Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam
Why We Do
Educare - Values based education is the need of the hour
It is a proven fact that the important formative years of a child are between grades 6 and 12. These are the years when the child develops academically, but more importantly emotionally! As the child moves from teenage into adolescence, careful attention to every child’s emotional and behavioural aspects becomes extremely important, so as to help the child pick up the right value system, that could help the child all through his or her life. Considerable time and efforts are needed to groom the child as a complete personality, failing which it can lead to lopsided development that can have adverse effects, especially in today’s highly competitive world.
We firmly believe that in the coming decades stress in the life of a human being is only going to increase. So, there is a need to teach in the present-day schools how to cope with that. Research has shown that by and by, the Spiritual Quotient and the Emotional Quotient are becoming equally important, if not more important, than Intelligence Quotient. We take this responsibility very seriously to help child develop the right behaviour which would create joy and happiness it’s own life and in the life of those around it. Education experts define the most important skills for the twenty first century students of a global society, as the 4 C’s – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. But, we consider the 5th C – character over and above the 4 C’s, as the most important. Simply put, Character is the ability to do right always. Understandably, all of this requires considerable time and focussed effort. Therefore, reducing the unwanted academic burden by enabling the child and the parents to choose the right subjects, based on child’s aptitude and interest, can help the child immensely, and allow enough time to learn other important skills, for not just surviving but thriving in the 21st century. NIOS is therefore the perfect choice to implement this idea of a holistic development of child and better prepared for a global future.
Thus, the transformation of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Group of Educational Institutions into Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam, with a focused approach to learning in line with the twenty first century world, is the way forward.
Empowering Young Minds
As an Institution committed to moulding students to be socially responsible, academically brilliant and fundamentally of strong character, we believe values-based education is vital to human and economic development. So, alongside enabling our little learners to eke a living, we also equip them with skills to make life worthwhile and meaningful.
That the students leave the portals seeing themselves as contributors to the society, inspires us to stay invested in this cause. And when we look back after handing over each batch to the society, we realise that this process of teaching and learning has touched and transformed us as much as it has the students. Maybe that’s why they say when one teaches, two learn. This explains our hurried expansion to integrate more children into the formal schooling system, but also the criticality of it.
If 38 Institutions in 24 Campuses and 19 Districts have been possible in a short time, this is because many individuals across the globe have made benevolence their bent of mind, parting with their rainy–day funds to bestow children with the wealth of education. Until the last child from our country’s villages receives education, and her children do too, we will keep at it.
This will be our story.
B N Narasimha Murthy
Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence
Chief Mentor, Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam
sā vidyā yā vimuktaye - True education is for liberation!
What does it mean? Though there exist several kinds of education, be it literature, science, mathematics or even sports, music, and other art forms, the best and highest among all types of education is ‘ātma vidyā’ (spiritual education), which is the knowledge of one’s ātmā or Self. Since all these various types and forms of education have emerged from one divine source, therefore the ultimate goal irrespective of the education that one pursues, should be to learn ‘ātma vidyā’ - knowledge of one’s divine self.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, “You may be a doctor, but you have certainly not created the plants or chemicals from which medicines are made or even the body that you operate upon. You may be an engineer, but you have not created the five elements of nature that you use to construct and build. You may be a farmer, but you have not created the seed. You may be a painter, but you have not created the colours. You may be a musician, but you have not created the sound. Finally, you may be a Guru or teacher, but you have not created knowledge! You are only using all that which has been created by God, the supreme creator! This logic is testimony to the existence of God. Man, only learns how to utilise these and takes pride in his achievements, but unfortunately does not exert any effort to understand the creator. True education is to know the Creator!”
‘ātma vidyā’ or ‘Self Knowledge’ is more important than all kinds of worldly education. Education is for life and not for living. Through the system of educare, human values that are latent in all are drawn out into the open to be translated into purposeful action for, education is not a mere accumulation of knowledge but must consummate into selfless actions. Education that originates from the knowledge of the within finds its fulfilment in the actions without. This is the chief purpose of Sri Sathya Sai Baba in establishing educational institutions – to impart worldly education with greater emphasis on spiritual education for the redemption of one’s life.
Devotion, Discipline, Love - A Means of Transformation
It is said there are two goals of education - jīvana upādhi , education that imparts knowledge and skills to lead lives, and jīvita paramāvadhi, God realisation, which is the ultimate goal of life. Students at the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam are exposed to a unique learning model that isn’t just limited to classrooms. From hostel rooms to dining halls to the playground, students are exposed to values and lessons everywhere – education with a heart. Students are engaged at an intellectual, emotional, logical, ethical and spiritual level, inspiring and prodding them to always listen to, and act from the wisdom that’s latent within. Therefore, the unique feature of these Institutions is to impart a sound, liberal, high quality ‘man-making’ education on modern lines, blending it with the noble values of Indian heritage in an atmosphere of devotion, discipline, love and mutual cooperation. Sri Sathya Sai Baba, considered education, not as accumulation of information but
rather a means of transformation.
Serving Future Generations
Education Scene Today - The Problems and Solutions
Problems
The education system in India suffers from these major problems -
1. India is home to one-third of world’s “illiterates".
2. Drop-out rates are high for various reasons.
3. Limited govt budgetary outlays for Education.
4. No focus on values-based education. Secular subjects take most of mind share for educational institutions.
5. Privatization of education has resulted in making education a very costly affair for average families
Solutions
The only way to overcome them all -
1. Free thoughtful Education for all.
2. Empowering Rural India through holistic Education.
3. Community Involvement.
How has Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam has countered these problems ?
• Includes value based courses in equal measure to ensure a well-rounded personality with high character, with the ability to face life with confidence
• Constantly inviting experts from various fields to record courses on specialized topics on voluntary basis
• Collaboration with other like-minded corporates and content providers
• Lessons with high-quality content delivered via YouTube and a mobile app
• All services rendered absolutely free
• Free video lessons, with chapters and exercises
• 1-1 mapping with the curriculum of various boards (beginning with Karnataka State Syllabus), with online exam capabilities
• Multilingual, beginning with English and Kannada
• Includes various courses on life skills. For eg: Carpentry, Plumbing, Maintenance, fine arts, Goshala maintenance, recipes etc.
What a child gains from Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam ?
• Sprawling Campuses
• Modern Facilities
• Self-reliance and Simple Living
• Environmental Awareness
• Activities beyond academics