Improving the Ethos of a School and Achieving Academic Excellence

IMPROVING THE ETHOS OF A SCHOOL AND ACHIEVING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE:

THE SATHYA SAI EDUCATION IN HUMAN VALUES APPROACH: AN ACTION RESEARCH

Isobel Ritchie

Convenor SSEHV Scotland

Paper presented at the Scottish Educational Research Association Annual Conference

(September 24-26 1998: West Park Conference Centre, Dundee)

ABSTRACT This action research paper will highlight how the ethos of a school can be improved thus leading to a learning and caring environment that will foster character building thus contributing towards academic excellence through the incorporation of basic universal values which are fundamental to The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) Pogramme. This paper is complementary to the paper by Dr Madhavi Majmudar, on the conceptual framework of the SSEHV programme. Observations are offered on the Sathya Sai School in Thailand and The Sathya Sai School in Zambia.

INTRODUCTION

The paper by Majmudar (1998) emphasised that consideration of values education needs to be placed in the global context but based in the national and local cultural needs. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) programme is such a cross-cultural programme. This programme bears the name Sathya Sai because it was developed from the original teachings and the practice of the institutions in India of Sai Baba who is an international educationist and social reformer. ( For the History and Evolution of SSEHV see Majmudar.(1998)

Schools often have to face a dichotomy between the goals of quantitative achievements in academic standards as reflected in the league tables and fostering the all important needs of the child in a holistic way where the environment nurtures self-confidence, integrity, love, and other moral values required to tackle problems such as poor discipline, bullying and vandalism. Thus the creation of a learning environment through an appropriate ethos for the school has become very important.

As values education in the UK is still at an early stage of development, the experience of two countries – Thailand and Zambia , will be discussed in the paper to provide some evidence on the ethos of the school and possible links to academic excellence.

The SSEHV programme uses the following five universal values: TRUTH, PEACE, LOVE, RIGHT CONDUCT, and NON-VIOLENCE. The five teaching components are: silent-sitting; theme of the week, positive thinking, quotation or prayer; story telling; group singing; group activity.

THE UK SSEHV PROGRAMME

The UK SSEHV programme compiled by Carole Alderman (Volumes 1and 2) is specially designed for the UK national curriculum for children aged 6 years to 12 years (Alderman 1996, 1997). Four further volumes are planned, for pupils aged 13 to 16 years.
The programme is essentially a self-development programme, the journey through which may be sometimes challenging, often exciting and always worthwhile (Alderman, Vol.1, p8).

The programme focuses on the five Human Values, explaining what they are, and how to incorporate them into class lessons, using the five components. The aim of this programme is to develop the character of children, to foster the holistic development of the child, to educate children to be fit for life, and not just for sitting examinations. The first part of Alderman's Volumes deals with the Theory, (The theoretical framework of SSEHV was elaborated by Majmudar (1998), the second part contains 26 lesson plans ready for use in PSE lessons, or as appropriate.

Each lesson follows the same format, and incorporates one of the basic values and a related-value.
To show how the above approach is applied in practice a brief summary of one lesson plan has been selected from Alderman’s Volumes and is outlined below.
Lesson 1.7 (Volume 1 p105)

VALUE: LOVE: RELATED VALUE; BEING LOVING

Objective:

to stimulate thinking about the effect love has on oneself and on others.

QUOTATION/THEME FOR THE WEEK

Start the day with love, Fill the day with love,

End the day with love, That is the way to live.

SILENT SITTING

Silent sitting helps to quieten the minds of children. Partly a relaxation exercise, it helps to reduce stress, for both children and the teacher.

STORY SURYA THE WATER CARRIER

The story is about a little girl Surya, who like all children the world over wanted to feel loved. Surya had a little water pot which she used when she went with her mother to fetch water. Surya explained to her mother that she had this feeling like a little warm furry animal inside her that puffed out its fur when someone smiled at her but stayed quiet when no-one smiled. Her mother explained that this was her heart which responded to love and being loving. If she smiled, people would smile in return thus to avoid being lonely, try and show love to other people who will respond with love.

The story was followed by discussion.

GROUP SINGING

IF YOU WISH FOR LOVE

(music and lyrics by Sara John).

If you wish for love,

You have to be loving,

If you wish for peace,

You have to be peaceful,

If you wish for truth,

You have to be truthful,

Together they give

A valuable life.

