On Education with Buddhists – 3 November

Recently we were invited to join the International Buddhist-Muslim Forum on Peace & Sustainability, specifically to be part of the session entitled, It’s a Child’s World. Keep It! (Discourse on Children to Higher Education). Thanks Vienna Looi for roping us in.

The general drive of the discussion was on alternative education as most participants, largely from ASEAN countries felt that what was made available to them either was not effective enough or not suiting the needs of their community.

It was interesting to have Chong Wai Leng from Malaysia’s Learning Beyond Schooling , a strong advocate in home-schooling, and a monk in the room who was doing his PhD on alternative schooling.

The latter commended the Muslims for teaching the religion on a day to day basis and suggested that those present in the room, teaching Buddhism to their community on weekends and school holidays, should allow the kids to relax during that time of the year because, “they are kids man. Let them play!

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