Page 35 - MONSOON EDITION

EXPERT’S TALK

INSIGHTS FROM THE FOUNDER PRINCIPAL, MRS USHA C.K. MANI,
ON CULTURE & HERITAGE
First and foremost I must thank Nand Vidya Niketan and
Principal, Mr. Radhey Shyam Pandey for this wonderful
opportunity to be there together and the greatest platform the
school has given – this emagazine, where we are all together.

1. Do you feel that culture plays an important role
in education? How does it impact the functioning of
an educational institution?
The greatness of this school is giving an opportunity to all – culture
is not something that comes from somewhere and we pick it up. It is
a habit that is formed over the years, from anyplace, weather from
home, an institution or even any country. These habits are formed
over years and years and years, something like a fossil, as we have
layers and layers of them. So you keep unfolding it, you get the best
of the cultures. Our culture, it is more than 5000 years old, which is
not days culture, imagine a culture which is sustaining for 5000
years, while many of the other cultures have perished. So what is
this the greatness about our culture? Culture as I say can be passed
on, what really has sustained is because of the education.
Education has become the tool of it practically for youngsters today.
When you talk about your time and my time especially my time,
when our parents used to ask us to talk about certain habits or
culture we used to do it willingly or otherwise we used to do it, but
now your child asks you a question as to why you are doing, so that
is where the education starts. Education is the enquiry, as to why
why why, unless I answer this, culture will not sustain, any culture
will not sustain.
So hence, I strongly feel education plays a major role in retaining
the roots of the culture. I always imagine it to be like a banyan tree-
big, thick, prop roots; that are just hanging everywhere and flowing
through, that is what a culture means to me basically. So whether it
be your culture or my culture education plays an important role in MRS USHA C.K. MANI
preserving it.

2. How can we instill cultural values in today's generation?
A fantastic question! You don't need to instill the values, the cultural values in our children, you don't have to teach
them, these things are only caught, so you walk the talk. It means as adults you have to follow the culture for them
to follow you. Let them take out whatever they want, whatever they feel is right for them, whichever is good for them.
Two things can happen; either they will accept it or they will reject it. If they might reject it now, over a period of time,
they might after analyzing it, and when they have their own family when their own kids, will question themselves as
to why my parents do this, grandparents do this. So I always believe that, you cannot have a moral-culture-class. It
is by your action, your words, they way you project yourself, whether you be a teacher, or a mother, or whichever
role you play that numerous roles you play really talks about your culture. For example, I'll tell you our culture, the
school culture that we have, I'll really highlight on this, many a time we always talk about, we had a lots of programs,
like say no to plastic or keep the city clean, all these projects were done over the years. The culture of the school has
been building up from there. Whatever bits of paper lying around we used pick it up. So whenever I would be
walking around or going towards the dais, if there is any paper around the nearby teacher or the student comes and
picks it up.
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