Dear Readers

Welcome to the June 2010 issue of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values UK email newsletter.

This month:

Values Fun Club at Southern Cross Junior School Campus, New Zealand
Sharing Values, Deepens Values (Part 4)
Story Time
Tenth Anniversary Celebrations of Sathya Sai School, Canada
SSEHV IS Love in Action
Calendar of Activities (Online)
Training update

If you have any feedback, or would like to share your experiences of SSEHV, please write to us.

Kind Regards,
The Editor

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Values Fun Club at Southern Cross Junior School Campus, New Zealand

The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values started in the Junior School in February this year and has been going on for 6 weeks now. We invited the parents and had an information session with them prior to enrolling the students.

We have 25 regular students attending our classes on Saturdays from 1.30pm and we finish at 2.30pm. The focus value links with what the students are working on in class. The main resource used is the BISSE Lesson Plan workbooks and this works well for our students.

To end off term 1 we had another session where we invited parents and the feedback from our parents was very positive. A couple of parents have said that they are seeing some changes in their children….

“Now I only have to call them once…and they come running”
“We are happy with the way our children are behaving”

Parents and students at the final session for Term 1	Students practicing a Rap based on a Value – “The Secret of happiness is not doing what one likes but liking what one has to do”

The teachers have met on the 8th of April to plan for term 2. We plan to get guest speakers and also do some Art work and Community awareness.

All teachers who are involved have been trained in The Introductory Level Course and are implementing what they have learnt very effectively.

By Padma Krishnan

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“Sharing Values, Deepens Values”….Sathya Sai

Dear Readers,

In our December eNewsletter, we introduced Rosemary Marron, Director of The Institute of Sathya Sai Education Ireland. She gave a wonderful presentation called “Sharing Values, Deepens Values” at BISSE’s Annual National Day 2009 on October 3rd 2009 at Abbey Primary School Leicester. Please catch Part 1, 2 and 3 of her talk on our website www.bisse.org.uk

We now continue with Part 4…

“Sharing Values, Deepens Values”
...Sathya Sai

Presented by Rosemary Marron MBA MSc (MBRM)
At the Living Values Conference organised by
The British Institute of Sathya Sai Education
3rd October 2009 at Abbey Primary School Leicester.

Part 4

Sathya Sai Education in Human Values and its philosophy of Educare

Sathya Sai has introduced to the world five human values – Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Non Violence. And of these five values, He has stated that Truth is the highest value. Truth is that which does not change with time. Truth is changeless in past, present and future. Truth is one, not two. Truth cannot be described in words. (October 14th, 2002)

Sathya Sai has declared that because human values are not practised, the world is in a mess. Furthermore the crisis in the educational field is also well-known. Educational institutions have the responsibility to give to society well educated persons who possess integrity and can be relied upon to serve society with competence. Education should be for life and not merely for earning a living.

Students require the essential values of life to enable them to discriminate between what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false. The moulding of character must start with children at the earliest age. The best time to bring about this learning is at primary school when the children are in their most impressionable years. It is at this stage that values may be inculcated effectively. Students who have been moulded on right lines in the early years by being filled with examples from cultural heritage can develop into ideal citizens.

Teachers have the responsibility to mould the future generations of young students both by what they teach and by their example. One of the principal aims of education must be to make students self-reliant.

Sathya Sai Education in Human Values and its philosophy of Educare

A society without values will cease to be human. The more human values are cherished, the better will be the growth of society, the nation and the world. We cannot rest content with an educational system that is confined to academic achievement, materialistic, worldly or scientific developments. Education has to promote simultaneously secular and human values.

Human values cannot be acquired from others. They cannot be nourished from mere study of books. Nor can they be got ready made from teachers. Human values have to be cultivated by each person and the resulting joy has to be experienced by them. The world today sorely needs human values. While attempts are being made to promote these values in the educational field, significant input is still required.

Sathya Sai states that love is to be experienced in the depths of peace. Love should find expression in non-violence. Where love prevails, there is no room for doing harm or violence to others. All these basic values have to be demonstrated in action and not limited to speech. Human values are in everyone and therefore what we need are persons who will provide the stimulus and the encouragement to bring them out.

