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Welcome to the January 2005 issue of the email newsletter. Happy New Year to all of you! This month: Your
Help Needed! Closer Links with Values Education Council Editorial
Comment
Story: How the Elephant Got His Trunk - An African Fairy Tale If you have any feedback about this newsletter, or if you'd like to share your experiences of SSEHV, please write to us. Kind
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Three new SSEHV Good Values board games are now available. Priced at £14.99, these professionally produced games include a colourful game board, dice, counters and question and response cards designed to stimulate debate about values issues. 'Choices' is a game about the decisions we face in life, in which players are asked to choose the right course of action in different circumstances and dilemmas. There are no right or wrong answers, but each choice has to be justified from a Human Values perspective in order to win points. In 'Share It Drop It', players have to choose whether a particular quality is good or bad and whether they should keep it or discard it. 'Quotations' asks players to respond to quotes about Human Values in their own words. The games have been created by Dipak Fakey, who has been creating and using values games in his work with children at his Good Values Club in Leicester, in schools and at Values Alive events throughout the UK for several years. For more information or to purchase a game, please contact Dipak on goodvaluesgames@hotmail.co.uk or Tel +44 (0)116 222 3658. Bulk purchase discounts are available. |
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Values Event in Oldham Barbara Edmondson and her team in Oldham held a two-day Values Alive Event for eight children aged from four to nine in December 2004. All the children apart from one had attended at least one Values Alive Event before. On the first day, in keeping with the Christmas season, the focus of all the activities was the value of Peace, while the second day was themed around water and the value of Non-Violence. Scientific research has shown that the crystals in water are affected by environmental factors such as disharmonious noise. As humans are made up of 70-90% water, depending on age, factors such as this also have a direct affect on our own constitutions. The children designed and created water crystals out of paper, learnt a song and listened to a story about water from Book 2. In the afternoon, they were invited to make a play. Barbara writes, "They had free reign to direct their own play, to decide how they would do it, the subject, the roles etc. They chose the story on water. An eight year old directed it. The children, even the four and five year olds, chose their own parts. We were amazed. They totally co-operated with each other, working as a team. All the children did what the director told them to do (which he did in a whisper). They were totally absorbed in it and so were we." One of the attendees was a Chinese girl who spoke no English. "Ho Sin was a delight," writes Barbara. "She did some beautiful art work and played a Chinese wind instrument at the beginning and the end of the play. The music she played was heavenly and touched all our hearts." Barbara also read the children extracts from a book called "All I see is part of me" and discussed the meaning with them. When asked to explain the rhyme, ''I am my hands, I am my feet, I am the puppy across the street'', a little girl of five replied, "We're all the same because our light is the same." "It
was a beautiful two days," concludes Barbara. |
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We are currently recruiting volunteers to help at two Values Alive Events planned for later this year. A five-day SSEHV holiday school will be held by the sea at Broadstairs in Kent from 30th May to 3rd June, and another five-day event will be held at a school in Harrow during July. SSEHV-trained volunteer teachers and classroom assistants are needed, as well as people to help with administration, registration, first aid, refreshments, IT and other activities both before and during the events. If you would like to work with children in an uplifting and supportive environment and if you're able to give one to five days of your time this summer, please do get in touch. We are particularly keen to hear from people who have specific skills to offer such as sports, drama, art and crafts, martial arts, etc. but the only essential requirements are enthusiasm and a commitment to practising and propagating human values. Even if you don't live locally, it is usually possible to arrange accommodation with other volunteers. If you haven't yet completed the SSEHV Foundation Course but would like to get involved, please do let us know. We may be able to organise training for you before the Values Alive Events take place, or to assign you a non-teaching role if you prefer. For more information about the Broadstairs event, please contact Carole Alderman (Tel +44 (0)20 8429 2677). For the Harrow event, please contact Joyce Power (+44 (0)20 8723 9916). |
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James Lee, who is a member of the management team of the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education (BISSE), has been appointed Secretary of the Values Education Council (VEC). VEC is an influential body of organisations and individuals in the UK who are concerned with and involved in values education. James is currently completing doctoral research at Cambridge University focused on school ethos and Citizenship Education. He has also co-presented a programme on learning for Children's television and recently co-authored 'Citizenship: A Whole School Approach' and 'Citizenship: The Coordinator's Guide'. Jo Pratt has also joined the VEC as BISSE's new representative. |
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Editorial Comment - Truancy and Bullying Increasing in UK Schools In 2004, 1,264,103 children were absent from school without permission, up 29% from 978,000 in 1997, according to new figures published this month. This is despite heavy government investment to tackle the problem and stringent new policies such as jailing truants' parents. In the worst area, Edmonton, a suburb of North London, 64% of pupils had missed at least half a day without permission during the previous academic year. What is perhaps even more disturbing is the rising tide of bullying among children of school age. While bullying is certainly not a new phenomenon, it now appears to be worsening every year. In 2003-2004, 31,000 distressed children contacted the national 24-hour children's helpline, Childline, as a result of bullying, compared to 21,000 during the previous twelve months. It is now the single biggest reason for children to contact Childline, accounting for a quarter of all calls. Up to 20 children a year now commit suicide as a result of bullying in the UK. It has become such a widespread problem that a new word has been coined to describe it: bullycide. The government is trying to tackle both these problems through legislation and tighter controls, but despite their efforts, they appear to be getting worse. Perhaps this is because the measures they are adopting do not tackle them at their root cause - namely disaffection and low self esteem amongst pupils. Effective values education can have a dramatically positive effect on truancy and bullying, and, with time, eradicate them altogether. In schools where SSEHV is taught, teachers report remarkable improvements in student enthusiasm and behaviour. One teacher at a Roman Catholic Primary School in Bristol told us, "Since Year 2000-2001 [when SSEHV was introduced] when the behaviour in School was poor, we have noticed a steady ongoing improvement. We were able to develop a Peer Mediation system because the children became ready to appreciate that conflicts could be resolved without recourse to physical confrontations. Now there is a huge reduction in incidents that need Headteacher intervention. Children are more considerate and caring of each other. The School Community is a much happier place." We
