Foundation of True Education : Total Acceptance and Right Questioning

One of the Zen master once told me – what does he mean by love and it stayed with me ever since. I’ve not received a better definition of love. He said, to love is to accept the others totally – as they are without expecting, wanting any changes in them. To love is to say Yes to who or what other is. When we wish to be loved, all we are seeking is acceptance of who we are without judgements.

Our schooling system is full of judgements and rejections of what one is. From the day 1 in schools, we teach kids to see themselves as “imperfect minds” that needs perfection. They are constantly reminded about it. They are not accepted as they are and the entire school community along with parents tries hard to change them. This in short is called “Educating them”. Do’s , Don’ts, Shoulds, Shouldn’t, rules, behaviour corrections, moral conducts are some of the weapons of rejections.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignright" width="300"] Total Acceptance is what we all seek[/caption]

No real education can take place unless, in first place we accept the kids as they are and help them accept themselves as they are. Only then there is a possibility of understanding and transforming  (one that’s natural not enforced) . Total acceptance of both children and teachers in the school will create an environment of love and respect for each other and hence create a conducive land for learning and growth. Total acceptance does not means to be complacent, it means to look at things as they are without any judgement or guilt.

Second important thing that should be coupled with acceptance is what we can call “Right Questioning”. By “Right” here I do not mean moral or ethical right but more in terms of what Gautam Buddha spoke of. “Right Questioning” , implies asking questions intelligently and pursuing them diligently to reach to clarity. It is not cynicism but a constructive force. It is something related to what some people these days call “Appreciative Enquiry”.  However, we do not allow students to ask questions in classroom especially the difficult one whose answer is not in the books.

The children should be encouraged to ask questions about everything and anything and should be supported in the process of pursuing its exploration. (and not offer ready made answers)

When a child is accepted he gains positive self image and self esteem which empower his mental and emotional faculty. When a child is allowed and encouraged to question, she sharpens her intelligence and gets closer to reality. Both of these together will lay foundation for a life of meaning to grow in our students.