Peace Education

Let us begin by considering why we need Peace Education. If there is violation of peace obviously there has to be some conflict. Most conflicts are caused by some clash of interest which is social, economic or political in nature.

Situations of conflict arise when there is domination of one by the other along the lines on class, caste, gender, nationality, religion, race or age. The process of education is supposed to enlighten us so that we may rise above these differences and be sensitive to other human beings. Education is supposed to make us more civilized and we are expected to work towards an egalitarian society. It is hoped that because of receiving education we’ll become so humane that we’ll overcome the tendency to dominate others.

However, this is not happening as a result of the modern education process, which we hold very highly and enthusiastically wish to include others in its fold who have been left out. We wish to universalize the education system assuming that it will be an enlightening experience for everybody. Most of the biases that have been mentioned above which provide cleavage lines amongst human beings do not go away easily because of modern education. In fact, some of them, like that based on religion and nationality, are likely to get stronger. Educated people have been seen to be more communal and nationalistic in an aggressive sense than uneducated people. Educated people also seem to develop a strong class bias towards less privileged people of the society. The tendency to dominate others too becomes stronger. Because of the process of competition that the human being is subjected to during education he picks up tricks to manipulate and stay ahead of others. Corruption, for example, is a product only of the educated society. The uneducated have nothing to do with it. So we see educated people in responsible public positions exploiting the common people who are not as well educated. One is tempted to advance the argument that by educating everybody we can make sure that nobody will take them for a ride. However, this is like the deterrence logic of nuclear weapons. We want to take simple, sensible and sensitive human beings and convert all of them into clever and manipulative individuals with little concern for the society and hope that they’ll use their education for preventing exploitation by others. Instead, if the emphasis was on developing a socially responsible individual who’ll be more sensitive towards fellow human beings and will be guided by a spirit of cooperation rather than competition, we could have headed towards a more humane society. The present education system cannot lay the foundations for a humane and peaceful society. It’ll only give rise to more conflicts and violence.

Competition clearly is something which distorts the human personality. It makes him more insecure and behaves in a manner which is disrespectful of fellow human beings. It makes him individualistic, careerist and less sensitive towards the outside world. Except for his profession he does not contribute in any useful manner to the society and even in his profession he is not honest with himself. Competition is something which must be done away with altogether. In any case, if we’re trying to reach every child and think that education is every child’s right then what right do we have to fail a child midway through the process. In fact, if it is every child’s right to learn then it is the responsibility of the society to provide education to a child according to the child’s convenience. He/she should be allowed to learn whatever he/she feels like according to his/her aptitude and at a pace with which he/she is comfortable. However, it the convenience of the market and the not the individual which guides our education system. If education is to be taken as a process of enlightenment then it has to be kept beyond market considerations.

Yesterday I had a chance to spend some time with children of Salsabeel Central School in Thrissur. They were telling me that they look forward to the strikes organized in the State by various organizations as these are occasions when schools are closed. Even from our own experience we can say how as a child we used to look forward to rainy days, some national holidays or even hoping for mild fever which will give us an excuse not to attend the school. Most of the children do not enjoy the process of modern education. It is a burden for them and they would like to get away from it at the first possible opportunity. We can remember the relief that we felt after completing any set of examinations. If you talk to any set of children we’ll find that examination is something that they don’t like. How may we hope that we’ll produce a group of human beings who’ll be sensitive and responsible to the society after they’ve been through a process that they have not enjoyed? I think most of the important things that I have learnt even during my school and university days have been outside the classrooms and text books, in informal settings, which did not require any examinations to be taken. Human being performs best in an environment in which she finds herself most comfortable. Examination is not something they like and therefore it must be completely done away with. It is the need for the market or the ruling classes. But it is dehumanizing experience for most of the human beings. Learning must be de linked from examination. If the purpose of examination is only evaluation of how many the children are learning, the teachers can prepare a report on the children even without conducting an examination. A teacher who spends time with the children, sometimes even more than the parents, knows the ability of student’s best. We must trust her judgement. In any case, the process of examination that takes place now is not a real indicator of level of learning. The teachers and the students don’t complete it in the most honest manner. It has become a big farce and involves huge expenditure coupled with tension at the home of students. The parents make unrealistic expectations from their children and the children go through a traumatic experience, sometimes resulting in fatal incidents and in other cases giving birth to inferiority complex in individuals for the life to come. It is an artificial situation completely unnatural to human beings which doesn’t do any good to human beings.

Peace education would be aimed at sensitizing the human being to rise above artificial divisions created by the society among ourselves which are basis for disputes and also rise above narrow vested interest – social, political or economic – to lay the foundations of a just human order or a more humane society. Until our education system incorporates this as part of curriculum, we will have to make efforts outside of it. For example, a Global Peace March was held after the nuclear tests in 1999 from Pokaran to Sarnath to explain that true security was derived only in relationships of trust and not on the basis of a dangerous weapon. Similarly, a Communal Harmony Peace March was organized from Chitrakoot to Ayodhya in the aftermath of communal carnage in Gujarat to preserve peace and harmony in society and prevent Gujarat like incidents happening in U.P. in 2002. More recently, earlier this year an India Pakistan Peace March was organized between Delhi and Multan to strengthen the process of peace and friendship at the people to people level between the two countries. Such marches provide ample opportunity to talk to the common people and discuss in an informal setting how to strengthen or preserve the social fabric based on peace and harmony. It is an education for marchers as well as common people. Collectively, people figure out ways of sensible ways of living avoiding conflict. These marches have been great experience for people participating in them sometimes changing individual view points for life to come. The real life learning during these marches about communal harmony or India Pakistan friendship could not be obtained through any text book course.

Also, interacting with school and college students on issues of nuclear disarmament and peace has been a very fruitful experience, especially after screening some relevant documentary film. The signature campaigns, which have also been used to raise funds for these activities, have usually attracted tremendous response after such interactive sessions with students.

Love

Sandeep.