Tomorrow's challenges are already at our door. The clash of civilizations, religious wars, genocides, armed conflict, nuclear proliferation and crashing markets are now becoming less relevant. The new realities are staring us in the face:
To make matters worse, competition is at an all-time high. Children are growing up more self-oriented and ruthlessly competitive. They need to be sensitized and taught survival competencies. Under such circumstances, schools must become the engines of change. Learning and teaching must evolve into leading for sustainability. New curricula must have, for their objectives, leadership and whole education. These will create survival skills in learners.
Students must be sensitized to the vital values of compassion and becoming pro-poor. They must be motivated to innovate, to find solutions, to develop ideas, design and use technology to meet the challenges of living. Education must alter its vision from "preparation for life" to "preparation for sustainability of the planet". Children and youth must think, not of "my life" but "our Life". This focus will still centre around leadership and education, as we have always done at Indus.
Raising the emotional quotient, (EQ) of our students is crucial, and the only way in which we can sustain what we have and what is left of resources and human potential.
Ignorance, greed and indifference must give way to knowledge, to altruism and concern for the oppressed, the underserved and needy in our societies. This then, is the new meaning and context of leadership. Our love for our planet and its bounty must express itself in ways that are real, that are deserving of provision for today and tomorrow.
(This is the essence of the message brought to newly elected Leaders of The Indus Student Council at Bangalore, by Lt. Gen. Arjun Ray (Retd.), CEO of the Indus Trust on the occasion of The Ceremony of Investiture on January 26th, 2012)
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Date: 12/03/2024