In the present scenario, where violent incidents are happening not only in the society but also in the school premises, many parents are considering not to send their children to school and are eager to find other options for education. It is notable that due to this scenario in the USA and other western countries, many parents do not send their children to school and adopt other options like home schooling, community schooling etc. But the question is whether these options are effective and efficient in the prevention of violence and in the upliftment of society, or there is a need to re-establish our fundamental education system - "Gurukul system", in which the purpose of education is not to collect information or collect certificates but to build character, personality and skills. To discuss on this subject matter, a six-day seminar was organized at Gauranga Institute from March 3 to 8, in which seven scholars from four states gave their presentations. The seminar was also webcasted online (webinar) which was seen and heard by teachers and parents of six Indian states as well as from London.
Gauranga Institute organized a National Seminar (Webinar) from 3rd to 8th March on "Truly Education" topic. During the seminar, speakers gave presentations on various topics like Ideal and Scientific Education, How to Teach Ayurveda, Panchkosh and Ayurveda, Child Development and Education, Alternative Education and Self-Education, Conventional and Non-Conventional Career Options, Child Care, Pregnancy, Kitchen Chemist and others.
In the seminar, Dr. Mehul Acharya, Ph.D. (Ayurveda and Philosophy) Director: Samskruti Arya Gurukulam Rajkot, Smt. Jigyasa Acharya, MA, M. Phil., HG Anandavrindavana dd, Director: Sri Jiva Academy and Former Teacher, Waldorf Education, Chicago, USA, HG Bharat Chandra Das, Founder and President: Center for Traditional Education, Mrs. Archana Parsai Gehlot, M.Tech, IIT Mumbai, Founder: Asmakam - Self Learning Space, HG Tarini Radhika dd, Bhakta Prahalad Shiksha Samaj, Chennai, Dr. Nandan Garg, Ph.D. Wayne State University, USA, addressed.
Shri Mehul Acharya and Mrs. Jigyasa Acharya, are running Samskruti Arya Gurukulam at Rajkot. In Gurukul, various Vedic subjects are taught with entire Vedic teaching method to students. The institution is proposed to build 108 Acharya-centric Gurukulam of the entire Vedic Vidya at various places in the next 5 years. Explaining the principles of Ayurveda and Gurukul education as experimental in present day life, Shri Mehul Acharya said that if one brick of Gurukul is kept, we will not have to keep the bricks of ten jails.
HG Anandavrindavana dd is working as a teacher. Her objectives include the development of youth on the basis of the teachings of Bhagavad-Gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam, strengthening families from the fundamental level, simple and holistic life and high thoughts. She explained about the stages of child development.
HG Bharat Chandra Das is publishing a series of books based on Veda for the promotion of traditional education. He has done extensive research in Vedic knowledge. His books, "Nimitta Jnana", "Garbhadhana Samsakara" and “Timeless Stories of Gomata” are published. His book, "Krsna Krda", is based on the art of engaging children's playful attitude. He said that children have a natural attraction to play and the playful pastimes of Krishna are a natural attraction for the soul. Hence from the beginnings of their life children can very naturally cultivate a taste for devotional service. By playing, they can become Krishna-conscious. It is the success of engaging the children's natural playful attitude.
Mrs. Archana Parsai Gehlot is the founder of "Asmakam". She said that we do not have to teach children the problems of the United Nations. If we keep the real problems of our home, city and neighborhood in front of the children, they will find solutions to those problems with their creativity and will be ready to rise above those problems in the future.
HG Tarini Radhika dd provides value education to more than ten thousand students per week in various schools of Chennai through Bhakta Prahalad Shiksha Samaj. She said that efforts to provide good qualities and value education without any personal relationship will fail. Therefore, if we wish to give good qualities and value education to children, then it is very important for us to establish their relationship with God, Krishna.
Dr. Nandan Garg, Ph.D. from Wayne State University, USA (Computer Science) has worked as an Assistant Professor at Trine University, Indiana, USA for six years. He discussed the measures to meet the physical and emotional needs of children.
Mr. Harsh Vardhan Jain, Director of Gauranga Institute is dedicated to youth development through educational reforms. He has been an Assistant Professor in Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Devi Ahilya University, Indore. He has also served as the Research Fellow in the Research Project of UGC at School of Economics and as Executive (Relationship Manager) at Axis Bank. He informed that there are two major obstacles to parents for adopting Gurukul education for their children. First is that they are afraid about what people will say. To overcome this fear is required for success in any new area. Although Gurukul education system is not new, it is actually the fundamental system of education and people from all over the world used to come to Bharat to receive Gurukul education. Unfortunately, Islamic and British rulers abolished this system and today a dire need to restore it is realized after seventy years of independence. In this context, the story of the trader and donkey is appropriate. Whether the trader sits or does not sit on the donkey or keep the stuff on it or not, in every situation, people speak in the criticizing way. No one has reached the top of success by following the people's talk. The second thing that stops them is a misconception that after acquiring Gurukul education, children will not be able to develop in the modern world and life style. Gurukul education is inclusive and not unitary. Children can certainly achieve the culmination of the goodness of modern life after receiving Gurukul education. Yes it is true that they will be far behind in adopting the evils of modern life and that is our purpose. Today, education is being provided by Gurukul system not only in India but in various top countries of the world like T.K.G. Academy in Dallas, Texas, USA, The Manor School and Krishna Avanti School in London, Sri Prahalada Gurukul in Hungary, Bhaktivedanta Gurukul in Moscow of Russia, Bhaktivedanta Academy in Florida, MathEcoSpirit Academy in Mississippi, Bhaktivedanta International School in Peru, Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukul in New South Wales in Australia, Hare Krishna School in New Zealand, Lord Krishna Academy in Ghana and Nimai International School in Nigeria. Many of these Gurukuls are imparting education to children from ten to fifteen years or more and the children studied here went to the leading universities of the world for further studies and many children today are world famous in their fields. For example HG Gaura Mani dd, whose education came from the Gurukul system in America, is today a world-famous singer and musician and it is remarkable that she is educating her children also through Gurukul system.
The parents present in the seminar expressed concern that there is no arrangement for such a system of education in our neighborhood. On this, Mr. Harsh Vardhan Jain said that we are starting Gauranga Gurukulam this year where arrangements from Play group to Career are being made for the children. With school education students will be groomed for careers. These students will be perfect in character, personality and skills. Courses are already being run in Gauranga Institute for this purpose. Nursery Teachers Training (NTT) and Nursery and Primary Teachers Training (NPTT) Diploma are offered at Gauranga Institute for students who want to pursue careers in the field of education. For those who want to go to traditional careers such as Astrology, Economics, Arts etc., arrangements are being made. For those who want to go in the field of computers, more than 600 programming and designing courses are available at Gauranga Institute. The main course is of Cyber Security Training, which will be required by all software engineers in the future. For those who want to go in the field of accounting and finance, Gauranga Institute offers ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) course from UK (United Kingdom). This has a history of 114 years and is the world's largest course in this field and is valid in 181 countries. Gauranga Institute's most prominent course for Gurukul students will be the course in Entrepreneurship from Singapore, as these students will be equipped with character and leadership qualities and will be creating employment for others in the society. All these courses are futuristic, which will be having high demand in future. Students attending Gauranga Gurukulam will be well versed in skills, personality and character as well as in the art of life at family, society, nation and international levels. He concluded the seminar by saying that Gurukul Education comprises of every goodness of modernity and ancientness, so this system will be effective in establishing such a society in the future, where the love for every creature, nature and the source of both, the Supreme God will be of paramount importance and thereby to solve all other problems will be easy.
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