Educare is catching on globally
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council has given the A++ rating to the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and, the UGC has acknowledged it as a centre of excellence. But what is exciting is its concept of `Sathya Sai Educare', which has caught on globally.
The Japanese were the first to translate into all international languages, the Education in Human Values EHV modules.
But global Sathya Sai Educare, really began when Dr Art Ong Jumsai, an ex-NASA scientist and Dr Victor Kanu, a former diplomat, started Institutes of Sathya Sai Education besides Sathya Sai Schools, in Thailand and Africa, to train teachers in EHV, i.e., educare. The EHV teacher leads by example, like the drill master. So the training aims at helping the teachers integrate into their lives, the concepts of righteous conduct and love.
Ego reduction was the name of the game. Institutes of Sathya Sai Education (ISSE ) exist in all continents. Some universities, such as the Bezerra de Menezes Varsity in Brazil have incorporated EHV in their framework.
In San Salvador, a slum kid of the Bal Vikas programme turned a doctor, and today works to serve the disadvantaged. In Africa, where water wars are common, the African Institute of Sathya Sai Education (TAISSE) has incorporated Educare into a water education programme.
So successful has TAISSE's Water for African Cities (WAC) project been in six countries that UN HABITAT in collaboration with TAISSE is extending the programme to more African nations as a comprehensive human values-based education on water, sanitation and hygiene.
The concept also facilitates inter-religious and ethnic harmony across countries such as Indonesia, Kenya, Thailand, even China, Australia and Sri Lanka, though Chinese educationists play down the spiritual aspect; the emphasis is on values.
In the UK, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme has signed the operating licence agreement with the Sai organization.
The movement's youth of UK are to be advisors for the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme in 2006.
Another success story is that of Sathya Sai U-Turn training schools where 'at risk' adolescents are reclaimed through educare.
In Australia, Malayasia, Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and several Latin American countries this program is proving exceedingly popular.
DR HIRAMALINI SESHADRI & DR SESHADRI HARIHAR
(The authors, practising medical professionals, can be reached at hiramalini@yahoo.com)
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Education Plus
Karnataka
Chennai
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