owe it to our children to give them the opportunity to be happy, peaceful,
loving and free of fear, to treat others and to be treated with respect,
and to enjoy their school careers. Statistics such as these that tell
us problems like truancy and bullying are getting worse should not dishearten
us. Rather they should inspire us to do our utmost to counteract the malaise
in our own communities. If SSEHV had been taught in the schools where
bullying is so bad that it results in suicide, would it have saved someone's
life? |
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Training Update All SSEHV courses are free to attend, although a photocopying deposit of £10 may be required at registration. Details of all our training courses, together with contact information and dates can be found on our website at www.ssehv.org.uk, in the Training section. Forthcoming
SSEHV courses are: SSEHV
Intensive Foundation Course, Pinner, Middlesex SSEHV
Parenting Workshop, Portsmouth, Hants SSEHV
Parenting Workshop, Pinner, Middlesex If there is no course scheduled in your area but you would like there to be one, we can arrange one as long as there are a minimum of ten people who would like to attend. Please contact Pamela Nash for more information. |
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STORY How the Elephant Got His Trunk - an African Fairy Tale Long, long ago there lived a little elephant named Tembo. He looked just like all the other elephants. He was grey with big ears, four thick legs, a short tail and a stumpy nose. At that time elephants didn't have a long trunk. They just had a short stumpy nose! But Tembo was different in one way - he was an extremely curious elephant. He always wanted to know everything. The whole day he was asking questions. One day Tembo went to see his Uncle Pavian, the monkey who was sitting on a palm tree eating coconuts. "Hello, Uncle Pavian," Tembo shouted. "What does the crocodile eat for dinner?" "Oh, you do annoy me so with all of your questions." Uncle Pavian said in a tired voice. "I just want to know what the crocodile eats for dinner," Tembo persisted. Pavian didn't answer, but suddenly threw a coconut at Tembo's head. "Ouch!" Tembo cried, rubbing his head sadly. "No one wants to tell me what the crocodile eats for dinner." Suddenly he had an idea. "I'll go to visit the crocodile myself and then I can ask him personally." Tembo ran into the jungle to find the Great Rriver. He plodded along for hours until he realised he was lost. There was no one about, except the birds singing high up in the trees. Tembo felt very lonely and was getting quite frightened. But he kept going because he wanted to find out the answer to his question. At last he met a snake. Thankful to find someone to ask the way, Tembo said politely, "Excuse me, Miss Snake, could you tell me where I can find the Great River?" Miss Snake hissed back, "Sssss … Can't you see that I am sleeping. The river is just there - right ahead." Tembo ran through the bushes and there in front of him he saw the Great River. He ran joyfully and stood on the bank gazing into its deep water. Then he saw something which really did frighten him - a long green head with a jaw full of sharp white teeth. Tembo's knees knocked together at the sight of it. Pulling himself as upright as he could, he took a step forward and asked very politely, "Excuse me, Sir, do you know where I can find the crocodile?" "Yes," the green mouth replied, opening very wide. "It is straight in front of you. I am the crocodile." Tembo was even more frightened, but he wanted to know the answer to his question, so he asked bravely. "I just wanted to ask what you eat for dinner, Sir." The crocodile laughed wickedly and swam closer to Tembo. "Well, I can tell you, but you have to come a bit closer. I don't want anyone else to hear. Come, a bit closer … a little bit more … closer still … Not everybody needs to know … that I'll eat a little elephant for dinner today!" What do you think happened? The crocodile caught Tembo's stumpy nose and held on to it with his sharp teeth. Tembo tried to pull himself away, but the crocodile pulled back. Tembo pulled and the crocodile pulled. The big crocodile was stronger than little Tembo. Luckily Miss Snake heard Tembo's painful whimpering and came in time to help the little elephant. Miss Snake wound herself around Tembo's tummy and held onto a tree. The crocodile pulled. Tembo and the snake pulled … harder and harder … Suddenly the crocodile let go and swam away with an angry face. Tembo was free. He jumped for joy … until he saw his reflection in the water. Tembo's stumpy nose had grown into a long, long nose, like a tree trunk. Tembo burst into tears. "I can never go home like this. Everyone will laugh at me!" The snake looked at his nose closely. "You will be able to do so many things with this trunk of a nose," she said kindly. "You will be able to pick leaves high up in the tree. You will be able to shower water over your back. You will be able to lift heavy things and you will be able to trumpet with your trunk. This trunk is much more practical than a little stumpy nose." Tembo went home with a smile on his face. The other elephants laughed when they saw him, but as Tembo showed them what he could do with his trunk, they all wanted to have one too. The next day all the elephants went into the jungle to the Great River. One after the other they called to the crocodile which caught them by their short stumpy noses. By the evening each of the elephants had a long trunk. They were all happy as they tried out their trunks and played with them. And do you know, they trumpeted all night long! Questions: |
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Copyright
© 2004 British Institute of Sathya Sai Education (BISSE). BISSE is
a non-profit organisation committed to promoting human values in education.
Registered address: The Glen, Cuckoo Hill, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 2BE United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 8429 2677 Email: feedback@ssehv.org.uk |