You will agree with me that all religions preach peace and harmony, yet we are plagued with just the reverse. Could you draw your attention, as you continue reading this passage for few minutes, towards this menace? Information without transformation is the plight of modern education. It has become extremely difficult for the immature young minds to correctly filter the mixed information which is booming without limits. Look at the contents of mass media that we have today – be it internet, digital, print or television channels. All that first draw our attention are about violence, corruption, politics, immorality etc. Can a child adopt peace and values when the media is highlighting all types of aggression?

Our brain has both negative and positive tendencies. When the point of negative thoughts is activated, we indulge in violence. The positive point can be activated and strengthened through peace education. We cannot accomplish the dream of peace by preaching and holding conferences alone; it will happen by educating our children to be good human being – not just good doctors and engineers. The current educational system seems to nourish only the left side of our brain which is responsible for mathematics and logic. The right side that is responsible for intuition and spiritual growth is ignored.

Mahatma Gandhiji said that education is an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man – body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning. Education is an unending exercise till death. Only education can act as a means to a successful life. It can help and shape the human body, mind and character in such a manner that they act as a means to achieve joy and efficiency. Evidently, to make a man self-dependent, efficient and skilful, and to lead him to the pathway to progress are the aim, purpose and objective of education.

But here the problem is that while illiteracy was once considered as a major problem, now sadly, with the increase of literacy and education, spiritual illiteracy has also increased. What is missing in modern education? Where has it gone wrong? Why has the advanced modern education not made the people peaceful? Should the modern scientific education, that distanced itself from the religion and God, be held responsible for the spiritual and social decay? Can we afford to ignore the invaluable moral teachings of religion and spirituality? If we want our children to inherit a peaceful world, we have to teach them the spiritual truths that will engender that peace. Remember, every child is a potential light of the world and at the same time they can be the cause of its darkness. Incorporation of peace and value education is the need of the hour. Home and school are the best places to start with. Can we, as parents, teachers, students and members of the educational community, do a little more exercise on this line?