Jain Spirit 2004 10 No 20

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 38

36 FEATURES
success. "The new books are a major step forward in terms of content, language and presentation. It covers many more topics and has a very attractive layout." - says Preeti Jain, Pathshala director, Jain Center of Greater Boston. "Our 30 plus teachers use the JAINA education series books and are eagerly awaiting the new books," - comments Sailes Jain, Pathshala Co-coordinator, LA.
ny tradition, value or religion withers away if it is not put into practice in day-to-day life.
I believe that these traditions, values and religious beliefs must be examined from time to time through evaluation and analysis. We should certainly avoid dogma, blind faith and absolutism, especially in the name of GOD. Recent world events emphasise more than ever the applicability and significance of the Jain principles of nonviolence (ahimsa), non-absolutism (anekanta) and non-attachment (aparigraha) in achieving world peace. However, less than 1% of the world population have even heard about Jainism! Even among Jains, limited knowledge has led to many misconceptions. This creates a special challenge for educators involved in teaching young Jains. Fortunately, the Pathshala tradition is alive and flourishing in North America. The term 'Pathshala' refers to an education system that has prevailed in South Asia for centuries. Today, the term is used primarily for religious education or 'Sunday school. This tradition was introduced in North America by the early immigrants of the Jain tradition. Initially. a few families periodically got together in someone's home and conducted religious classes for children. As the Jain population grew in the 1970s and 80s, more and more Pathshalas started around the country. Now the challenge was: what to teach? Realising the dire need for material development, Dr. Premchand Gada, then Chairman of JAINA Education Committee, undertook a project and published a series of Pathshala books in the 90s.
The new millennium, with a technologically sawy generation posed new challenges as well as opportunities for Pathshalas. The JAINA Education Committee, under the leadership of Pravin K. Shah, its current chairman, embarked upon an ambitious project of revising and rewriting the Pathshala books, preparing other educational materials and making it widely available at a subsidised cost. There are over 5,000 children enrolled in Pathshalas around the country. Chicago runs the largest Pathshala with 450 students. Los Angeles and Detroit are other large Pathshala centres, with over 250 students each. There are about a dozen mid-size Pathshalas, in Boston, New Jersey and Toronto, with 75 to 150 students each. Smaller Pathshalas with 20-50 children each are spread all across the country. Careful planning and countless hours of work by the education committee volunteers have resulted in materials that are not only authentic but also of the highest quality available anywhere. Born out of suggestions from Pathshala teachers, the new books are designed by educators, using the backward design curriculum development technique. Backward design technique simply begins with the end in mind. To encourage the practice of Jain principles in day-to-day life, two new sections were added to the Level 2 books: Living Values and Jainism in Action Values are introduced with stories that are pertinent today and to which children can relate to. There are poems, quotes, games, quizzes, word searches as well as a glossary of Jain terms. Developing curriculum in this manner is a lengthy process; however it has shown great initial
Pathshala teachers across the country are all volunteers. Many have basic knowledge of Jain philosophy with a strong desire to make a difference. Pravin K. Shah periodically conducts three-day sessions to train teachers in the fundamentals of Jain philosophy. Currently, the JAINA Education Committee is in the process of developing teachers' aids and material to supplement the books. This will include lesson plans, multimedia presentations on various chapters, as well as suggested activities or games related to the topic. Taking cues from the advertising industry, we use all technology available to us to get our message across. We still have some challenges:
Integrating teachings from various sects: This has been an age-old challenge in many centres. The Jain Center of Boston, however, has successfully integrated various practices and philosophy. "Students from all sects feel comfortable here," says Preeti Jain, Boston.
• Participation of high school children: Most Jain centres struggle with limited success to attract youth, aged 15 and older. LA Pathshala with their unique 'teen discussion group' has demonstrated an exemplary programme that has
TAKING CHILDREN
SUDHIR SHAH EXPLAINS THE BENEFITS OF PATHSHALA FOR CHILDREN
Jain Education Intemational 2010_03