If you wish for joy,

You have to be joyful,

If you wish for bliss,

You have to be blissful,

If you wish for friends

You have to be friendly,

Together they give

A valuable life.

GROUP ACTIVITY -

1 GOOD POSTURE GAME

2 Colouring in a picture of Surya and her mother carrying the water pots.

SILENT SITTING

Among the five components/techniques, silent sitting is at the core of the SSEHV international programme. Alderman’s volumes describe in detail the simple and effective way to use this technique. However, it is advisable that the teacher receives some training before using this method and it should not be confused with meditation which is for adults. Silent Sitting is a powerful technique because with practice children should become more receptive and intuitive. It is recommended that in time every class should start with a couple of minutes of silence. Once this becomes a regular practice the teacher should notice some changes in the students behaviour and an improvement in their concentration.

An alternative to Silent Sitting is a Guided Visualisation on Universal Light, full details of which can be found in Alderman's volumes (page53). Basically the children imagine a light in front of their foreheads. The teacher asks them to imagine a light filling their heads, then their hearts, and their hands, going down to their feet, back up to their heads, eyes, ears, mouth. At all stages, the teacher suggests positive statements, e.g. 'with your eyes see only good’. Light is used because it symbolises purity and wisdom.

From the experience in the Sathya Sai School in Thailand it has been found that the benefits of silent sitting include - Improved memory; Better concentration; Feeling at peace; Self control; Developing of Intuition.

The THEME OF THE WEEK can be a PRAYER, QUOTATION or POEM

A variety of positive statements can be used for this teaching component. ‘As one thinks, so one becomes’, is a well known statement. Positive thinking is an attempt to counter balance the negative thoughts, through quotes of famous people, from poetry, or prayers if they are appropriate, or repetition of positive statements. The purpose of prayer is to help the children 'go within' to help them find 'inner peace'.

As illustrated above, all five components can be utilised in such a way that the teaching of values in all lessons becomes, with practice, second nature.

OBSERVATIONS OF SATHYA SAI SCHOOL THAILAND

The Sathya Sai School Thailand is in the heart of the country, three hours drive from Bangkok. The Scottish SSEHV Team visited this school in February 1998 for 10 days to observe how SSEHV teaching was being implemented.
The new purpose-built boarding school was started in 1992, with an intake of 14 pupils to class 1. Annually the numbers increased with a total of 120 students and 14 staff members in February 1998, while the Secondary school started in May 1998. Pupils were selected by interviewing the parents carefully so that the reasons for enrolling in the school could be ascertained.

The school followed the national curriculum. All classes started with Silent Sitting, and an atmosphere of calm permeated the air. In addition to the SSEHV lesson, values were incorporated in all subject areas.
A Research Project was under progress by two professors from Bangkok on commission from the Sathya Sai School, which involved an evaluation of the school in action and a comparison of pupils at the Sathya Sai School with the pupils from standard Government Schools. The study began in November 1997 and was due to be completed in April 1999. Phase one of the study was due to be completed by April 1998.
Although the first stage of the report was not yet fully available, Professor So Vasana Pravalapreuk, the senior researcher in charge of the project observed that the most
striking result of the project was in the area of ethics, emotions, and character of the children of the Sathya Sai School.

Always lending a helping hand to others, sacrifice, think of others first, no selfishness, respect for others, get on well with everyone, helping each other, great respect for teachers.

The welcome of the U.K. group, the affection and happiness of the children, the kindness and concern and helpfulness of the children, the good manners and respect shown to the teacher, the art work of the children, were impressive factors observed personally and by the UK team supporting the observations by the independent research team.

OBSERVATIONS OF SATHYA SAI SCHOOL ZAMBIA

Information about the school was found in the new report about to be published 'Starting and Managing a Sathya Sai School The Zambian Experience'. The report is factual, and in addition there is an excellent video called 'the Miracle School of Zambia' which enabled a brief report to be completed on the working of the Sathya Sai School in Zambia.

