Freedom and Peace - Byju Joseph

Freedom is the right to do what we want. But it does not mean that someone is completely

free to do anything. We lead our life by enjoying the freedom without hurting others. It is the way of living without unnecessary restrictions.  We respect others and their freedom to do their own necessities. Freedom depends on situations. It varies from person to person, culture to culture or nation to nation. In our country, we have the freedom to live by following their duties and responsibilities. Freedom is very important for everyone to work efficiently.

When we talk about freedom in school or in the classroom, we should consider that students have the right to freedom to learn. So we allow them to experience freedom in a positive manner. That means they are not allowed to do whatever they want. They should not misuse it but to utilize their freedom to perform their duties and responsibilities well. There must be a strong relationship between teachers and their students for better learning outcomes. The freedom that the students experience in the school should be based on mutual understanding and trust among them. There must be a line of control of freedom in between teachers and students which should be formed by trust and respect. It is very important for a peaceful learning atmosphere.

We all want to maintain a peaceful atmosphere wherever we are. It may be within us, at our workplaces, in our families or in our country. Peace is a state of being free from all worries. It comes from freedom. A tense mind never can be peaceful. Self-satisfaction is very important to maintain peace within us. Being educators we focus more on the character formation and overall development of children. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you want real peace in the world, start with children.” Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once said, “It is not enough to teach children to read, write and converse. We must teach them to have respect for themselves, for others and for the world in which we live.” It is very clear that the value, ‘respect’ is the essence to keep and promote peace. So it is very important to learn and experience self-respect and respect for others at an early stage of the life of each individual. School is the place where these values can easily be inculcated in children. In this regard, educators have the crucial role to plan and promote these values in children.

Byju P. Joseph

The Fabindia School

bjh@fabindiaschools.in 

READING – ROLE OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS: BYJU JOSEPH

We all know that learning is a continuous process in the life of an individual whether child or adult. Reading is an integral part of the learning process that helps to develop concentration of mind. Whatever things we read will lead us to mental satisfaction. Reading creates curiosity which is the cornerstone of learning. For reading, it is not necessary to select a particular book. It can be stories or fictions or subject books in any language according to the interest of the reader.

In a student’s life reading is one of the most important activities. Reading stimulates the brain and it enhances concentration and proper working of brain which gradually leads to the development of language skills. Teachers always promote the habit of reading among students. At the same time, it is very important to create an atmosphere where students can choose their own choices for reading.

In this regard, parents have a vital role to lead their children in the proper channel. Studies reveal that continues reading of a pregnant woman influences her child more and strengthens the bonding between them. Those children whose parents have the habit of reading will easily develop language skill. Their intellectual growth occurs by hearing and listening from their home and the same will continue in school.

Some parents do not have enough time to read but they force their children to do the same. We know that such attempts never lead to success. There is a short story from Aesop’s fable. There was a place where a mother crab and her children were living. The mother crab was regularly watching that her children all were walking sideways. One day she asked them, “Why do you all walk so one-sided? It’s wrong, you should walk straight forward.” Then they replied, dear mother, if you show us the straightway or if you walk straightly, we will also follow the same”. The mother tried to walk straightly forward many times but she could not. Children are good observer and they always learn something from their parents and teachers. So parents and teachers have equal responsibility in this regard.

Byju P. Joseph

The Fabindia School. bjh@fabindiaschools.in