Education is a vast field, and educational theories abound.
Surely many have considerable merit, but it should be remembered that none is
free of assumptions about the nature of the human being and society. An
educational process should, for example, create in a child awareness of his or
her potentialities, but the glorification of self has to be scrupulously avoided.
So often in the name of building confidence the ego is bolstered. Similarly,
play has its place in the education of the young. Children and junior youth,
however, have proven time and again their capacity to engage in discussions on
abstract subjects, undertaken at a level appropriate to their age, and derive
great joy from the serious pursuit of understanding. An educational process
that dilutes content in a mesmerizing sea of entertainment does them no service.
We trust that, in studying the institute courses, teachers and animators will
find themselves increasingly equipped to make judicious decisions in selecting
any materials or activities necessary, whether from traditional educational
sources or from the wealth of items, such as songs, stories, and games, that
are sure to be developed for the young in the Baha'i community in the years to
come.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 12 December 2011
addressed to all National Spiritual Assemblies)
