Primary school in the UK to offer an education based on Buddhist values

[Jessie Fong]

Read about how this primary school offers education based on Buddhist values and development of mindfulness, compassion and communal responsibility.



From: The Buddhist Channel, Dec 2, 2013

The Dharma Primary School in Brighton, UK offers rounded academic education rooted in mindfulness – helping children develop creativity, empathy, self-awareness and confidence

Brighton, UK -- Dharma Primary School, in Brighton, is the only primary school in the UK to offer an education based on Buddhist values. This independent school is open to children aged 3-11 from all religious faiths and cultural backgrounds, providing a quality academic education combined with Buddhist teachings to support the development of mindfulness, compassion and communal responsibility.

[Tenzin K]

The idea of founding a Dharma Primary School evolved from the family camps at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Hertfordshire in the mid-1980s. Early in the 90s this interaction between parents, children and members of the Buddhist monastery inspired a group of parents to meet in Brighton with the aim of opening the first Buddhist School for children in the U.K.

Dharma Primary School was founded by a group of parents in 1994, after two years of fund-raising. On 9 September 1994, the school opened its doors to four children in a house in Queen's Park, Brighton. On this day the school received blessings from founder patron, Luang Por Sumedho, a Buddhist monk and teacher, and blessings were also sent from the Dalai Lama, who later became a patron of the school. This was the first full-time school in Great Britain based on the Buddhist faith. By 2000 the co-educational school was teaching children between the ages of three and eleven. By 2005 the number of pupils stood at seventy, with almost equal numbers of boys and girls.

With the support of patrons including Noy Thomson (M.R.Saisvadi Svasti) and Peter Carey, Buddhists and founder trustees, the school moved to The White House, Patcham, in June 1995 with eleven children. A nursery and reception class and three mixed-age primary classes were later established.

[Big Uncle]

I think it is great that Buddhist values are inculcated in schools. It doesn't have to use Buddhist terminology but the methods like meditation, teachings on awareness and practice along with teaching teachings on altruism. It's amazing what such teachings can do for young minds and helping them grow up to be wonderfully beneficial adults. That's a great pay off for society when the Buddha's teachings and methods are used to bring up wonderfully aware adults.

[cookie]

It is a great idea to have schools which adopt the Buddhist philosophies to teach children from as young as 3 . Their young and tender minds can be trained and moulded more perfectly with concepts of virtues vs non-vritues, developing some of the basics of the 6 perfections , especially generosity, ethics and patience. The practice of mindfulness . The law of cause and effects etc etc . Wow ! The child will grow up to be an adult with lots of wisdom , calmness and compassion. Great for the person and those around him or her too . It is very common to have Christian missionary schools all over the world. Really hope to see more Dharma schools too !

[sandra]

Wow, such an great idea to adopt Buddhist philosophy into primary school. The basic theory such as six perfections like generosity, ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic effort, concentration, wisdom can help to develop a quality future generation. Other than, the theory of cause and effects can be adopted into it is the best to everyone. All these are very basic but yet very important to the future generation to have such mindset. In short, if the future generation can actualise the six perfections into their daily, our world are moving to peace, harmony and wonderful direction. Nice.

[maricisun]

It is great that primary school in the UK offer an education based on Buddhist values. At least teach the children from young to instill the beliefs of Buddhism in them. Buddhism teaches us to be loving, kind and compassion. They will grow up to be very knowledgeable and have the Dharma in them.

[eyesoftara]

This is the first time that I hear of a school, primary or high school offering education based on Buddhist values outside of Buddhist countries. This is great development for Buddhism and sentient beings in general.

The Christians, especially has been very successful in this and it is out of the belief that they are sharing what is good with love and kindness as the motivation. The secondary motivation is evangelical.

I believe, anytime we promote the Dharma, it is beneficial and especially starting at primary school level, the children can be taught Buddhist value early and they are more receptive. Hope to see more Dharma Schools emerging.

