Does Education have any bearing on Values and Ethics?

Does Education have any bearing on Values and Ethics?

My grandparents from impoverished pockets of a Dalit colony of a small hamlet has been known for their hospitality – this mean, feeding the surrounding boys even when there is no much food for them. They were absolutely illiterate. Had no education.

A senior colleague and a person instrumental for my induction into Federal University of Pondicherry, renowned economist Prof.D.Sambandhan many times have stated “My parents were illiterate, but had enormous values as rural rice vendors. They were clean in their business – marginal gain apart from benevolent approach towards poorer people. His social status is much above a Dalit as in the case of my grandparents.

When I was raised away from my native village by a relative during my Kinder Garten days in a neighbouring town as I was educated by a missionary school, the introduction of hell and heaven came to be for telling lies. At school, a reinforcement of catholic values was made and of course with the inputs of teachers at Class I, II and III through moral science instruction hours, some kind of value system was being inculcated within us. These, according to me are mere social behaviour. Just like I would not lick my fingers and eat in a public place, those were ornamental toning of public behaviour. But, what makes me identify this is right and this is incorrect or Yes, he is a scoundrel hence let me keep away, is really a mystery.

Again, going back to Prof.D.Sambandhan, who says “ I cannot do a mischief when I am away from home not because of lack of opportunity or social control, but because of a fear – that fear I would subscribe to parental genes. Even this theory to me is not convincing as not all children nurture values as their parents or ancestors. Then what shapes values? Morals?

When I examine this question deeply – I can never admit education as an instrument of imbibing morals and ethics – provided how education is understood conventionally. I find of late that the real culprits are the educated. In Village Swaraj, Gandhi whips doctors and lawyers, but if he is today would include Academic educators too – especially those who sit in higher educational system.

Mere degrees cannot ensure any values. Hence rightly the University Grants Commission have laid “People of high morals “alone should be considered for the post of Vice Chancellor. This I find not a casual adjective but a well thought condition, but does not have any indicators. How shall a person call himself as morally upright?

Let’s consider the following probabilities:

1.      Honesty with arrogance cannot be moral!

2.      I am very polite but most scandalous also is dangerous.

3.      I am an erudite scholar, but I have sexual harassment charges against me (somehow I white washed) also cannot qualify the expected parameter.

These above situations have resulted in the massive manufacture of candidates for Vice Chancellors across the country as evidenced in the High Court Judgements of Bombay, Chennai as well as the Supreme Court in the last few years that there the majority fall within the scope of the two broad categories:

1.      I am very generous and kind and very popular – but I am a muff though I have produced PhD and written some pulp literature

2.      I am a proven rascal with political clout I can become a Vice Chancellor.

There are of course exceptional like Mrs.Kalyani Mathivanan, effective teachers in a College in Chennai who according to UGC rules have not found eligible to hold the post of Vice Chancellor, but later awarded relief as benefit of doubt citing federal-provincial laws by the Supreme Court of India. But what matters for me is the moral uprightness. How did she behave in the University as a Vice Chancellor? This is a video clip that shows how she re-joined University as Vice Chancellor after the Supreme Court granted an interim relief. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmXNEz4Swlc. How such arrangements could be ever permitted in Higher Educational Institution. I am really worried of the fate if students on the teachers who exhibit maximum sycophancy. It is these uncouth, back-boneless unethical group who cause the system to rot, which rules the roost.

A dissertation by one of my student on the selection process of Vice Chancellors for Kerala Universities indicate that in the case of Kannur University there was a major flaw in the recruitment process itself. The incumbent Vice Chancellor has full knowledge about this and this is where my question gets validated –“Does Education have any bearing on Values and Ethics?”

I am afraid how this world would be when my children become players of the society. I am afraid of the future course of this society. Religions have failed. Educational Institutions have lost their relevance in inculcating moral values and higher education institutions have been reduced as a “Degree Granting Institutions”. What is the way out? Where this vicious circle can be broken and a transformation brought – I keep searching.
( I am not discussing about Pondicherry University Issue because the matter is subjudice)