At the end of World War II, this letter was found in a Nazi concentration camp. It is addressed to Teachers:

“Dear Teachers,

I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:

Gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burnt by High School and College Graduates. So, I am suspicious of education.

My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated illiterates. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve towards making our children more humane.”

I have visited at least 3 Nazi Concentration Camps – Dachau and  Flossenbürg both in Germany, and Auschwitz in Poland. I distinctly remember the gas chambers, prison cells, beds, uniform of prisoners, and many other things preserved to remember the heinous crimes committed during Hitler’s Nazi regime. At the entrance of the Concentration Camps are the boards in four prominent languages – English, German, French and Russian stating “Never Again!”

Sadly however, what happened before and during World War II in Nazi Germany is still happening in different ways and in different degrees in many parts of the world; China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, Nigeria, Yemen, to mention a few countries. Ours is no exception, though to a lesser extent. But what is happening is disturbing and worrying because there are definite patterns and dangerous trends. There seems to be plans and attempts to imitate Nazi ideology. One fears things may go from bad to worse and end up in a huge disaster. 

Religious persecutions, atrocities against minorities, ethnic or caste conflicts, large-scale corruption, huge scams and frauds, rampant practice of abortion, rapes and murders, oppression of poor and marginalized, hatred and violence against particular communities, current hijab controversy in Karnataka and similar things are daily affairs. And these are not all crimes committed by poor illiterates. Most of those who perpetrate these crimes are ‘educated’ politicians, businessmen, doctors, religious leaders, teachers, students etc. 

Certain fundamentalists and bigoted leaders and their organizations brainwash followers or gullible people with violent, hateful, inflammatory speeches and dangerous ideologies which promote such crimes. Unbridled greed, avarice and lust lead to corruption, scams and sexual abuse, including rapes.

How is that the so-called educated people use their knowledge and skills for wrong things like abortions, murders, terrorism, bank frauds, cyber crimes, pornography, wars, etc? The main fault lies in our education system. We train children to be skilled, competent and knowledgeable, but not human and humane. Most of our efforts, energy and time are spent on information and indoctrination. Very little attention is paid to the formation of the heart, conscience and character. 

Most of our institutions do not provide value education, moral science or ethics, even in Medical, Nursing and Engineering Colleges or Business Schools. There is no good example of honesty, truthfulness, tolerance, respect for one another’s religion and culture etc. given by parents at home. A good tree produces good fruits and a bad tree bad. Many parents themselves are violent, religious bigots, corrupt and unjust. A child brought up by such parents will surely become like them. Whereas if you bring up a child in an ambience of love, respect, tolerance, truthfulness, honesty, integrity, understanding and appreciation he/she will learn to love and respect others, will be honest and truthful, human and humane.  

At the entrance gate of a University in South Africa, the following message was posted for contemplation:

“Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles… It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students.
Patients die at the hands of such doctors;
Buildings collapse at the hands of such engineers;
Money is lost at the hands of such economists & accountants;
Humanity dies at the hands of such religious scholars;
Justice is lost at the hands of such judges.
The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation.”

It is well-known that there are corrupt practices in admissions, examinations and promotion of children in many institutions. Fake universities and fake degrees are also not uncommon. Many a politician who has never gone to college or university boasts of degrees. In many schools and colleges unfair means and cheating in examination is not only allowed but encouraged. What type of men and women can we expect from such Institutions, except as described above in the Message at the entrance gate of a University in South Africa? Indeed, “the collapse of education is the collapse of the nation.” Do we not see this happening in many nations of the world and in our own?

Therefore, we need to train our children to be human and humane. St. Francis de Sales said so rightly, “the heart of education is the education of the heart.” Let us not forget or neglect the heart of education. Let us not neglect the education of the heart. Let us educate our children to be future men and women of “character, conscience, competence, compassion and commitment.” For that is the true aim of education as propounded by the All India Catholic Education Policy of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). 

Even though many institutions claim to offer quality and holistic education, unfortunately, most of our educational institutions concentrate only on one aspect i.e., competence. The other four – character, conscience, compassion and commitment -- are grossly neglected. No wonder, corruption, violence, intolerance, sexual abuse, rapes, murders, abortions, religious persecutions, terrorism, etc. are rising. The only solution is to educate our children by word and example to be human and humane, compassionate and kind, tolerant and respectful, just and truthful. This is a Herculean task and requires concerted efforts, long-term planning and effective implementation.

The only effective method for this is good example. Parents and teachers have to be role models. For, as St. Pope Paul VI said: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers. And if he listens to teachers, it is because they are also witnesses.” And as Dr. Albert Schweitzer put it, “in inspiring or influencing others, example is not the main thing, it is the only thing.” Unfortunately, this only thing, namely example, is missing very badly in our families, schools, colleges and society at large. Unless this missing thing, namely good example or witness of life is brought back, social and moral evils will continue to rise and destroy humanity. Parents, teachers, educators, religious and political leaders all have a great responsibility in this regard. Let us be role models and form our children to be human and humane. 

(The writer is the Bishop of Lucknow)