[Klein]

The following is from Dharma Primary School's website:

"Europe’s only primary school based on Buddhist principles

The Dharma Primary is a small community school and nursery, with skilled and committed staff, in which children excel in a safe, secure and nurturing environment. We provide a sound quality academic education informed by the National Curriculum, but with the flexibility and creativity to respond to the children’s needs, talents and interests. Children develop confidence, motivation and a love of learning enabling them to do well academically and to make a successful transition to local independent and state secondary schools.

Through our Buddhist based ethos and daily meditation and mindfulness practice, we encourage children to cultivate focus, self-reflection, wisdom and compassion. Buddhism is not taught as a ‘faith’, but as a set of principles and tools for living a productive and fulfilling life.
Ethos and Vision

We intend that our pupils leave our school with a good heart, sound ethical values and a sense of responsibility combined with the academic and social skills that enable them to make a successful transition into secondary education. We hope our pupils will then go on to act in ways that will help to create a more compassionate, intelligent and peaceful world.

Children are introduced to the benefit of stillness through regular meditation practice enabling them to develop a reflective understanding of themselves, their life and the world around them. We discuss key Buddhist teachings to help children understand cause and effect, cooperation and change, known as karma, interdependence and impermanence."

I think it is a great idea to start practising mindfulness at a young age regardless of religion. Mindfulness is a tool that anyone can adopt just like going to the gym to strengthen the body. Many corporate training companies incorporate meditation as one of their curriculum, to ultimately improve their employees' performance.

We can imagine the benefits the children will realised when they start mindfulness practice so young and understanding karma. They will grow up to be more responsible, loving, caring and kind.

It would be fantastic if more schools adopt this curriculum in their schools.

[metta girl]

“The Dharma Primary School provides a good quality of education where pupils enjoy coming to school and become confident and self-aware…outstanding personal and social development.”

“…educating children with warm hearts and clear heads; children who will one day help to create a more compassionate, intelligent and peaceful world.”

[rossoneri]

Is always good to start them young before the younger generations turned into someone who is only self conscious which is not wrong but it will be better for someone at the age of 7 years old started to have value of Buddhism which is giving, compassion, meditation and not only thinking about one self desire. It's good to know that there are such school exists and hopefully all the students will become someone useful to the society especially when our world now a days all the message we have from all the media normally is sell a product which only making our own self feels good.

[gbds3jewels]

Many westerners are fascinated with Buddhist philosophy. In the East, Buddhism is assumed predominantly in its religion role that often we forget the science and philosophy aspects of it. Many big companies like google are also using Buddhism in their corporate model and as a foundation of leadership quality.

Many new age spiritual, lifestyle and self-help movements actually draws heavily on Buddhist philosophy as their foundation. It is not surprising to find schools starting to teach these qualities. Buddhism wether practiced as a so called religion or not is about becoming a better person to ourselves and to those around us. It is a the universal philosophy of life and the universal native language of mankind.

[hope rainbow]

Buddhist values are not Buddhists, they are universal, beyond time and concept, they are shared with any other established religious tradition. They are shared because every tradition professing the truth of reality can only teach the truth of reality.

On that ground, to have Buddhist values part of a curriculum for children should be likewise to values of other religions actually, and even to a large extent to values not bound to religion but bound to our human condition, values of humanism.

What are these values?
-empathy
-compassion
-consideration to others
-help those in need
-step up to achieve more and better
-loving kindness
-equanimity
-integrity
-focus
-patience
-generosity

Some of us will prefer to learn this under Buddhism, others under humanism, others under other religions, but the point is to learn and practice these values, the label is only part of the method.

[OMB]

This is certainly a wonderful news!  I hope more and more school will follow suit to instill Buddhist values to the young children.This will equips them with core life skills as well as  academic education - wisdom, knowledge and compassion.

[Manisha Kudo]

This is indeed great news. I rejoice. Let's pray that more schools in the UK and other places would follow suit. Ultimately, it is not about the making and spreading of a religion. It is about the budding and nurturing of one's true human potential. It is crucial that we start young.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

Buddhist education had been main stream since the inception of monastery since Buddha Shakyamuni for the sangha community. What I rejoice very much is that Buddhist education has been formalized as a Buddhist scholastic institution to educate the values of Buddhism to young children. It will inculcate these needed values into these young minds to have important values like loving kindness, patience, generosity etc.