Sathya Sai has stated that educationists should try to set up an independent body for the formulation and implementation of educational policy, free from control or interference by government. Only then will the promotion of human values succeed. So educationalists need to lead rather than relying on government policy.

Conclusion: Essential Ingredients

The value of values comes from valuers, i.e., we are the source of value. It is humanity, and not the standards implicit in social practices, that are the ultimate source of value. Values are important because they help influence and motivate human actions and behaviour across the life span.

At the individual level, we need to experience the essence of values, experienced through emotional intuition. This requires constant refining and e-value-ation. We need to engage in self-reflective practices and develop envisaging skills so that we may truly understand our values. Self-confidence is very essential. On change, Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world’. Our values system is our reference / standard, throughout our lives

At the educational level, appropriate teacher training – offering continuous refinement of the understanding of human values is critical. The challenge for educators is to seek the improvement of individuals and local, national and world communities. The educational journey has the potential to be described as a continuous refinement of the intellect, the will, and the heart to cultivate understanding of the situation in which the student finds him/herself.

At the societal level, Ornstein & Hunkins (2009), state that for a society to prosper, its citizens must be largely honest.

When I examine the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values system of education and its philosophy of Educare, in the context of what has just been said, I can unreservedly say that it is comparable to finding a very rare and precious treasure. For in its essence, it possesses the essence of all essences and in its structure, the necessary ingredients and teaching methodologies to contribute towards achieving a peaceful, harmoniously functioning society.

The word ‘Educare’ means to bring out that which is within. The awareness we have to develop is that all of us have the ability to acquire this key of love that opens the door of the heart.

“The true meaning of education”...Sathya Sai

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Story Time

The Lord Mayor Opens the New Bank Premises

(Year 7: Telling the Truth)

When I was first married I wanted to impress my young wife with my cleverness and other attributes. She was very much in love with me, as indeed I was with her. I used to work in one of the big City of London banks and though not the Manager, I had a certain amount of respect paid to me by many of the customers.

The bank had just moved to some very prestigious new offices. I thought I would tell my wife how important I was, but I got carried away. I told her that the Lord Mayor of London had visited with a number of his dignitaries (as he had, two days before when I was actually out) to inaugurate our new offices. I told her that I had been chosen to speak and he later asked me about my work in the bank.

“What did he say?” she asked eagerly. But it was too late. My guilt had overcome me. I blushed and stammered and told her I could not remember. I turned away, worried by my dishonesty, but I was determined to show her how important I felt I had become. She looked at me quizzically.

“Ah, yes, the Lord Mayor told me that he had heard what a valuable contribution I was making at the bank and that the work I am doing is much appreciated.” I felt myself blush to the very roots of my hair. I glanced back at my wife half-hoping she hadn’t heard me, or noticed my blushes.

She looked at me long and hard, then she said, “I know you were not at the office the day before yesterday because you told me what you had to do before you set off for work. I, on the other hand, was sent an invitation to the inauguration of the new premises and I watched the Lord Mayor throughout the course of his visit. Neither were you there, nor did you give a speech. He did not speak to you or to any of the office staff because he had to leave straight away. Shame on you! Don’t you think that I love you enough, that you have to impress me to make me love you more? Well, I do not love you less for having lied to me, but please do not do it again!”

I felt so embarrassed and humiliated. Why had I been so vain as to lie about such an unimportant thing and make myself look foolish to my wife? I hung my head in shame.

She laughed and squeezed my hand.
“Don’t worry, darling! I already know you aren’t perfect, but just remember that you are good enough for me, and I love you!”

Questions:

1) How did you feel when you heard the story?
2) Has anything like this ever happened to you?
3) How important to you is it that you can trust your friends to be honest and speak the truth?
4) How do you feel about yourself when you tell lies?

