Philosophy

Workshop Talk Delivered at NATA-AGM, March 2014 In its Report to UNESCO in the document  Learning: The Treasure Within (1996) [1] ,  also referred to as the Delors Report, the International Commission on Education for the 21 st  Century, proposed the following four pillars of education as listed below: Learning to know Learning to do Learning to live together Learning to be Learning to know  involves “combining a sufficiently broad general education with the possibility of in-depth work on a selected number of subjects.” [2]  The goal is “to provide the cognitive tools required to better comprehend the world and its complexities, and to provide an appropriate and adequate foundation for future learning.” [3]  The scheme is first to provide  general education  as an introductory foundation for  special education  later on. Learning to do  involves “the acquisition of the practical skills needed in the workplace along with the ability to contribute as part of a team and to demonstrate in...

Published in Journal of NATA, Vol. 3. No.1,2. 2013. Bangalore, pp.37-43. Christian scholarship is a strong theme of the Bible. For instance, the Old Testament commends Ezra a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:6) and one who had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). The four qualities of a scholar are already present in that one statement: preparation of faculties, study, practice, and communication. Certainly, these disciplines were what defined the vocation of Ezra as a skilled scribe. The New Testament indicates to us that lack of a scholarly attitude, appetite, approach, and aptitude lead to schisms, sectarianisms, and suffering within the Body of Christ. Gullibility is not a virtue (2Tim.3:6); mere “learning” without assimilation is folly (2Tim.3:7); ability to criticize and oppose doesn’t promise wisdom (2Tim.3:8-9; 1Tim.6:4). The call is to diligent, determined, and directed scholarship. “Be ...