STRAW'S COMPASSIONATE CLASSROOMS

Teaching Children Kindness & Empathy Towards All Creatures Great and Small

- Ipsita Sarkar*

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela

With great power, comes great responsibility and that is true about education as well. It can change people. It can change mindsets and habits. Hence, all the more essential to use this tool wisely!

There is grammar to teach the basic rules of ‘language’; equations and formulae to make you think about Maths and Sciences. Drawings sow the seeds for ‘architecture’ while rehearsals and notations hone your musical skills. Eventually, sharpening these skills and talents make you a better professional. But do they shape you as better human beings, kinder people? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t! What if there were degrees like an MA in Kindness, BA in Compassion or a Ph.D. in Empathy? Would these be saleable? But aren’t children naturally born with these innate values? Then what happens along the journey of becoming an adult? Where do these values disappear sometimes in a bid to become more ‘accomplished’ and ‘successful’ adults?

Just like the other subjects, it is education that can make a difference here again! And that is what STRAW (Stray Relief and Animal Welfare) is doing…creating lesson plans and workshops to encourage children and college students to be compassionate towards animals, the environment, and humans.