Full Description
The Soul of Education is a deeply integrative exploration (both spiritual and secular) of what it means to reclaim the moral, spiritual, and relational heart of schooling. Drawing together contemporary educational research, insights from Vedic philosophy, and lived practice, the book invites readers to re-examine the purposes and possibilities of education in a rapidly changing world.
Through interconnected chapters, the authors present a soul-led vision of education, grounded in teachings from the Bhagavad Gītā and Vedic thought. They explore how values, virtues, and beliefs shape character, agency, and wellbeing in school life, while critiquing the performative pressures and utilitarian aims that have eroded the "soul" of modern schooling. Central to the book is the Tree of Life framework, which integrates Educational Excellence, Character Formation, and Spiritual Insight to create a holistic ecology of learning. Practical examples and classroom anecdotes illustrate how educators and parents can foster inner growth through listening, reflection, service, and compassionate action.
This book is ideal for educators, parents, policymakers, and anyone invested in the future of education. It speaks to those seeking alternatives to materialism and performativity, offering tools to address the challenges of growing up in a technologically advanced, socially fragmented world.
Contents
Part A: Preparing for a Journey: An Invitation 1. An Invitation to Join Us in the Search for the Soul of Education 2. Making Sense of the Soul of Education 3. Viewing the Battlefields of Education and Life 4. Viewing the Battlefields in Life: An Age of Quarrel and Hypocrisy 5. Exploring the Lost Soul of Education Part B: Setting out on the Journey: Exploring Six Beliefs 6. Introducing Six Beliefs for Human Flourishing 7. Realising Potential 8. Empowering Choice 9. Strengthening interconnection 10. Enriching Diversities 11. Expanding Purpose 12. Nourishing Loving relationships Part C: Walking the Journey: Living by Virtues and Defining what is Valued 13. Six Virtues: Respect, Self-Discipline, Integrity, Courage, Empathy and Gratitude 14. Three Values: Educational Excellence, Character Formation and Spiritual Insight Part D: Arriving at a New Terrain: Reimagining a Soul-led Education 15: A New Landscape for Educating the Soul 16. Educators as Gardeners of the Soul's Education 17: Reclaiming the Soul of Education
