Integrating Education for Peace and Harmony in Teacher Education Curriculum

Abstract

These days the need of integrating education for peace and harmony in teacher education is being felt
badly. But how to do it practically calls for a serious and sincere effort. For this, it is vital to have access to
an effective curriculum. It also requires a suitable pedagogical methodology, sufficient resource material
and above all conducive atmosphere. To implement all this, the dedicated and competent teachers are
a must. A very important reason for integrating education for peace and harmony in teacher education
curriculum is the fact that the current model of education contributes to the tension, unrest, lopsided
development and negativity among students. The present model of education attaches utmost significance
to cognitive aspect at the cost of the affective domain. This leads to alienation between head and heart.
Students are exposed to excessive competition that gives rise to mutual mistrust, jealousy, hatred etc. They
are groomed right from the beginning to be ready for aggressive competition. The individual excellence is
encouraged to be achieved at the cost of emotional and relational skills. Young students can’t understand
why they are in the academic institution. Their understanding is limited to mugging up the lessons. They are
hardly taught how to live peacefully and harmoniously. They don’t know the significance of co-existence.
They don’t know about their commitment to the welfare of the mankind. They hardly bother about the
environment and other social and moral issues. They also don’t know as to what sort of persons they
hope to become at the completion of their education. They easily fall prey to violence, crimes, terrorism,
corruption, dishonesty. As such the present system of education of this kind is faulty. Students are quite
bewildered with the bombardment of the new technological devices, information explosion and violent
news by the press and media. Integrating Education for peace and harmony in teacher education curriculum
may result in proper focus on cultivation of virtues like self-control, tolerance, selfless service, practice of
prayer, harmony, love for all people, helpful to the needy etc