Ethics and social values : need for mass awareness
Dr. Nazrul Islam
A nation's heritage, development, values, and aspirations are reflected through its education system. Bangladesh is a troubled country among third-world developing countries. There are various problems in political, economic, social, and cultural fields. We have to move forward through these existing problems. Must be morally strong. Without ethics, a student can never develop into a complete human being. Therefore, the first thing we want is the education of morality. Moral education first comes from the family. Moral education is also associated with religious education. So besides morals, religious education can also play a very important role in a child's life. The Holy Qur'an says, "Wala tancha nachi'baka minadduniya," i.e., do not despise the worldly life. All religions have been introduced to ensure peace, order, justice, and welfare in society. So by practicing and nurturing religious discipline, a student is able to play an important role in his society as well as the state. That's why every parent should emphasize following social norms as well as religious discipline.
When a child is born into the world, it needs nothing but biological needs like hunger and thirst. As he grows older, he undergoes various changes. The prevailing norms, behaviors, and values of society influence the child in such a way that he becomes a member of that society. This process of social influence is called socialization, and a student is greatly influenced by this socialization process.
Here, moral values are understood as what a student learns and nurtures since birth from family, relatives, various institutions, and religious ceremonies through which spiritual and character development is achieved. Through spiritual and character development, a child grows up as a complete human being and is interested in playing an active role in society and state building. Our national education policy also enshrines ensuring education for all children as fundamental. Besides, to ensure that our new generation, by acquiring quality modern and up-to-date education and mastering knowledge, science, and technology, can develop themselves into skilled human resources and can contribute to building a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by ending poverty, illiteracy, corruption, communalism, and backwardness. It is for that purpose that our children should be educated as skilled and patriots. Must be developed as a complete human being.
The main objective of education is to develop thoughtful, rational, ethical, respectful of one's own and other religions, free from prejudice, tolerant, non-sectarian, patriotic, and efficient citizens who are suitable for the development of humanity and leading people-oriented development and progress. Besides, through education, the nation must acquire the characteristics and skills to keep pace with the rapidly changing world. In order to establish moral, humanitarian, cultural, scientific, and social values in individual and national life, it is absolutely necessary to create enthusiasm and excitement in the minds, actions, and practical lives of students. To inspire the spirit of nationalism and to develop patriotism in their thoughts and the qualities of good citizens in their character, such as a sense of justice, a non- communal spirit, a sense of duty, human rights awareness, the practice of an open mind, discipline, a mentality of good living, cordiality, perseverance, etc. For this purpose, necessary measures for sports and physical exercise should be taken, along with creating an environment for the physical and mental development of children.
To nurture children's inherent sense of wonder, boundless curiosity, joy, and boundless enthusiasm and universal human talents, and to create an environment for the necessary mental and physical preparation while respecting their natural inquisitiveness and curiosity and harnessing their vitality and exuberance in a joyful environment with compassion and love. Besides, religious knowledge should help in acquiring a sense of justice, a sense of duty, a sense of discipline, a sense of ethics, and moral and spiritual qualities. Familiarity with one's religion, behavioral excellence, social life, moral mindset creation, and character formation are also important.
Religion is the basic source of morality. It is necessary to be informed about various aspects of religion, to acquire the qualities of knowledge about religious rituals and reforms, to inspire honest courage and love of country, and to inculcate moral and human values in the student's social and national consciousness. It is also necessary to create a suitable environment for everyone to develop their skills and creativity to the maximum. Therefore, it can be said that moral and social values will be developed only by creating new ways and methods of creativity by inventing new ways and methods of creativity through relentless knowledge practice, mindfulness, freedom of thought, and basic and practical research in order to bring about a positive outlook or change in the mental world of the students.