and teacher, they are also a joy. Teachers, therefore, aim to have learning be a source of pleasure.
Certainly, teachers can make learning fun through strategies such as games and various educational activities. But the essence of fun in learning, however, is to have Kṛṣṇa at the centre. Otherwise, there will be pain and lamentation⁸⁹. For both teachers and learners to be happy and enthusiastic, teaching must be in the mode of goodness rather than passion and ignorance⁹⁰.
Learning strategies: skills and process by which teachers teach
A core learning strategy is revealed when looking at Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary to Īśopaniṣad’s mantra fifteen. The mantra itself is a prayer to see truth through revelation. In his purport, Baladeva refers to the strategy for learning detailed in the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which offers three broad categories of learning:
- Śravaṇa – hearing from a teacher
- Manana – gaining intellectual insight or understanding by reflecting upon the subject
- Nidhidhyāsana – realization and application in life
He then adds that one needs to pray to the Lord for His mercy in order to understand truth.
These four aspects of learning (hearing, reflection, application, and prayer) are found throughout the Īśopaniṣad. One must:
- Hear knowledge from a realized source⁹¹,
- Or experience learning directly under a teacher’s guidance⁹²,
- Reflect on what one has heard so that it is understood⁹³,
- Apply the knowledge⁹⁴,
- And pray for mercy and revelation of truth⁹⁵.
Teachers who follow this four-part strategy first expose learners to knowledge, whether through didactic or experiential means, or a combination. They then guide learners to reflect on and assimilate that knowledge. Assimilated knowledge is applied to life situations. During all stages of learning, teachers and learners ask for, and rely on, the Lord’s mercy to reveal knowledge and truth.
Examples of Learning Strategies in Īśopaniṣad
The Īśopaniṣad mantras themselves demonstrate various learning strategies that support this instructional core:
- Repetition of words and ideas is evident in mantras 9–11 and 12–14. For example, 9–11 deal with knowledge and ignorance, while 12–13 discuss the absolute and relative. Also, the invocation and mantra 17 show clear repetition of specific terms⁹⁶.
- Comparing and contrasting are used in mantras 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, and 13⁹⁷.
- The structure of the work first entices learners with promises of mundane benefits like longevity and prosperity, then gradually moves them to spiritual desires for loving service to Bhagavān. (e.g., mantras 2 and 11 vs. mantras 15–18⁹⁸⁹⁹).
- Application of knowledge is a central theme in mantras 1, 2, 6, and 7¹⁰⁰.
- High expectations are demonstrated in mantras 6, 17, and 18¹⁰¹.
- Summarizing occurs in mantras 4–7¹⁰², with definition-style summaries in mantras 5 and 16¹⁰³, and problem/solution summaries in mantras 1–3¹⁰⁴.
- Recognition of effort (rather than just results) is part of mantra 17¹⁰⁵.
- Homework and practice are implied in mantra 14¹⁰⁶.
- Classification appears in mantras 9–15¹⁰⁷.
- Clear objectives for learners are set in mantras 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 14¹⁰⁸.
- Analogies are evident in mantras 15 and 18¹⁰⁹.
- The entire Īśopaniṣad is logically sequenced, creating a coherent and structured presentation of knowledge.
Assessing learning
The Īśopaniṣad is clear on what should be assessed in learning.
First, learners should be able to demonstrate recall of factual knowledge with understanding¹¹⁰. While neither the Īśopaniṣad nor the Bhagavad-gītā give more than a very general description of what specific mundane informational content learners should know, the curricular requirements of most countries fit well within that general description. Moreover, Īśopaniṣad explains that learners need to be familiar with spiritual content.
Second, in addition to content, learners should be able to demonstrate values and proper behaviours, which include an attitude of service and respectful social interaction¹¹¹. A key value included in the assessment process is acknowledging the Lord as proprietor¹¹².
Learning must be properly applied—or it is worse than ignorance. Therefore, assessment should include whether and how the learner is applying what is taught¹¹³. The ability to think critically and have proper discernment must be assessed¹¹⁴. Learners’ creative thinking should also be an integral part of what teachers are measuring¹¹⁵. Effort should be assessed and acknowledged in addition to achievement, in all areas of instruction, and regardless of the kind of academic objective¹¹⁶.
Modern society often assesses learning through remote, often computer-graded exams, which are mostly only capable of measuring quantitative learning. School staff who truly follow the Īśopaniṣad’s philosophy of education need to remember that what is assessed and how it is assessed tend to drive what is taught and how. It is essential, therefore, to go beyond secular forms of assessment in order to preserve Īśopaniṣad’s emphasis on spiritual realisation, values, character, and behaviour.
Modern educators may question the ethics of assessing students’ values, just as modern schools generally consider teachers’ lives outside the classroom as irrelevant to learning. But character in goodness is both an essential element to enable learning, and a prime indication that learning has taken place.
