“Educare is education which makes one a caring individual, because one becomes a caring individual when one realizes that one is not different from the other, that both are the same. My brother’s pain, my sister’s sorrow is my sorrow, my pain. When you become aware that there is no difference, you become a caring individual.”
- Sathya Sai Baba
The word “Educare” has a double meaning. It refers to education with care – that is teachers caring for students, students caring for teachers, students caring for each other and teachers caring for each other. Also, it is the Latin work “Educaré”, which means to elicit or draw out that which is within, reaching deep into the child’s higher levels of consciousness and bringing out the values and divinity that are inherent there.
No harm can ever befall a person whose heart is full of compassion,
whose words are adorned by truth,
and whose body is dedicated to the welfare of others.
Embodiments of Love! First and foremost, we must investigate into “panchatantra,” or the five principal aspects of education. These are as follows:
1. What is education?
2. What type of education should we pursue?
3. What is the main aim of education?
4. What is the uniqueness of education?
5. What are we gaining from present-day education?
Only when we recognise the inner significance of these “panchatantra” can we know what true education is. What is education? It is of two types. The first type is collection of facts and knowledge about the external world, and sharing them with students. The second type is educare. Educare involves the deep understanding of the knowledge that springs from within and imparting it to students. But today’s education gives the students’ knowledge only about the external world.
Only culture or refinement can develop good personality and not this type of education. So both education and culture are important.
Today’s education is devoid of culture and is like a counterfeit coin. Even a beggar does not accept a counterfeit coin. Then how can experienced and intelligent people accept such education? So to satisfy everyone we must develop educare. Education without refinement is like a dark room. Only bats can live in dark rooms; such rooms are filthy. So, by pursuing such education devoid of culture, our hearts have become dark rooms and hence many animal qualities find their way into them.
Education without culture is like a kite with a broken string. No one knows where it will fall and what damage it will cause to others. Therefore, such education does not benefit anyone.
What is the meaning of education? Education is not mere knowledge, it includes action too. Education that originates from within has a sound basis and is permanent. It is referred to as sathyam. A step higher than sathyam is ritam, as proclaimed in the Vedas. What we normally refer to as truth in daily life is merely a fact.
People mistake bookish knowledge to be true education. No one today bothers about the aim of education. Education is for life and not for living.
Today’s education is aimed at merely eking out a livelihood. If mere living is the purpose, then how do birds and beasts live without any education? Even ants and mosquitoes, which do not have any education, live their lives. Is education for merely earning one’s bread?
What is the essence of education? The essence of education is the concentration of the mind and not the collection of facts.
What is the end of education? People answer this question by saying there is no end to education.
Definitely there is an end to what we study from books. The end of education is character. Education without character is useless. Earlier in gurukulas the sages took the students along with them wherever they went and taught them without conforming to any time schedule. This education was a continuous learning process. But today in schools and colleges education is limited to strict time schedules. Therefore, education has become limited.
Sri Sathya Sai University provides free education to its students.
Sri Sathya Sai University (formerly Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning) was founded on November 22, 1981, by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. An autonomous body, it has been recognized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and the University Grants Commission (UGC), as a Deemed University. The university aims at imparting Integral Education. In practical terms, the programmes offered by the University seek to combine the best of both ancient traditions and modern advancements. The University subscribes wholly to the concept and practice of national integration and has adopted an open admission policy, based on merit, encouraging the enrollment of boys and girls from all over the country. In order to effectively mould the student’s personality, hostel living has been made compulsory and patterned in the ancient Gurukula style.
Sri Sathya Sai University has several distinctive features.
The more important among them are:
Free Education: The University does not charge any type of fees - tuition fees, laboratory fees, library fees, examination fees, caution deposit and the like.
An open admission policy enabling students from all over the country to seek admission to various courses, irrespective of income, class, creed, religion or region, making it truly national in character.
Merit based selection through a very comprehensive testing and interviewing procedure giving adequate weightage to intellectual attainments and intuitive insight.
A very favorable teacher-pupil ratio for closer rapport between students and faculty.
Residential character of the University with students and faculty staying on the Campuses.
Development of Scientific Research at the doctoral level relevant to the local and national needs; introduction of educational technology through the installation of a modern space theatre in rural surroundings providing an opportunity for the students and the faculty to develop various kinds of simulation exercises and also formulate programmes of a creative and constructive character.
Integrated courses of five years duration in order to promote talent.
Maximum number of working days, fuller utilization of national holidays and important festivals for educational purposes and extension work.
The Central Administrative Office of the University is located in Prasanthinilayam, A.P., while academic instruction is imparted in three constituent Colleges located in three different Campuses. A residential Hostel is attached to each College .
The four Campuses of Sri Sathya Sai University are:
1) Anantapur Campus (for women)
2) Brindavan Campus (for men)
3) Prasanthinilayam Campus (for men)
4) Muddenahalli Campus (for men)
Of the above, the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus is the main one, as it does not only have specialized research and computer facilities, but also the Central Library, the Multimedia Learning Centre, the Planetarium and the Museum of Eternal Heritage.They are all located in areas surrounded by mountains, greenery and nature, which helps create an ambience for integral education that the University curricula imparts.
