Why meditation should be taught in school

[Serrao]

Originally Posted by Gem

In this meditation section you can see what people think meditation is, and how value laden these views are.

I think this is how religions established themselves.
Through norms, values, ethics and fear-control.
If you don't act the way the belief system teaches, you're living wrong.
Maybe meditation will be a religion some day...

Originally Posted by Gem

I think people have idealistic notions and tend to ignore the deeper ethical considerations, generally speaking, but one might ask if it's ethical to impose spiritual values in compulsory education at all?

The teaching of meditation (in it's basic form; just being still, empty and peaceful for a few moments) in schools I see as something good.
Teaching of 'spiritual values' in compulsory education I see as obtrusive.

[Flute]

For everyone whether you have been meditating for a long while or relatively new to it have you found any positive benefits from it at all? Could range from being more mindful, aware, a sense of well being and positivity within yourself, or when deeper an understanding of your True Self or the workings of the Universe and Oneness... If so then wouldn't you want this for everyone else? And surely that must start if possible in schools and at home?

Difficulties arise when people complicate the meditation, or do not actually understand how to meditate effectively and so the blind lead the blind. Teachers already have enough on their plates so difficult perhaps to add it in productively into ordinary school hours. Also how many of us came to meditation later in our lives because of a pull towards that aspect of Reality? Many aren't ready for that so compulsory meditation won't work.

Lovely if it was in schools and certainly will benefit the world as a whole. My only concern is our own Egos that will fight any kind of positive change and truly complicate the matter. Start small where the teachers wanting to do so will learn themselves first. Then can start small programmes in each school through those teachers and invite students to it. The least this will do is help reduce stress and enhance concentration for teachers and the students who have exams to deal with from such a young age already.

[jonesboy]

Here is a great example of teaching it in schools without religion getting in the way.

https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/schools.html

10% improvement in test scores—and a narrowing of the achievement gap

Highly effective for increasing creativity

Improved teacher retention and reduced teacher burnout

Greater happiness, focus and self-confidence

Reduced ADHD symptoms and symptoms of other learning disorders

86% reduction in suspensions over two years

40% reduction in psychological distress, including stress, anxiety and depression

65% decrease in violent conflict over two years

[Flute]

jonesboy thank you for that. Brilliant :)

[Gem]

I think that's the ethical concern, when an organised system like TM, which has an organisation with its own aims and objectives, infiltrates the education system to further its own agenda. I for one wouldn't want my children to be compelled into TM through a compulsory education system. Their approach is also pretty sneaky, because they call it 'quiet time' when in fact they aim to promote TM.

[jonesboy]

It is teaching people to meditate in a proven system without the religious trappings.

I would rather have my kids in it than not. Just look at the results.

[Gem]

When it comes to education, there's a system of bells and grades that basically discipline youngsters into social normalcy. This is done by others, adults, predetermining future outcomes, and kids don't get to choose because education is compulsory.

In the past, the Christians were dominant, and they operate the private education system for the most part, and up until the late 70s at least, 'religious education' (a sneaky name for indoctrination) was a compulsory part of primary school.

When incorporating the spiritual dimension into education, to cater for the children's spiritual aspect, it's important to not impose an instructive method like TM. They call it 'quiet time' because they already know the ethical dilemma (which they ignore), i.e. they impose their own value system on others. Of course doing that would meet resistance, and quite rightly so, so they try to mislead people by calling it 'quiet time'.

The only relevant meditation for an education system is mindfulness because mindfulness only enables awareness of the experience as it is, and doesn't enforce systematic conformity. It is suitable for the wide range of religious/spiritual and cultural backgrounds. Children can continue with their day in the way that they experience it without influence, and we as adults can be upfront and say, 'mindfulness', because there's nothing to hide.

Meditation and any such practices should be kept out of school. I say that being a very avid meditator. The reason is that there are many forms of what meditation can be. Some kids may want to chant a mantra or an affirmation, others may focus on breath. Others may manipulate breath and inhale/exhale deeply. Some may want to kick back and just stare at the ceiling. Schooling, however, is notorious for standardization and at some point, in some school districts, you will have cases popping up of teachers telling students they are meditating "wrong". But who are they to say? Since there is necessarily a group of authority figures in school, they also become the ones to determine whether your meditation is right or not (whereas on a normal spiritual journey, if you don't like an authority, you can change teachers/books/retreats). As much as I love meditation, I think it needs to become a practice via our overall culture instead of through something as standardized as an education system.

-TaoSandwich

[Gem]

Originally Posted by TaoSandwich

Meditation and any such practices should be kept out of school. I say that being a very avid meditator. The reason is that there are many forms of what meditation can be. Some kids may want to chant a mantra or an affirmation, others may focus on breath. Others may manipulate breath and inhale/exhale deeply. Some may want to kick back and just stare at the ceiling. Schooling, however, is notorious for standardization and at some point, in some school districts, you will have cases popping up of teachers telling students they are meditating "wrong". But who are they to say? Since there is necessarily a group of authority figures in school, they also become the ones to determine whether your meditation is right or not (whereas on a normal spiritual journey, if you don't like an authority, you can change teachers/books/retreats). As much as I love meditation, I think it needs to become a practice via our overall culture instead of through something as standardized as an education system.

-TaoSandwich

I'm going with this one Tao. S. because whatever is incorporated in education will be formalised through curriculum and become standardised - but there's no doubt in my mind that meditation will increasingly be incorporated in schools as the literature on it expands, and as meditative strategies become the norm in psychology (as they have been over the last decade or so), so as in all things, there needs to be an ethical approach.The problem with imposing mantras breathing techniques focus points etc. is precisely, as you say, a 'correct' instructed system defined by the curriculum. I think it's fortunate that mindfulness has been the primary meditative strategy within psychology, and it became so through meeting stringent ethical requirements, and it's most likely that mindfulness strategies will increasingly infiltrate education systems due to its grounding in formal psychology. We do, however, have to be cautious about those who have grand spiritual ideas promoting their own preferences.

[Flute]

I hear what Gem and TaoSandwich are saying but most of what you describe is fear over what will be, a hijacking of meditation for others to further their own agenda. Yes I agree that is human nature. But the fear I see in your words and the agenda others may push in schools is borne from the same place - Ego. If children do learn how to meditate in a uncomplicated manner then it will certainly be Ego-reducing in its results. That will definitely be positive in all aspects and then perhaps less fear from all of us to trying other positive changes as a society.