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“Tenth Anniversary Celebrations” of Sathya Sai School, Canada

Media Release:

Sathya Sai School celebrates 10 years: Building communities of Character

Toronto: March 10, 2010. The Sathya Sai School of Canada celebrates its 10 years of community service as a worthy model school for values education in Canada. To mark this milestone, the Sathya Sai School hosted three events as part of its 10th Anniversary Celebrations, one for the parents, one for the educational community, and one for all the volunteers and supporters of the school. The events, featuring eminent speakers from UK, Australia, Malaysia, USA and Canada, were presented to awaken the community to the importance of character education in our schools today.

The students of this school are performing academically among the top schools in Ontario. They achieved perfect rating of 10/10 for the past four consecutive years based on their Grade 3 and Grade 6 performance in EQAO exams. In the latest rating issued by the Fraser Institute on March 7, 2010 they have ranked Sathya Sai School at No. 1 (tied among 18 schools) out of the listing of 2742 elementary schools in Ontario.

The 10th Anniversary Celebrations opened on March 3 with a Family Night and a welcome address by the Principal Dr. Revathi Chennabathni. Dr. Pal Dhall, an eminent surgeon and Director of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education in Australia, spoke to the parents of the Sathya Sai School on Dynamic Value Parenting. This is an enriching program of human values designed for parents to draw out their inner qualities and bring about positive change in the family. Dr. Pal Dhall, pioneer of the program, told parents that they “have to change themselves and engage actively with their children. Parents need to develop emotional, social and spiritual responsibility in order to become good role models.” The Dynamic Value Parenting course helps parents play a proactive role by taking part in the triple partnership of Parent, Teacher and Student and support what children are learning in school. Studies done at the Institute in Australia reveal that when parents take an active interest in their child, there is a 10% IQ rise in the child – the parents’ interest counts for more than any special coaching or any teacher can give to the child.

Bringing their valuable experience in the field of character education for the past decade, guest speakers Mrs. Carole Alderman from UK, Dr. Pal Dhall from Australia, Dr. David Gries from USA and Mr. T.R. Pillay from Canada inspired educationists from across the GTA at a Character Education Seminar held at Sathya Sai School on 4th March, 2010. Former Deputy Premier of Ontario and now a Mayoral candidate for the City of Toronto, Hon. George Smitherman opened the Seminar with a hearty congratulations to the Sathya Sai School for giving students an educational experience so infused with values, stating that “these students will be contributors to the success of our society. We look forward to allowing more children to have this wonderful opportunity of values education.”

City Councillor Raymond Cho read Mayor David Miller’s message of congratulations to the Sathya Sai School, citing the “outstanding leadership and commitment that the dedicated teachers and staff continue to provide to their students,” which has led to the “success of many of our young people who have become productive and contributing members of the society.”

The school’s system of education is based on the educational philosophy known as ‘Educare,’ developed by the world teacher Sathya Sai Baba. He explains that, “Education has two aspects: The first is related to external and worldly education, which is acquiring bookish knowledge. The second aspect known as ‘Educare,’ is related to human values and inner self. ‘Educare’ means to bring out that which is within. Human values, namely Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence are hidden in every human being. One cannot acquire them from outside; they have to be elicited from within. But as man has forgotten his innate human values, he is unable to manifest them.

There is goodness in all of us – it is up to us to allow this goodness to come out. Mrs. Carole Alderman, Director, British Institute of Sathya Sai Education described the effectiveness of this program in the United Kingdom, noting that the program has transformed schools, changing poorly behaved children into brilliantly behaved students, as well as raising the standards of the schools. Dr. Dhall stated that 200 youth at risk (involved with crime, drugs, sex, and violence) had been referred by State Schools to the Sathya Sai School of Australia, and every one of these youth has been recovered!

A Song of Love

On the third day of the celebrations on March 5, 2010, over 1200 guests and dignitaries were honored by the Sathya Sai School of Canada during a Gala Dinner at Swagat Banquet Hall in Markham. It was the school’s thanksgiving to the many volunteers and supporters of the school, without whose help the school could not have achieved its success of the past ten years. Inspiring talks were given by a host of distinguished speakers and guests including Dr. VP Singh, Central Coordinator, Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization in Canada. The newly appointed Director of the Canadian Institute for Sathya Sai Education and Founding Principal of the School, Mr. T.R. Pillay, gave a glimpse into the 10 year history of the school and its successes. The vision of this school and the plans to have its own building were highlighted by Mr. Dayal Mirchandani, President of the School Trust. Parent Council Co-Chair Mr. Basil Chen gave a rousing “vote of thanks.”

