Peace at the Heart of Education

Table of Contents

Peace at the Heart of Education- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.

“Preventing war is the work of politicians, establishing peace is the work of educationists”

– Maria Montessori (an educator)

October 2, every year is celebrated for the ideals of peace by marking the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence.
- This presents an opportunity to explore the causes of violence and reassert a commitment to building a culture of dialogue through education.

COVID-19 Impact: It introduced new forces of division in society. For example-
- Levels of hate speech and fear of the ‘other’ have grown, as people have assigned blame for the virus.
- Forms of structural violence- the economic, racial and gendered forms of injustice built into social systems- have been exacerbated as marginalized groups, including displaced persons and racialized groups, have been disproportionately affected.
Surge in Inequality: is driving instability and tension, fuelling potential social unrest.
‘Pathways for peace’, a flagship 2018 report by the World Bank and the United Nations:
- It shows that many of the world’s conflicts arise from exclusion and feelings of injustice.

Historical background: The philosophies of various religions, cultures and of Gandhi have non-violence, syncretism and tolerance at their core.
National Education Policy (NEP), 2020: presents a unique opportunity to contribute to strengthening equity, justice, and social cohesion.
- The policy has a broad focus on value-based and experiential education, including promoting critical thinking, cultural exchanges, teaching in regional languages, and a commitment to education for all.
- It also advocates for reforms in curricula and pedagogy.

Build Solidarity: by understanding the root causes of human animosity and make peace with one another. We must think about the structures, attitudes and skills that create and sustain peace.
Strengthen Equity through Education: Education can impart the skills and values necessary to recognize and prevent potential conflicts and promote tolerance.
Reforming education system:
- Equipping children from a young age with the skills to respect the dignity of others is key to building resilient and peaceful societies.
- Teachers and educators also need to be equipped with skills to promote peace through experiential and interactive methods.
- Intercultural competencies, like empathy and critical thinking, are best learned through intercultural exchanges and scenario-based learning and not rote learning.
Focusing on Inclusion: Need to recognize and improve opportunities for disadvantaged groups, like women and girls and persons with disabilities.

Beyond discussions around innovation, technology, and smart future schools, we need to understand the potential of education systems and schools in building peaceful societies.
In times of crisis, education has the ability to provide hope and confidence.