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SSE Curriculum

"The actual syllabus is not so important as the creation of an atmosphere wherein noble habits and ideals can grow and fructify."

– Baba Balvikas Teachers Training Camp - 1978 

Curriculum Overview – Educare

"The word educare means "to bring out that which is within", namely, the human values hidden in every human being: truth, righteousness, peace, love, and nonviolence. One cannot acquire them from outside; they have to be elicited from within. However, people have forgotten their innate human values, so they are unable to manifest them. Educare means to bring out the human values. To bring them out means to translate them into action."

Sathya Sai Baba, 2000-09-26

The curriculum contains the following topics:
1. Five Human Values: Truth, right action, peace, love, and nonviolence
2. Brotherhood of man, Fatherhood of God
3. Ceiling on desires program
4. National and religious holidays
5. Stories and accompanying lesson plans from the childhood of Sathya Sai Baba
6. Annotated bibliography of children's literature
7. Stories of saints and role models of heroes and unsung heroes
8. Service activity suggestions and guidelines
9. Biographies

The objective of all lessons is to nourish the spiritual principal within the child. The ideal lesson provides direct experience of the spiritual principle through group activities, and not just through moralizing and memorizing. The practice of the values in daily life is essential to the manifesting of Divinity from within. Service activities and field trips are recommended to enhance experiential learning.

Elements of SSE lessons

1. Recitation of Om, Prayer, Repeating the Name

"I suggest that you have prayer as an important item in the timetable of the classes; through prayer, you can draw down unto yourselves the Grace of God."

Sathya Sai Baba, 1970-05-12

2. Silent Sitting/Meditation

"Two roads lead to fulfillment: prayer and meditation. Prayer makes you a supplicant at the feet of God; meditation induces God to come down to you and inspires you to raise yourselves to Him. It tends to make you come together, not place one on a lower level and the other on a higher."

Sathya Sai Baba, 1967-01-22

3. Devotional Group Singing

"Let melody and harmony surge up from your hearts, and let all take delight in the love that you express through that song."

Sathya Sai Baba, 1976-11-14

4. Lesson/Story – Spiritual Principle

"You must examine every story or account that you place before the children from the point of view of individual faith and social harmony. Does this lead the child to a better, more harmonious, and more God-oriented life? That is the question you should ask yourself."

Sathya Sai Baba, 1974-01-03

5. Group Activities – Life Application Activity

"After telling the story and discussing how the story illustrates the focus value, introduce a group activity to reinforce the value and integrate it as part of the student's experience. Activities that follow stories are of two types. The first is a Group Activity in which the entire class participates. The second is a Life Application Activity to be practiced during the upcoming week(s). Teachers should also check another point. Their students may behave well in class, i.e., for the length of the class, but how do they behave once they are outside the class? How is their behavior at home and outside? How is their conduct in school and with their friends? Your students' conduct should be exemplary —in your class, at home, with friends, and outside."

Sathya Sai Baba, unknown date