Student presentations gave evidence of the beauty of character of these children. The theme of the Grade 6 presentation was “I am preparing myself to serve the community” and their words opened the hearts of the audience with love, making all very proud that they had a part in bringing out human excellence in these children.

“In these dark times, we need to create a positive revolution and this will be accomplished by a change of consciousness among people” - inspirational words spoken by the dynamic guest speaker Mr. J. Jagadeesan from Malaysia. He sang the song “Mother’s Love,” telling all that unconditional love, like the love of a mother, is a key to this change.

The Ten Anniversary Celebrations of the Sathya Sai School on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th was a “Song of Love” that brought together many diverse people who all believe in the goodness of humanity and the central role education is playing in creating a new humanity on earth. Each of these events gave evidence of hearts and minds working together, and left us with a foretaste of a world in which everyone is united through loving service to create goodness and beauty for all.

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Media Contact: Surinder Sharma, Tel: (416) 871 1718; E-mail: sks@rogers.com
Event: “Tenth Anniversary Celebrations” of Sathya Sai School, Canada

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SSEHV IS Love in Action

"Love... laughter... sharing.... humility.... respect...trust… awakening... compassion...generosity.. tolerance ....tenderness... these are all words which spring to mind when I reflect on the SSEHV training.

I feel very, very privileged to have spent 9 days in Carole & Bob's beautiful home in Pinner at the beginning of April this year, while participating in the Level 1 course.

The graceful atmosphere was a pleasure to be in... and was the perfect space in which to journey through the simple and profound wisdom of the 5 Human Values. I felt as if I'd been invited to the most wonderful 'University'..where my whole reason for being was to immerse myself in the pursuit of higher learning... it was an exquisite experience.

Truth.. Peace...Love... Right Conduct... Non Violence... these Values have now become my friends... my relatives... my bench-mark to help me navigate through Life in a more clear, conscious and loving way.

Prior to the training, I had been aware of some of these Values, and how important they are to my own, and other peoples, health and happiness.

During the training, I became aware of how important they ALL are.. and how they work together to help create a more balanced human experience.. I could literally feel gaps in my knowledge/awareness being filled... and had many, what I would call, 'light-bulb moments'...!

Since participating in the training I feel more at peace, more loving and more willing to share the Joy & Beauty which I now know is inherent in myself and in everyone I meet.

This awareness gives me tremendous feelings of hope & optimism and a deep wish to share the positively of the Values with all.

I found the training very enjoyable, nourishing and occasionally challenging, as I was invited to take a look at myself from a more Universal perspective. I met so many lovely, inspiring people on the course..(you all know you are...!) and have a lovely 'treasure-chest' of memories from that time... which I know will stay in my heart forever.

I would whole-heartedly recommend the training to anyone... from any background...as the application of the Values have such wide ranging implications for us all. Naturally, there is an urgent need for this training within our Education system (and I was quite blown away by how neatly the work 'slots in' to the SEAL programme which comes in next year..!) But it is also very easy to see how the principles can be accessed by ANYONE from any walk of life.

Frequently during the training I became aware in my minds eye of the image of a pebble being dropped into a still body of water.. and the beautiful smooth ripples which spread out from that point of impact... This, I feel, was my symbolic way of interpreting the training. It's as if I have received a very concentrated, gentle and precise impact on my consciousness... and the effects of that will continue to spread throughout my being long after the course has ended and the goodbyes have been said. This has indeed been my experience... and I know will continue to be.. and I am truly thankful.

I wish to once again thank Carole for her total dedication in bringing this work into manifestation, and Bob and the rest of the SSEHV team for their dedication and all the 'behind the scenes stuff' which go to make the delivery of the work possible.

The SSEHV IS Love in Action."
Sharon Keenan, Southampton, UK

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Training update

Location

Date

Module

Contact

SSEHV Training Location TBC, Summer 2010

tbc

tbc

tbc

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