
In our educational institutes we or the society teaches or educates children out of the dominant worldview of the society or the culture, more particularly the worldview of the intellectuals of the country.
The dominant worldview of the intellectuals of our time is based on the Secular Humanism, which denies the existence of God. According to them what we see or prove scientifically is the reality. There is no supernatural being or God. They continue seek the truth through science and philosophy, means human reasoning. In our universities, through the diversity of faculties we seek truth for the existential question of life. The name, universities, has roots and origin in Uni Veritas means ‘one truth’.
The search for “Truth is the goal of human being because “IT” helps us to live in freedom, as Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Jesus knew it and HIS mission is to bring people to the knowledge of Truth. God is Truth, God is holy, God is just and He is merciful and His vision for the world is Shalom, meaning the presence of the desirable qualities of well-being, a sense of wholeness, harmony, y justice, peace, fruitfulness and harmony in creation – all gifts of God.The basis of Jesus’ worldview was in God the truth and Shalom; Jesus saw the reality both material and spiritual through this conviction and this mindset and it was for betterment of humanity. Therefore he could see what was wrong with the humanity; through his teaching and life style his aim was to bring people to the Knowledge of Truth and perpetuate Shalom in our society. For Jesus both material and spiritual realms are part of reality and they are connected to each other.
The ultimate purpose of today’s education system is human self-development and self-fulfillment. If Jesus came to our schools today, HIS method of teaching would be “transformative learning”, transformation of the person to be agent of transformation in the society. For example Jesus would not ask his students to memorize Ten Commandment. But he will rather explain them, how practicing of it would be good for the society. The aim of Jesus as teacher was “transformation of life”, and not only head knowledge. His subjects and method focused on transformation of worldview and ultimately life style of individual and transformation of the society, nation and the world.
His method of teaching was such that his hearers would understand it. He often accompanied theory with illustration.
The important and very fundamental basis of his teaching was that, he treated human beings with dignity. His teaching and subjects came from this understanding that human beings are to be treated with dignity and so he gave dignity to the undignified. He often taught and he was voice for the voiceless, the poor and the needy and the widows. He strongly spoke against the roots of injustice and corruption in the society. He would also want his hearers to understand the subject with the focus of how to make its learning to apply to the whole community and not just the learner himself.
According to Jesus character-formation would be the primary function of education because God is holy and the absolute moral values for human beings comes from this God. Educated person means one who has good manners, kindness, humility, integrity and honesty. When educational institutes’ produces people with these characters will help prosper any nation.
Jesus would teach that if practiced “do not steal” it will benefit all the society, when there is honest worker, shopkeeper, honest politician or honest banker or no thief or robberies then the Government would not need to invest public tax money in sophisticated weapons and vehicles for police. In fact the number of police force would go down and this same money the government could use for the welfare of its people.
Finally Jesus would make sure that HIS students understand that to know the Truth, its vital to acknowledge God. Apart from HIM we cannot know the truth, means if we keep HIM out then we will not be free. Personal-infinite God has chosen to reveal truth to us both through special revelation, which is communicated to us by means of the Bible and God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and through general revelation, which is communicated to us by means of His rational and non-rational creation; and that education should involve the pursuit of learning, which is derived from all of these sources of revelation.
Jesus as a teacher – HE practiced what he taught, he was not teacher just because of his knowledge but he practiced and dominated the subject. This gave him authority and confidence among his hearers. He said, come and see where I live. As a teacher his life wasn’t contradictory with what he was teaching.
A teacher’s vision for his society, his worldview and lifestyle is very significant part of the education and implementation of the curriculum.
The education of our time requires us to transform lives of students and facilitate them to investigate and know the truth and making them to understand that all the material possession that they claim to have is also due to the contribution of the community and so they should share it with others. My welfare and comfort depends upon the welfare and comfort of my neighbor and my fellow human beings.