Regarding establishing assessment levels:
Although both the Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā give criteria for a standard level of achievement, especially in the spiritual domain, both those sacred literatures emphasise the gradual development of knowledge¹¹⁷. Therefore, students should be assessed both:
- against a predetermined level of accomplishment, and
- in terms of their individual growth.
There is little indication in Īśopaniṣad of a precise method of assessment, though the teacher’s attitude and relationship to the learner is crucial, as discussed in the section on teacher qualification. One could not, therefore, make a strong scriptural case to either prohibit or endorse various assessment methods.
However, if the only assessment procedures used in a school measure merely factual knowledge divorced from application and character development, such a program would be condemned by Īśopaniṣad¹¹⁸. Conversely, assessment policies that simultaneously take into account:
- mundane knowledge,
- spiritual knowledge,
- application,
- values,
- character, and
- devotion to God
would be most in keeping with the teaching and spirit of Īśopaniṣad.
Some may argue that values cannot be assessed. Yet, values are exhibited in measurable behaviour, the aggregate over time composing one’s character. Certainly, assessment needs to genuinely measure both the individual and societal purposes for education—goals that take learners and teachers beyond the demands of a national curriculum.
Philosophy of Education: Summary & Brief Overview
This explanation of the Philosophy of Education, derived from Śrī Īśopaniṣad and Bhagavad-gītā, represents eternal and unchanging principles.
What should individual learners achieve?
In relation to God:
- Love and attachment for the personal form of God, Bhagavān, and all His natural representatives, including those who teach about Him
- Realized knowledge of God
- Service to Bhagavān in nine-fold bhakti
- Mood of knowing that Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is the best friend
In relation to the World:
- Discrimination between ordinary action, forbidden action, and free action
- Use of the world of matter in Bhagavān’s service, without personal attachment
- Knowledge of the details of the material creation
In relation to Others:
- Respect and love for all living beings, in all species of life
In relation to Self:
- Understand and experience oneself as the eternal soul, distinct from body and mind
- Participate in the greater faith community
- Develop individual talents and inclinations, according to one’s sva-dharma, to prepare for future occupations and family responsibilities
How will educated people benefit society?
Service:
- Contribute through social, political, communal, and altruistic activities dovetailed with service to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa
Non-violence:
- Adhering to a diet of vegetarian food offered to Kṛṣṇa
Character:
- Satisfaction with what one achieves honestly
- Harmony with environment and animals, especially cows and bulls
Peace and Harmony:
- Vision of oneness of interests of all living beings, to be connected with the Supreme
- Appreciation for the essence of all religions: to love God
How are learners disciplined?
Learners are inherently all-good souls, part of Kṛṣṇa, and this nature should be encouraged through:
- Loving relationships with teachers who demonstrate great kindness
- Teachers and learners engaging in nine-fold bhakti as distinct activities and as part of all learning
- Using in Kṛṣṇa’s service any learning that cannot be directly connected with the nine-fold processes of bhakti
Materially conditioned learners exhibit a strong tendency toward materialism and self-centeredness, and this nature should be controlled and re-directed through:
- Teachers commanding respect
- Bringing learners progressively to the mode of goodness
- Guiding learners to internalize self-control
- Using appropriate external consequences to foster internal responsibility
How do learners learn?
- Hearing from authority
- Examples of others
- Demonstration
- Direct, practical experience
- Progressively and developmentally
- By developing good character, the most important basis of learning
What are teachers’ qualifications?
- Factual knowledge and practical skills in the subjects taught
- Good powers of discrimination
- Representative of bona fide guru
- Love for all living beings, especially the learners
- Skill in teaching strategies
- Skill in student character formation
- Situated in or progressing toward the mode of goodness
- Mood of honesty, inquiry, and introspection
What are teachers’ attitudes toward learning?
- Develop a deep relationship of trust between student and teacher
- Encourage learners’ autonomous and thoughtful choices
- Command respect
- Teach appropriately for learners’ developmental stage in all areas: intellectual, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
- Focus on learners’ experiential wisdom and spiritual transformation
- Maintain their self-concept as continuing learner from their own teacher
What learning strategies are used?
Four aspects, where students:
- Receive learning from authority and/or from direct experience
- Reflect on the learning
- Apply and assimilate the learning
- Depend on Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, through prayer, for realization and proper use of the learning
Other strategies that teachers use include:
- Repetition
- Comparing and contrasting
- Going from immediate felt needs to deep needs
- Applying knowledge, skills, and values
- Having high expectations
- Summarizing
- Recognizing effort
- Homework and practice
- Setting clear objectives that learners understand
- Use of analogies
- Presenting in a logical sequence
How is learning assessed?
- Against a predetermined level of achievement
And - In terms of individual growth/progress
With care that one is specifically assessing the desired learning
What is assessed?
- Factual knowledge
- Values and proper behaviours
- Respectful social interaction
- Attitude of service
- Application of learning
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Proper discernment
- Effort
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