The Sathya Sai School in Zambia is a private non-profit making school for boys located in Panodzi, Ndola and started in 1993. The school has currently 550 pupils and a teaching staff of 44. It has three inter-related aims: Spiritual and Moral Excellence; Academic Excellence; Environmental Excellence.
The school is non-denominational. The life and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba are however the guiding spirit of the school. The curriculum and syllabi operate within the statutory framework of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Zambia.
The School accepts children from all backgrounds, but especially admitted the students who were rejected from proceeding to Secondary school education because of their failure to achieve the necessary grades in Primary seven. These students having studied at Sathya Sai School for Grade 8 and Grade 9 showed consistently over three consecutive years that they could achieve more than the required total marks at the end of grade 9 and proceed to the Senior Secondary School. The results have been virtually 100% pass rates. Kanu’s Report (1998, forthcoming) contains impressive accounts by pupils, parents and staff, who spoke of dramatic changes for the better, both at school and at home.
The school has been called 'The Miracle School of Zambia'.

The Vice Principal of the Secondary School emphasises the following: there is no vandalism nor theft of school text books nor school equipment by pupils; morals are taught during assemblies in the school auditorium held twice daily, also daily during class to mould pupils to grow as proper citizens.

SSEHV SCOTLAND

The SSEHV programme was introduced into Scotland by a team of seven members. The Scottish team approached eleven education authorities in Scotland and had useful meetings with nine departments. The workbooks by Alderman were generally well reviewed. Pilot launches have taken place in a few schools. A number of education departments have placed the volumes in their respective library centres. Considerable interest in one of the central belt areas was shown when the education department hosted an after school presentation. This resulted in one Primary school requesting a training session for its entire teaching staff.

There are a number of other resource materials already in use in schools as discussed by Majmudar (1998). The SSEHV Programme is seen as complementary
resource material to other material already in use by many schools. There appeared to be a slow
but growing awareness of the distinctiveness of the SSEHV programme. In the coming year, the Scottish team will take the programme to more schools when invited and provide free training as part of their service to the community.

The SSEHV programme fits in well with SOED guidelines on Personal and Social Development, Religious and Moral Education and Environmental Studies, as it is multi-faith and multi-cultural.(For further details see Majmudar 1998)

CONCLUSION

Used properly, with some training, SSEHV should improve the ethos of the school and foster a learning and caring atmosphere.
Seeing the love of the children in Thailand, their ability to concentrate due to their inner peace, reviewing the Report of the Zambian School with the back-up of official statistics, the author felt that this Programme had much to offer, to improve the ethos of our schools, and to help achieve academic excellence.

Taylor 1998 gives an excellent summing up of ‘What Makes an Effective Valuing and Values learning School’

Headteacher has a vision for values..strong professional leadership concerning values..Values given high profile in teaching and learning and in life of school. (Page 18)

Those were the points that particularly impressed the author in the two Sathya Sai Schools studied closely. Basically the teachers ‘lived’ good values. The headteachers founded their schools on Good Values.

In the Sathya Sai School Thailand when training teachers in SSEHV, they are taught that Rule number 1 is ‘Be a good example’. Rule number 2 is ‘a repeat of rule number 1’. It cannot be overemphasised that to succeed in changing the behaviour of the pupils, the teacher must ‘practise what she/he preaches’. Only then can the ethos of the school be improved and academic success become more achievable.

REFERENCES

Alderman, Carole.(1995, 1996) Sathya Sai Education in Human Values. An Introduction and Lesson Plans. Volumes 1 & 2. Sathya Sai Education in Human Values of the U.K.

Burrows, Loraine.(1997) Discovering the Heart of Teaching. International Institute of Sathya Sai Education.

Kanu, Victor.(Being Published). Starting and Managing Sathya Sai School. The Zambian Experience.

Majmudar, M. (1998) Developing Values Education for the New Millenium Through a Cross-cultural Approach: Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Theory and Practice.
Scottish Offiice Education Department (SOED), (1993) Environmental Studies 5-14
SOED (1992) Religious and Moral Education 5-14

SOED (1993) Personal and Social Development 5-14

Taylor, Monica J.(1998) Values Education and Values in Education. Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Video - The Miracle School of Zambia, Produced by James Redmond.1998 The Video Education Company, Arizona.

For further information contact:-

Isobel Ritchie, SSEHV Scotland Convenor, The Lodge, Stotfield Road, LOSSIEMOUTH, Moray, Scotland IV31 6QT Tel and Fax: 01343 813398

e-mail:

Carole Alderman, SSEHV U.K. Co-ordinator, The Glen, Cuckoo Hill, PINNER, Middlesex HA5 2BE Tel: 0181 429 2677 Fax:0181 866 3914

e-mail: