"The Sunday school for the children ... is indeed a blessed thing. You must certainly continue this organised activity without cessation, and attach importance to it ... If this activity is well organised, rest thou assured that it will yield great results. Firmness and steadfastness, however, are necessary, otherwise it will continue for some time, but later be gradually forgotten. Perseverance is an essential condition."

From these quotations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, we can see that the concepts of organisation and systematisation are closely linked to child education, and that success is actually dependent upon them. Shoghi Effendi, not surprisingly, gives similar advice to Local Spiritual Assemblies:

Without organisation no collective enterprise can hope for success, development or longevity, for it means all of the following and more:

* prior thinking and consultation

* deciding what you want to do

* planning

* applying relevant and appropriate knowledge and skills from previous experience

* developing a structure or series of related structures

* developing a procedure or series of related procedures

* recruiting willing and able personnel

* training them adequately beforehand or during the task

* acquiring premises and resources

* securing funding

* ensuring adequate publicity

* securing understanding and support of target population

* monitoring progress, reviewing and evaluating it and adjusting the system and / or procedure to be more effective

Organisation requires forethought, vision, experience, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and perseverance. Educational systems are not for those who crave public adulation or instant gratification, for the consumers are unaware of what lies behind what you do, and the results are discernible in decades rather than days and in lifetimes rather than seasons.

**********************

A description of what a curriculum is and how it differs from a syllabus.

It is interesting to observe, at this point, that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes and pronounces upon such matters as the environment in which the school is set, the methods to be adopted by the teacher, the qualities that the teacher must possess, how the school is to be organised and how the child’s education should continue at home. Clearly, then, a curriculum is a complex, multi-stranded matter.

A curriculum springs from a way of looking at the world, from how reality is constructed by those who draw up curricula. A curriculum reflects the most profound and most cherished assumptions about the universe that its makers maintain. As L. D’hainaut writes in "Curricula and Lifelong Education" (1981):

A Bahá’í curriculum will therefore reflect the beliefs and assumptions that Bahá’í curriculum makers hold. This must cause us to examine the nature of our beliefs and assumptions. What is our concept of the Bahá’í Faith? A paper on "The Spiritualization of Education" in "Trends in Bahá’í Education" (1990) writes:

The paper goes on to say:

Naturally, a Bahá’í curriculum should reflect these values and notions and ways of operating. It does not stop there, as the paper continues:

Furthermore, the sacred writings and authoritative pronouncements of our Faith elaborate more specifically on how that education should be carried out and of what it should consist.

A curriculum, then, provides educators of children and youth, whether parent or teacher, older family member or club leader, with a vision toward which they may strive with those under their care, with an insight and depth of understanding as to the purpose of all their educational activities.

A curriculum is a rigorous, all-encompassing, overarching construct which contains every important element to which the children are to be exposed in their unfolding development toward adulthood and other-worldly existence.

A curriculum provides the theological, the theoretical and pedagogical basis for all that we do within and beyond the Bahá’í classroom. It links our notions of what the Faith is to what should be taught to the children and youth at home, at school or in any other context.

A curriculum provides a complete picture of education, allowing us to grasp the totality and to see the relationship of all the parts to the whole.

A syllabus is a different creature entirely. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes it in this way:

Put very simply, a syllabus is a list. It is a list of the topics or themes to be taught within a given subject. A syllabus is derived from a curriculum. Where a curriculum is theoretical, a syllabus is practical. Where a curriculum is general, a syllabus is specific. A curriculum provides the underlying rationale for what is to be taught; a syllabus describes the contents and order of what is to be taught. If the curriculum is strategy, the syllabus is tactics.

To put it another way, we can look at the science of Architecture. To build a house we need a plan - the architectural drawings, which set out the dimensions and manner of construction of the building. Without the plan, the drawings, we cannot construct the house properly. The building would be haphazard, lop-sided, liable to collapse, even dangerous to use. The house in this case is the syllabus. The plans or drawings are the curriculum. To extend the analogy, the decoration and furnishings of the house are the lessons themselves. And, like the decoration and furnishings, the lessons are devised according to the personal tastes of the teacher. You cannot paint or furnish a house that is not yet built, nor can you build it without previously setting out the plan. First, therefore, comes the curriculum, then the syllabus and finally the individual lessons. The effectiveness of an education system depends largely upon how carefully and systematically this process is followed. Simple and obvious though this may be, it can be easily overlooked by those preparing systems of education. Another example:

describes the major elements

of the human diet, such as

carbohydrates, fats, proteins,

vitamins and minerals, and also

describes their types, functions

and relationships to each other.

give specific examples of foodstuffs

for each category, e.g. carbohydrates

include bread, cakes, biscuits, cereals,

potatoes, pastry, batter, honey, jams, etc.

could be made up of : beans on toast,

roast beef and trimmings, curried

chicken and rice, pizza and salad,

fish and chips.

To use a Bahá’í example, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s "Tablets of the Divine Plan" are the blueprint for all global and regional or national teaching plans drawn up by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice. The Tablets of the Divine Plan are the curriculum - the source and impetus for the various plans drawn up subsequently. These subsequent plans are each a syllabus, drawn up for a specific time and place.

A curriculum, then, is a giant storehouse or refrigerator from which we may derive the menus of many different syllabi. Using all the elements contained in the curriculum, we may make more or less detailed syllabi with certain emphases, either in terms of subject matter or approach.

What we must not do is to mistake an anthology of verse for the whole canon of English Poetry. If we provide only a syllabus, in place of a curriculum, we are giving our teachers and pupils a bag full of jumbled jigsaw pieces. They need the box with the picture on its lid to show them where the pieces go and how they fit together in relation to each other. That way the puzzle has a meaning and is more fun to work on.

An examination of the reasons for having a curriculum and what it can provide.

The reasons for having a curriculum are many. Some of these are examined briefly below:

i) To define what should be taught and provide a clear justification for it. This allows us to avoid being haphazard and give us some confidence in the rightness of what we are teaching.

ii) To help us understand each element we are to teach, in relation to the other elements and to the whole. If we have no overall grasp of what we are doing, how can we expect the children to appreciate the significance of anything we teach them?

iii) To allow us to respond fully and sensitively to the unique conditions of our own situation, and not simply adopt uncritically the methods, contents and emphases of educational programmes developed for another place and / or time.

iv) To help us toward a standardisation of educational provision over the whole country, so that, no matter where a child or youth is or how or by whom they are taught, they may receive the same entitlement to a quality Bahá’í educational experience.

v) To help us provide continuity, consistency and progression in educational provision from a child’s earliest learning experiences up to its maturity as a self-sustaining learner and teacher of others. Thereby a child’s education is not left to chance or whim, nor subjected to eccentricities of teachers’ understanding or preoccupations. No matter where a child is, no matter what age, they will receive an education relevant to their needs, one which builds on what has gone before and which prepares for what is to come.

vi) To provide the community with direction and purpose in its educational activities, without which our motivation flags, our patience wanes and our perseverance falters. A curriculum gives us goals, and a compass by which to reach them in steadily advancing and manageable stages.

vii) To enable us to decide what is important and what is not, what is relevant and what is not, and what is necessary and what is not. This avoids the dangers of wrangling over choice of subject-matter or falling prey to the conflicting and ever-changing educational theorisings of the outside world, no matter how attractive or effective they may seem at the time. Current ideas and practices in education must always be filtered through the sieve of the divine standard, and not seized upon because enthusiasm has dulled our critical faculties.

viii) To assist us in maintaining a balance of educational content, thus avoiding the very real danger of concentrating so much on some elements that we ignore others and so deprive our children of development in certain vital aspects. To act as a safety net, a constant reminder to all educators, whether parents, teachers, leaders or facilitators, that all elements must be addressed in any given year’s learning and none neglected.

ix) To enable us to avoid having to reinvent the wheel every time we come to prepare an educational programme for children or young people; to avoid the endless duplication of certain materials while others are never developed because it never occurred to anyone to produce them; to ensure economy of time and effort and maximise our collective input. A curriculum is a mapping exercise; it shows up overlaps and exposes gaps in educational provision.

x) To provide us with an overall framework into which we can fit all the loose, separate and previously unconnected materials that so many dedicated souls have laboured so much and so long to produce.

xi) To allow us to ease the burden, once and for all, of all the parents, teachers and educators who, when faced with the prospect of producing an educational programme for their children and youth, ask the questions: What do I do? Where do I start? To allay the anxieties of those who, in the past, have been asked to sail across the ocean of knowledge with an eager crew but no charts or compass, no sextant, no provisions and no training in navigation or seafaring.

xii) To provide us with a focus for teacher training. For, if we do not know what we want our children and youth to learn, how can we adequately prepare those who are to teach them?

In short, without a curriculum, as opposed to a syllabus or series of lesson plans, it is very difficult to run an education system that extends over an entire nation and that is meant to last for longer than a decade.

It is a tribute to the dedication of the believers, who have taught children and youth over the last eight decades in this country, that they have done so without a United Kingdom National Bahá’í Curriculum, and have had, each in their own way, to work from scratch or adapt something produced for other purposes than their own.

An exploration of the purposes of a Bahá’í education system.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) p17

In order to help us decide what a curriculum should contain, we need to know what we want from our educational system. We can come to a decision by asking such questions as: where do we want the Bahá’í community in this country to be in 10 to 15 years time, or by asking what kind of adults do we want our children to be.

In a sense these questions are two sides of the same coin and the answers to them will furnish us with the rationale for our curriculum structure and content.

We surely want our children to become adults who are:

a) Enabled to develop spiritually and morally, to be prepared for eternal life in all the worlds of God, and to lead an upright and useful life in this physical world, being ready to sacrifice for the benefit of others and to be of service to their fellows.

b) Equipped with sufficient knowledge and understanding of the manifold aspects of the Faith to appreciate the purpose of God for humanity in this day, to promote the advancement of the human race, and to be able to share the Faith with others.

"Wherefore, O loving Friends, strive ... that these tender plants of the divine garden may grow and flourish in the grace that showereth down from the clouds of knowledge and true understanding, and advance to such a degree as to astonish the company of those who know." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) p29

c) Equipped with the skills necessary to function effectively as a believer in relation to personal development, education, livelihood, family, society, the Bahá’í community and the administration of the Faith.

Perhaps, more simply, we might ask: what kind of people do we want to produce as a result of them going through eleven or so years of a systematic Bahá’í education?

i) People who are able to maintain a meaningful relationship with God, who can lead a moral life, and who will be of service to the human race.

ii) People who have a good knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

iii) People who have the skills to allow them to function as useful members of the Bahá’í community

A Bahá’í education programme that fails to provide any of the above would seem to be a waste of everyone’s effort. None is sufficient without the other, they are interdependent and inseparable.

A setting out of the goals of a Bahá’í education system, which will provide the defining features of the curriculum.

All teachers and many parents in England and Wales are familiar with the broad outlines and terminology of the National Curriculum, produced as the result of the 1988 Education Reform Act. In Scotland, the "National Guidelines on Curriculum and Assessment in Scotland" (1993) is equally familiar, with its 5-14 curriculum outline, as are the Northern Ireland Curriculum Council’s "Guidance Materials" (1994) for Northern Ireland.

Although Bahá’ís should be wary of adopting the practices of the outside world just because they are available, it seems sensible, if not advisable, in this case, to make use of a system of terminology which is recognisable to such a large number of people, particularly those in mainstream education. If we wish to have credibility as a community, if we wish to communicate with those involved in the wider educational world in language they can readily appreciate, then we should speak to them in their own language, as long as it makes sense and does the job. Why go to the trouble of inventing a whole new set of terms that most Bahá’ís will have to learn from scratch anyway, and that only Bahá’ís will know what they mean, when there is one already in existence that is understood and used on a daily basis by hundreds of thousands.

Before we can get into the details of a National Bahá’í Curriculum, we must establish our goals, our aims, the broad features of what we wish our children and youth to have attained by the time they complete their eleven or so years of systematic Bahá’í education. These goals or aims are described as ATTAINMENT TARGETS, or targets we wish our children and youth to attain.

To derive the attainment targets for the U.K. National Bahá’í Curriculum, we simply have to refer back to the questions posed in the previous section, i.e.: what kind of adults to we want our children to be?

i) Affective learning is to learn new attitudes, new ways of thinking and behaving, and, in many ways, this is what lies at the heart of being, or becoming, a Bahá’í. In an increasingly material world it is more difficult to acquire and sustain a spiritual and moral lifestyle. Everyone is encouraged to be selfish and demand instant gratification. Profit has replaced service as the main motivation in human affairs. We must be in the world but apart from it, and therein lies the struggle. A greater degree of misery and suffering would be ameliorated if our lives were infused with a higher level of spiritual and moral awareness. It is the essence of religious teaching to impart this awareness to humanity. Therefore this is the first Attainment Target.

The Acquisition of a Spiritual and Moral Character devoted to Sacrifice and Service.

This, then, is a statement of intention that we wish our children and youth to attain to a virtuous character that will encourage selflessness and a striving to assist others before themselves.

ii) Many educationalists would hold that everything starts with knowledge and understanding. Until we have knowledge and understanding of something, it is said, we cannot progress to doing something about it. Learning new knowledge is what most people first associate with education and it is probably what most of our Bahá’í education consists of at present. It is not, however, the first of our Attainment Targets, because of the primacy of spirituality and morality in the Bahá’í teachings.

The Acquisition of Knowledge and Understanding of the Laws, Teachings, History and Key Figures, Covenant and Administration, and Sacred Scriptures, of the Bahá’í Faith and other Divinely Revealed Religions.

This, then, is a statement of intention that we wish our children and youth to attain to a knowledge and understanding of the various aspects of the Bahá’í Faith.

iii) To function effectively as a member of the Bahá’í community we need to make use of a wide range of skills. These can be learned best when we are young, indeed, must be learned, if we are to play our part competently in the various roles we have in our lives. Much unnecessary personal and collective frustration and suffering could be ameliorated if our community members were more highly skilled in ways which allowed them to live more meaningful and fulfilled lives.

The Acquisition of Skills appropriate to the Individual, Family, Social and Administrative Life of a Bahá’í.

This, then, is a statement of intention that we wish our children and youth to attain the various skills they will need to function effectively in each aspect of their lives as Bahá’ís.

These are the three Attainment Targets in brief. Together they encompass all Bahá’í education. Later sections will show how we break them down further and how they relate to each other. What is also important to remember is that everything in a curriculum, a syllabus, a set of lesson plans should be informed by the Bahá’í Writings and Pronouncements. What is interesting to observe is that the Scottish Curriculum 5-14 has four aims, of which three are: "Acquisition of knowledge and understanding", "Development of learning skills", and "Personal and social development"!

A setting out of the various age-ranges of a Bahá’í education system, which will inform the developmental stages of the curriculum and an explanation of curriculum progression.

The Key Stages are the age-ranges of the children and youth in the education system. There are four of them and they each have their own needs, appropriate to the level of spiritual, cognitive, emotional and physical development that the children have reached.

These key stages match the different stages of schooling over much of the United Kingdom. Once again, there is no need for us to invent a new system when a perfectly serviceable one already exists. Although the terms used here are derived from the government’s National Curriculum for England and Wales, there is nothing in curriculum statements or in actual school practice that differs markedly from this in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Key Stage One roughly corresponds to the age-range in an Infant school, stretching over a period of three years, from 4 to 7.

Key Stage Two corresponds to the age-range in a Junior school, stretching over a period of four years, from 7 to 11.

Key Stage Three corresponds to the age-range in the lower years of a Secondary school, stretching over a period of three years, from 11 to 14.

Key Stage Four corresponds to the age-range in the middle years of a Secondary school, stretching over a period of two years, from 14 to 16. These two years are the years in which G.C.S.E. courses and their Scottish equivalent are studied by the youth.

Compulsory education begins at 5 years of age in the U.K. and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refers to 5 as the beginning of a child’s formal education (B.E. p30 1987), but many parents wish their children to have pre-school provision at nursery or playgroup. This is reflected in the Bahá’í community by the existence, in every Bahá’í Community School, of a pre-school class with children as young as 2½ attending. It is surely of great benefit for very young children to develop the habit of attending Bahá’í classes, of associating in a Bahá’í environment with children of the same and similar ages. Therefore a Bahá’í curriculum should allow and provide for a stage before Key Stage One; so:

Key Stage Zero corresponds to the age-range in the pre-school years of nursery or play-group, a period of about one and a half years from 2½ to 4.

Below, these key stages are summarised in a table for ease of reference:

It may, presently, be the case that few 14 - 16 year olds are regularly attending the Bahá’í Community Schools, whether through lack of provision for them or lack of interest on their part. That does not, however, excuse the curriculum from providing for their needs, especially as Bahá’u’lláh had made the age of maturity 15 years and Key Stage Four goes up to , and just beyond, that. It would, indeed, be preferable, for many reasons, that youth continued to attend regular Bahá’í classes, in whatever form, for the sake of their continued systematic Bahá’í education. Education is life-long, the more so if it involves training for adult life. And if, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, education and training in character formation is wasted after puberty (B.E. p17 1987), then the more that the youth can be exposed to while they are still even slightly impressionable, the better.

Curriculum documents address general guidance to the age-range in each Key Stage. It is the syllabi that draw out the details for each year separately. A curriculum would only ever state what should or might be covered for each Attainment Target by the end of each Key Stage. This allows syllabus-makers plenty of freedom to arrange subject matter in different ways to suit different needs and different tastes.

In the present situation, where the classes in Bahá’í Community Schools and elsewhere are often made up of children whose ages vary from two to four years from each other, it is important to ensure that the programmes of study devised for the children are arranged so that they provide new lesson materials for each year that the children are in that class. Thus a class with children whose ages vary by four years should have a four-year rolling programme to avoid repetition.

However, it is equally important to ensure that, just because the children have learned about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during Key Stage One, they do not miss learning about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in progressively more detailed and demanding ways at each subsequent Key Stage. A curriculum ensures that this vital consideration is addressed.

This idea of curriculum progression is as much a part of the curriculum as its attainment targets and strands. Over the eleven or more years of Bahá’í education, any individual child should be enabled to progress in a number of different ways. Indeed, this progression should be part of every strand. In a very interesting article by Mike Newby called "Understanding Curriculum Progression", which appeared in the Autumn ’95 British Journal of Curriculum and Assessment, some eight forms of learning progression are listed:

2. From simple skills to more complex skills.
3. From the local and present to the distant and past or future.
1. From the past and distant to the present and local.
2. From simple to multiple discrimination. (or from simple to sophisticated classifications).

6. The progression to conceptual understanding.
7. From conceptual thinking to problem-solving.
1. Progression in habit development

Obviously, if a child that is capable has shown no progress or development in these eight ways after a systematic working through of the curriculum, then their education has been largely wasted and the curriculum has failed them.

A setting out of the areas of study, for each Attainment Target, that will run through the entire curriculum, from the lowest age group to the highest, with references from the Writings to support their inclusion.

Having established the kind of adults we want our children and youth to be, and having derived the three main goals or aims of our education system, we need to set out the areas of study that each Attainment Target is to contain.

These areas of study are referred to as STRANDS because they run right through the curriculum from the lowest age group to the highest, in this case from 2½ to 16 years of age. They are so important that they must be taught to each and every age group, in the appropriate way for their capacity and need. This continuity, with built-in progression, is vital for the proper and balanced development of the children and youth being taught.

What follows is a systematic listing of the main areas of study under each Attainment Target, the STRANDS in other words, together with quotations from the Writings and Pronouncements of the Faith to support their inclusion.

The Acquisition of a Spiritual and Moral Character devoted to Sacrifice and Service.

This Attainment Target has four strands:

‘Abdu’l-Bahá P.U.P. (1982) p54

The Acquisition of Knowledge and Understanding of the Laws, Teachings, History and Key Figures, Covenant and Administration, and Sacred Scriptures, of the Bahá’í Faith and other Divinely Revealed Religions.

This Attainment Target has six strands:

Bahá’u’lláh B.E. (1987) p6

‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) p42

‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) p30

The Acquisition of Skills appropriate to the Individual, Family, Social and Administrative Life of a Bahá’í.

This Attainment Target has four strands:

On behalf of Shoghi Effendi B.E. (1987) p52

‘Abdu’l-Bahá S.W.A. (1978) pp181-2

‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) pp281-2

‘Abdu’l-Bahá B.E. (1987) p46

"It is highly important for man to raise a family. So long as he is young, because of youthful self-complacency, he does not realise its significance, but this will be a source of regret when he grows old …In this glorious Cause the life of a married couple should resemble the life of the angels in heaven - a life full of joy and spiritual delight, a life of unity and concord, a friendship both mental and physical. The home should be orderly and well-organised. Their ideas and thoughts should be like the rays of the sun of truth and the radiance of the brilliant stars in the heavens. Even as two birds they should warble melodies upon the branches of the tree of fellowship and harmony. They should always be elated with joy and gladness and be a source of happiness to the hearts of others. They should set an example to their fellow-men, manifest a true and sincere love towards each other and educate their children in such a manner as to blazon the fame and glory of their family."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Family Life (1982) p397

"The supreme need of humanity is co-operation and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and accomplishment in all the planes of human activity. Without co-operation and reciprocal attitude the individual member of society remains self-centred, uninspired by altruistic purposes, limited and solitary in development like the animal and plant organisms of the lower kingdoms." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá PUP (1982) p338

‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Compilation of Compilations (1991) pp 509-510

Directives from the Guardian (1973) pp 84-5

Thus a framework of the whole curriculum would look like this:-

A setting out of some of the topics that could be taught under each strand, together with suggestions as to the age groups where they might be appropriate.

Having derived a framework for the curriculum - the Attainment Targets and Strands, the next stage is to set out the major elements that might be dealt with in the Programmes of Study for each Strand at each Key Stage.

The elements that appear below are not intended to be exhaustive, nor, indeed, are they cast in bronze for evermore. They are important, yes, but they are in the nature of guidance and description, rather than law and prescription. It is acknowledged that curriculum implementation is an evolving thing. No one person has all the answers, though individuals, by their efforts, can make a big difference in encouraging the development of curricula for the education of children in the Bahá’í community. However, we must start somewhere, lines have to be drawn, or we would never embark on any venture. No claim is made that this curriculum is the last word, nor the best, merely that this is the stage we have reached so far, and that this is what might serve us well enough into the early years of the next millennium. God willing, second generation Bahá’í curricula of greater sophistication, and of closer adherence to the spirit of the Writings, will grow from efforts such as this.

What follows is a systematic breakdown of what might appropriately be taught for each of the fourteen Strands that run through the whole curriculum, together with some suggestions as to what might be appropriate for each Key Stage.

This Attainment Target contains four Strands:

a) SPIRITUALITY

b) MORALITY

c) SACRIFICE

d) SERVICE

a) SPIRITUALITY

The acquisition of a spiritual nature, the spiritual refinement of a soul, the cultivating of a strong relationship between a soul and its Creator is, in a sense, the essence and primary purpose of a religion. If, in practising one’s Faith, one does not achieve any degree of spiritualisation then that Faith is redundant and one remains on the level of an animal with a will of its own, albeit a clever one.

The cultivation of a spiritual nature, of spirituality, in children and young people, is one of the most difficult tasks a parent or teacher faces. This is inherent in the nature of spirituality itself. It is not easily seen, nor subject to the usual limitations of measurement. Its effects may be observed, though they are subtle. Its potentiality is infinite, but it requires great effort and vigilance.

One particular aspect of behaviour in very young children has an important bearing on their later lives. Deferred gratification is the ability to control the immediate satisfying of one’s desires - to wait and work for greater rewards at a time in the future. This requires great strength of character. This is spirituality triumphing over materiality, the angel over the ape. Recent research has clearly demonstrated that those young children who can exercise delayed gratification, even as young as four years, go on to be successful in all areas of their lives. Those who cannot will have life-long problems in all areas of their lives. The message is clear for Bahá’í parents and teachers.

If we get spirituality right, the rest will follow, for it is what animates the soul, illumines the mind and sensitises the heart of the individual.

Much work needs to be done to generate effective environments, methods and materials for imparting this vital element to our children and young people, but, more than anything else, this aspect of the curriculum relies most heavily on the example of parents and teachers who are, themselves, dedicated to the spiritualisation of their own lives.

The idea of spirit

The human spirit

Spirit, mind and body

The human soul

The nature of spirituality

Coming closer to God / Personal relationship with God

Coming closer to Bahá’u’lláh

ii) Foundations of Spirituality

Prayerfulness

Meditativeness

Mindfulness of the Word of God (remembrance)

Detachment from the physical realm

Avoiding secularism

Other worldliness

Awareness of God and the other realms

Contentment with the Will of God

Radiant acquiescence

Spiritual dimension of morality

Selflessness

Integrity, Honour, Dignity, Trustworthiness

iii) Paths to Spirituality

Prayer

Meditation

Exposure to / relating to the Word of God

Restraint

Deferred gratification

Obedience to the Covenant and the Divine Institutions

Withstanding tests

4. Enhancement of Spirituality

The rôle of physical cleanliness

The rôle of order and tidiness, of neatness and presentation

The rôle of the Arts, especially: Music, Drama, Dance, Painting, Graphics & Design, and Literature

The rôle of Æsthetics, especially: creation of a suitable and pleasing environment and atmosphere

The rôle of Beauty, especially: its use, beautiful things, its contemplation as an attribute or emanation from God, the beauty of creation, the beauty of truth, the beauty of virtue, the beauty of love etc.

KS 0, KS 1 Here spirituality might be approached chiefly through the use of prayer, the sacred word, music, beauty and æsthetic environments.

KS 2 Introduce basic concepts of soul, spirit, loving God etc. in a more formal way. Widen scope of approaches.

KS 3 Greater sophistication of ideas and practices.

KS 4 Enable students to discuss all aspects of spirituality with confidence, to be confident in exercising most paths to spirituality and to know how to enhance their own spirituality and that of others.

b) MORALITY

The acquisition of a moral character must, according to the sacred text, be one of the primary concerns of all parents and educators when educating their children and young people. It has never been so important nor so difficult as now. This is just as the central figures of our Faith have predicted. Society has lost a commonly accepted moral code, indeed, has collectively abandoned any pretence to a moral way of behaving. This extends upwards into the highest levels of national and international government and downwards into the lowest strata of society. From presidents and prime- ministers to pre-teen youngsters, vice and depravity are the norm. Chernobyl, Tiananmen Square, B.S.E. act as a backdrop to the shocking events nearer home - the brutal murders of James Bulger, Philip Lawrence and Louise Allen. Human life itself has lost its meaning and its value.

In such circumstances the responsibility of Bahá’í parents and educators is weighty indeed, for their task is no less than to build anew a way of thinking and behaving based upon the moral teachings of an emerging world community. While other religions dither and fudge in the face of demands for licence from the most vicious elements of society, the Bahá’ís must stand firm and give clear moral guidance. Their children and youth must be told what is right and what is wrong in the eyes of God, and what is acceptable Bahá’í behaviour and what is not, never mind what the world thinks or does. In the sweeping, surging tides of immorality the new generation of Bahá’ís must not only be immovable rocks but beaming light houses, illuminating a channel of righteousness for a storm-tossed humanity.

Once again, not only must we have inspiring methods and materials to inculcate morality in our children and youth, but we must be prepared to lead the way by example.

What is morality?

Why is it good to be good?

The source of morality

Reward and punishment

Knowing right from wrong

Conscience and guilt

Immorality and amorality

Moral hierarchies

Absolute and relative morality

Consequences of moral and immoral acts

Altruism and the greater good

ii) Paths to Morality

Good character and conduct

Establishing and keeping a good reputation

Acquiring virtues

The Virtues :- Courtesy, Trustworthiness, Truthfulness, Patience, Kindness, Modesty, Courage, Forgiveness etc.

Shunning vices

The vices

The seven deadly sins

Eschewing the company of the ungodly

iii) Enhancement of Morality

Practising being good

Being an example to others

Being strong when surrounded by immorality

Coping with backbiting

Knowing who to turn to in a moral crisis

How to make moral decisions

Moral exemplars

Moral heroes and heroines

KS 0, KS 1 Here morality might be approached chiefly through the use of moral exemplars or stories, along with clear and constant reinforcement of good behaviour

KS 2 Introduce basic concepts of right and wrong, reward and punishment, and focus on a selection of key virtues, especially courtesy and kindness

KS 3 Greater sophistication of ideas and practices, including consequences. Chastity at pre-pubescent stages can be taught as loyalty and self-restraint, for example

KS 4 Enable students to discuss all aspects of morality with confidence, to be confident in their own moral uprightness, and to know how to enhance morality in themselves and others

c) SACRIFICE

Sacrifice is an alien concept to those who live in a materialistic society where everything is geared toward serving the self with all its needs, toward the instant gratification of the least impulse or desire. Everyone becomes so self-centred, so self-absorbed that the needs of others are forgotten, ignored or overridden. Society in such circumstances begins to disintegrate and the pleasures everyone seeks become ever more transitory in their effects and are undermined by an increasingly profound unhappiness.

Part of the mystery of sacrifice is its subtle and unseen function in keeping society running. Chronic neglect of its transference to the next generation by parents who have not experienced the genuine hardship and deprivation of wartime generations has meant the "spoiling" of the nation - people have become weak-willed, petulantly demanding of their rights and unable to cope with any kind of discomfort, deep emotion, responsibility or long-term relationship. Few seem ready or willing to subordinate their wishes, routines and comforts to the needs of others or for any cause that might elevate, promote or benefit the society of which they are a part. Thus marriages collapse in divorce, families fall apart, and the reciprocity of community life evaporates.

It is the task of Bahá’í parents and teachers to so sensitise our children and youth to the principle of sacrifice, its mysterious and hidden powers, and its far-reaching effects, that they will become sacrificial in their whole attitude to life and the world. By this is not meant a life of miserable self-denial and asceticism, but a rededication of humanity to a principle without which civilisation cannot actually exist. It is also their task to instil in our children a desire to act sacrificially in relation to the Cause - to give sacrificially to the Funds, to support and obey the Divine Institutions in a sacrificial way.

What is sacrifice?

Sacrifice as a mystery

Examples of sacrifice:

In nature - the seed sacrifices itself to let the plant grow

- the candle burns its substance to give light

In the human realm

Sacrifice as a miracle

Concept of Martyrdom:- Physical and Spiritual Martyrdom

ii) Paths to Sacrifice

Sharing - accepting less of something you like so that others may have some or have more

Letting go - leads to something better, a higher state

Giving - of time, effort, money and life

Willingness - to forgo personal pleasures, physical desires, status, public praise etc. to accomplish task in hand

Forgetting self - pleasing others before yourself, especially in friendships, marital and family relationships

Endurance - of hardship, difficulties, discomfort, pain etc.

Working - to earn the things you want in life

iii) Enhancing Sacrifice

Stories of sacrifice - throughout history

- in the Faith

Stories of Bábi and Bahá’í Martyrs

Personal goals or plans to enhance the spirit of sacrifice

KS 0, KS 1: Here sacrifice might be approached chiefly through the idea and practice of sharing and giving. The metaphor of the seed could be experienced through growing beans in jars etc.

KS 2: Introduce basic concepts of sacrifice: letting go, pleasing others, etc. Use stories from within and outside the Faith to show examples of people who sacrificed to serve higher purposes

KS 3 Greater sophistication of ideas and practices; forgoing pleasure, endurance, working for desired outcomes, stories of Martyrs, personal goals

KS 4 Enable students to discuss all aspects of sacrifice with confidence, to be confident in their own sacrificial conduct, and to know how to enhance sacrifice in themselves and others.

d) SERVICE

Profit-making has supplanted service as the main motive in business, and in human affairs generally. Material reward, especially if it is instant in nature, is seen as the goal of work - whether money, status or power. Attitudes of service are considered as belonging to a bygone era and are considered personally demeaning. These attitudes can affect Bahá’ís, especially the young, in their approach to serving the Faith, in whatever capacity, and in their serving of the community at large, whether in their occupations or their personal lives.

The priceless privilege of serving the Faith, or serving humanity, is often rejected outright or abandoned part way through when circumstances become a little difficult. However, we know as Bahá’ís that those activities and occupations which do not serve others, or advance the world of being, are merely self-indulgence.

We need to rekindle the spirit of service in our children so that they will be willing and faithful servants of the Cause as adults, and devoted servers of humanity. Our lessons and training programmes must enhance the culture of service which is part of our Bahá’í identity. Attention must be given to the development of methods and materials which will accomplish this difficult but necessary task.

An examination of the four Strands in this attainment target shows that they are closely interlinked, that elements appearing in one overlap into one or more of the others. However, it remains vital that each Strand be taught in such a way that they be given more or less equal weight, for a spiritual and moral character is all very well in isolation but it must be directed to the fields of sacrifice and service if it is to be of use in the world.

What is service?

Why should we serve others?

Service to the Faith

Work in the spirit of service

The element of service in all occupations and tasks

Attitude to service

Work as worship

Equality of value of all occupations

Pride in apparently menial tasks if they are of service

Concepts of duty and responsibility

ii) Paths to Service

Helping at home

Helping friends and neighbours

Helping others, doing things for others

Activities, occupations that are of service to humanity

Care of the sick, elderly and very young

Care of pets, animals, plants, nature and the environment

Hospitality

Helping in the local Bahá’í community

Helping at local events:- Feasts, Holy Days, Unit Conventions etc.

iii) Enhancement of Service

Carrying out service projects: Service in the community

Service to the environment

Service to Bahá’í Institutions or to Bahá’í individuals

Youth Year of Service

What to do on Holy Days, especially Ayyám-i-Há / Intercalary Days

Stories of those who have rendered great service - throughout history

- in the Faith

KS 0, KS1: Here service might be approached chiefly through the idea and practice of doing things for others, helping others

KS 2: Introduce basic concepts of service: what it is, why we should serve, work as worship etc. Encourage them to help in the home. Use stories to inspire children with desire to serve.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of ideas and practices; concepts of duty and responsibility. Get them to take on service projects looking after an elderly person, a pet, a wood etc.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of service with confidence, to be confident in their own service to the Faith and to humanity, and to know how to enhance service in themselves and others.

This Attainment Target contains six Strands

a) LAWS

b) TEACHINGS

c) HISTORY AND KEY FIGURES

d) COVENANT AND ADMINISTRATION

e) SACRED SCRIPTURES

f) OTHER DIVINELY REVEALED RELIGIONS

Perhaps in reaction to the excessive strictness of attitude, in the Nineteenth and first half of the Twentieth centuries, to laws, duties, regulations and codes of conduct, the second half of the Twentieth century seems to have swung into a mode of complete licence where anything goes. In such a liberal climate chaos and anarchy reign, no one’s safety is guaranteed, no building is immune from vandalism, no institution invulnerable to cynical undermining, no authority holds any credibility and no one’s life is worth anything.

The hallmarks of all social interaction are self-interest, profit-making, and buck-passing. Corruption is the norm; abnegation of all personal responsibility is endemic. It should come as no surprise to any one, therefore, that, as the traffic signals of life are being ignored, there are many fatalities and serious injuries in the population and the collapse of life’s infrastructures.

Between puritanical dictatorship and hedonistic libertarianism lies a happy medium. What truly sets a person and their society free is adherence to and respect for the law; a law, moreover, which is so framed as to promote the best interests and advancement of the human race, from local to global levels.

The Bahá’í student must be so inspired and trained that they come to see the divinely revealed laws of Bahá’u’lláh as the standard for human living, as a mighty stronghold for society’s protection and as a shelter for all who seek peace, justice, dignity and recompense.

1. The Nature of Divinely Revealed Laws

God given, a gift from God, God’s bounty and mercy

Unsealing of the choice wine

Renewed periodically, evolving to promote the progress of humanity

The test of the true believer

2. The Necessity, Purpose and Functioning of Divinely Revealed Laws

A standard to measure behaviour by

Laws as a code to live by

Laws as liberation

Sorting sheep from goats

Notions of reward and punishment

As basis of a new civilisation

3. The Sources of Bahá’í Law

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas

Other tablets and writings of Bahá’u’lláh

Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Writings of Shoghi Effendi

The Universal House of Justice

4. Obligations in Bahá’í Law

Daily prayer

Daily reading of sacred scripture

Fasting

Giving to the Fund

Marriage laws

Burial laws

Making a will

Paying Huqúq’u’lláh

Obedience to just government

Education of children

Having a trade or profession

Cleanliness etc.

5. Prohibitions in Bahá’í Law

Asceticism

Monasticism

Begging

Priesthood

Slavery

Alcohol

Drugs

Gambling

Sex outside marriage

Party politics

Voluntary military service

Murder, Arson, Theft

Cruelty to animals

Lying

Backbiting etc.

KS 0, KS 1: Here laws might chiefly be approached through looking at rules for home, school and playing of games. The laws of daily prayer and reading, and of backbiting should be touched on.

KS 2: Introduce laws as traffic rules that allow everyone to drive freely. Basic Bahá’í laws to do with daily duties and what to avoid.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of ideas, looking at the nature of divine laws and their purpose, etc. Get students to keep a diary of what comes up as issues each day of their lives.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of divine laws with confidence, to be confident in their own obedience to the laws of Bahá’u’lláh, and to know how to enhance knowledge and practice of Bahá’í law in themselves and others.

The world, having failed to renew and update its ships of state, having left its lifeboats rotting at the quayside, having dowsed its lighthouses, torn up its navigational charts and allowed its captains free access to the liquor store, is now drowning in a sea of confusion.

The world understands little, if anything, of the storms and tidal waves which are buffeting humanity. Even those who might be capable are unwilling to make the effort, lest in being distracted from their frantic swimming they might go under and not resurface.

The world will continue to suffer unless and until sufficient numbers of people, especially those of capacity, come to hear of and accept the teachings enshrined in Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation and in the writings of His appointed successors.

These teachings are the only effective medicine for the personal, moral, social, economic, political and environmental ills from which humanity is presently suffering. They are the ark which will rescue the human race from the deluge of its own making.

The Bahá’í student must be so educated in the teachings of their Faith that they may be enabled to know and understand them, live them out through their lives and apply them to the situations and problems of the world, as well as to share them in a meaningful and relevant way with others.

There is, literally, nowhere else to turn. Metaphorically, there is no other vessel that can withstand the tempest.

Unity, peace and globalisation

Universality, collective salvation

The establishment of God’s kingdom on earth

2. Theological

The unity and nature of God

The unity and nature of the Manifestations

The nature and purpose of creation

The nature and purpose of humanity

The worlds of God and their creatures

The soul and immortality

The abolition of priesthoods, monasticism and confession

The nature of divine institutions, etc.

3. Intellectual

The gifts of the Mind

The pursuit of arts, crafts and sciences for humanity’s benefit

Independent investigation of truth

The harmony of science and religion

The vital importance of education and training

4. Social, Economic and Political

Universal peace and world government

Equality of the sexes

Abolition of all forms of prejudice

Abolition of slavery

Abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth

Universal auxiliary language

Universal currency, weights and measures

Profit-sharing

Prison reform

Social and economic development of the whole world

Conservation of the world’s environments and biodiversity

Holistic approaches to everything

Empowerment and self-help, etc.

KS 0 , KS 1: Here teachings might chiefly be approached through songs of love, peace and unity, through friezes and collages showing unity in human diversity, etc.

KS 2: Introduce all the appropriate teachings at a basic level with posters, pictures, diagrams and plentiful examples to illustrate each one.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of ideas, looking at the more difficult concepts as well as exploring more familiar aspects in greater depth.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of the teachings with confidence, to be confident in acting on firm belief in the teachings, and to know how to enhance knowledge and practice of Bahá’í teachings in themselves and others.

Compared with the other great divinely revealed religions of the world, the Bahá’í Faith has a relatively short history. However, what it lacks in longevity it certainly makes up in drama and dynamism. To move from an apparent offshoot of an obscure Shi’ih sect of Islam to the eighth largest and second most widely spread religious community on earth in a century and a half is extraordinary by anyone’s standards.

Its founder, a lifelong prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, sent letters to all the monarchs, political and religious leaders of the late 1860’s - early 1870’s, calling upon them to acknowledge God’s new revelation and foster peace and public welfare. Ignored and rejected by all but one, this same founder announced that all authority had been taken from them and predicted their several downfalls. One by one they fell under the assassin’s bullet or were swept aside by revolution and world war. All perished or lost their positions except for the one who had received the letter graciously - Queen Victoria - whose descendant, alone, still occupies her throne. Of such stirring material is Bahá’í history made.

For the Bahá’í community as a whole, and for Bahá’í children and youth in particular, their history performs a number of vital functions. It assists in developing a sense of Bahá’í identity, for this is a glorious past all Bahá’ís share. It provides inspiring tales of courage and long-suffering from the many heroes and heroines who helped to forge a new destiny for the world. It provides a touchstone for individual transformation in contemplating the sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Holy Family. It demonstrates the unfailing and inexorable power of the divine hand in human affairs. It points to an even more glorious future, dreamed of by countless generations gone before.

A thorough knowledge and understanding of Bahá’í history and its key figures is an indispensable aspect of Bahá’í education and upbringing, but as part of a balanced course of study. There is a temptation to spend more time on it than other strands, because there is a lot of material available and it is relatively easy to teach. However, in the end, the most effective use for history is in relation to all other aspects of the Faith.

1. The nature and purpose of History from a Bahá’í viewpoint; the importance of keeping accurate records and archives

2. Background and context of the Bahá’í Faith in 19^th / 20^th century

3. Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kazim

6. The Life and Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His journeys, His titles, the end of the Heroic Age, etc.

7. The Life and Ministry of Shoghi Effendi, His achievements, the beginning of the Formative Age, etc.

8. The life and ministry of the Custodians and the Hands of the Cause of God

9. The ministry of the Universal House of Justice

10. The World Congresses 1963, 1992

11. Parallel events in Bahá’í and world history

12. The history of the Bahá’í Faith in the U.K.

13. Local Bahá’í history, including personal testimony of how people became Bahá’ís, etc.

14. Erroneous histories of the Faith and how to deal with them

KS 0, KS 1: Here history and key figures might chiefly be approached through simple story and drama, pictures and songs of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

KS 2: Introduce more detail in the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Introduce the Báb and Shoghi Effendi, along with Letters of the Living.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in both broader sweeps and more detail of the four central figures. Introduce the heralds of the Báb and the stories of the Hands of the Cause.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of Bahá’í history and key figures with confidence, to be confident in allowing the history of the Faith to mould their identity and inspire them, and to know how to enhance knowledge and inspiration of Bahá’í history in themselves and others.

The Covenant is what separates us from oblivion. It is the umbilical cord for the soul. It is the fulcrum by which to lever the world. It is the driving force of the universe. Adherence to it in times of great danger causes all the angels, the Concourse on High and the creatures of the world beyond to rush to assist the faithful. No power can overcome it, all powers are its servant. To skirt its boundaries is to invite insanity and immolation.

The administrative order is the channel, the vehicle of the covenant in the material realm. It is the instrument by which the covenant can exert its influence on the human race.

No covenant in the history of humanity has been so clearly preserved, so clearly explained, nor so well provided with the means by which it might be affirmed, enacted and renewed.

No system of government in the panoramic sweep of human life on this earth has ever approached the beauty, the symmetry, the sensitivity, the grandeur or transformative potency of the administrative order of Bahá’u’lláh. It is a machine of infinite possibilities which can be operated by the simplest, purest souls to generate nothing less than a new world civilisation.

How can any Bahá’í parent or teacher fail, then, to impart to their children and youth the wonders of the covenant and administration? Socrates consulted the Oracle to learn the truth. Bahá’ís have only to turn their hearts to the covenant and consult with their divine institutions and truth can be theirs for the asking.

1. The nature and purpose of Covenants from the Bahá’í viewpoint
2. The Covenants of God throughout the history of religion
3. The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh
4. The sources of the Covenant
5. Obedience to the Covenant
6. Covenant breaking

7. The Administrative Order, its nature and purpose
1. The sources of the Administration
2. The individual
3. Consultation and the Nineteen Day Feast
4. The Bahá’í Calendar, Holy Days and Fast
5. The Local Spiritual Assembly and its agencies
6. The National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies
7. The Universal House of Justice and its agencies
8. Voting, elections and conventions
9. The Guardianship
10. The Hands of the Cause of God
11. Counsellors
12. Auxiliary Board Members
13. Assistants to the Auxiliary Board
14. Community worship and Houses of Worship and their dependencies
15. The institutions and buildings of the Bahá’í World Centre

23. The nature and purpose of the teaching plans

12. The source of the plans in the Tablets of the Divine Plan
13. The teaching plans, their history and development to the present
14. The process of Entry by Troops

KS 0, KS 1: Here Covenant and Administration might chiefly be approached through making promises and how to keep them, introduce the Nineteen Day Feast, Naw-Ruz, etc.

KS 2: Introduce the basic idea of a covenant as a binding agreement, introduce the Bahá’í calendar, and the Local Spiritual Assembly, allow students to explain and describe their own experiences.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in broader sweeps and greater depth, looking at all three areas in all aspects.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of the Covenant and Administration with confidence, to be confident in acting on their knowledge and understanding of the Covenant and Administration, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.

The human race spends a disproportionate amount of time and effort sifting through seemingly endless libraries seeking books that will provide answers to the problems of personal happiness and fulfilment, life-skills, relationships and paranormal phenomena. They search in vain among pages of words whose substance evaporates like mist under the summer sun when exposed to the harsh light of reality. Unbeknown to them the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh encompasses not only the whole universe but all the other realms of God beyond, never mind all the world’s libraries, all its science and philosophy, and all its belief systems.

The word of God, as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, is, in this day, the ultimate treasure. It is the surging ocean that girdles the globe. It is the sparkling stream for the thirsty millions, the true manna to the spiritually starving multitudes, the touchstone for the hearts of humanity, and the source of all knowledge and wisdom. It is the blueprint for all human endeavour; the standard by which all human thought and action is measured. Through God’s immeasurable bounty, the Word is reclothed, renewed and released once more into the contingent world.

This creative word of God can alone transmute the dross of the human heart into the purest gold. Our children and youth must be so imbued with its life-giving properties that it becomes like the air they breathe, that it springs to their tongues as readily as words of love to lovers, that their very being resonates with its harmonies.

There is an element of trust here: that the words really mean what they say, that, no matter how extraordinary or improbable to the cynical mind their claims, they are true. This trust in the veracity of the sacred word must be as natural to our children and youth as laughter and curiosity. This is the point to which parents and teachers must bring them, through the personal example of daily reference to scripture and acting out its truth.

1. The nature of revelation, the Word of God to humanity, how it comes through, etc.
2. The forms and types of revelation, prayers, tablets, sermons, meditations, codes of law, hymns of praise, etc.

3. The language of revelation, high or classical register, use of symbolism, metaphor, imagery and other poetical and rhetorical devices

4. Our attitude to sacred scripture and its uses, in private devotion, public worship, study, etc.

5. The writings of the Báb

10. The relationship of Bahá’í scripture to other scripture, especially the Bible and the Qur’an

KS 0, KS 1: Here sacred scriptures might chiefly be approached through copying or illustrating short passages of the writings and learning to recite them by heart, or sing them.

KS 2: Introduce the basic idea of revelation and other authoritative writings and their differences, get students to identify the different types of revelation, etc.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in broader sweeps and greater depth; at this stage students should be studying passages of scripture to be able to extract inspiration and meaning for themselves.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of sacred scripture with confidence, to be confident in using their knowledge and understanding of Bahá’í scripture, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.

The tendency of humanity to see things separately, to be swayed by surface differences, to seize upon apparent inconsistencies, leads to division. This seemingly inherent tribalism lies behind parochialism, prejudice and, eventually, persecution.

Adherence to a religious belief system is not normally a matter of rationality. Commitment to a faith is meta-rational - beyond logic or scientific analysis. It is something profoundly felt, often against the evidence of reason and experience.

Religious belief allied to tribalism is a systemic poison in the matrix of human society. The doctrine of exclusivity exists in all theologies, in one form or another, and vitiates the unity that humanity might otherwise achieve.

Generally, those who are committed to their own religious beliefs and practices do not tend to acknowledge the worth of other religions, much less admit that they might all represent equally valid paths to God. They will admit that some religions grow out of earlier ones, but there their sense of an underlying pattern ends. For every member of a religious community who supports inter-faith dialogue and co-operation, there are many who raise the dangers of compromise and assimilation.

It is only in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, where belief and reason go hand in hand, that we come to appreciate most fully a universal pattern, an ever progressing elaboration of God’s purpose unfolding through the various religions of the world. Such a view allows one to see the underlying spiritual truths which unite all religions, and to see the differences as surface considerations of practical and societal prescriptions for religious observance and human interaction, diet, dress, marriage and laying the deceased to rest; all of which stem partly from the historical and geographical context of the religions’ origins.

As Bahá’í parents and teachers, we must teach our children and youth about the other great religions and belief systems of the world, for two reasons. One is to prevent any trace of prejudice entering our dealings with those of other religious traditions. The other is to allow us to understand our own faith and its place in the grand scheme of things - existing in a context of rich cultural diversity and long tradition of adherence to ideas other than our own. The Bahá’í writings are full of references to God’s previous messengers and their sacred scriptures. You cannot fully appreciate a chapter in a novel unless you have read and understood the previous chapters. Nor must we forget that there will be chapters after this one.

ASPECTS OF RELIGION

1. Progressive revelation and the unity of religions
2. The religious nature of humanity
3. A survey of religious expression in prehistoric and ancient times
4. The Bahá’í attitude to other religions and their followers

THE GREAT RELIGIONS

5. Abraham and monotheism
6. Hinduism, Rama and Krishna
7. Judaism and Moses
8. Zoroaster and Zoroastrians
9. Buddha and Buddhism
10. Christ and Christianity
11. Muhammad and Islam
12. Other religious ideologies
13. Non-religious ideologies

SACRED SCRIPTURES

14. The sacred scriptures of the world’s religions
15. References to the Bahá’í Faith in the world’s sacred scriptures

RELIGIONS TODAY

16. The cyclical rise and fall of religious dispensations
17. Problems facing the world’s religious communities
18. The Inter-Faith Movement
19. The Bahá’í Faith on SACREs and in schools, and taught by non-Bahá’ís etc.

KS 0, KS 1: Here the other divinely revealed religions might chiefly be approached through simple story and drama, pictures and symbol recognition, etc.

KS 2: Introduce more detail in the lives of the founders and key figures of the other religions, along with some key sayings and religious festivals, etc.

KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in both broader sweeps and more detail of the founders, key figures, history, scriptures, teachings and practices of the world’s principal religious and other belief systems, including the Bahá’í view of them as expressed in Bahá’í writings and authoritative pronouncements.

KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of other divinely revealed religions, to be confident in using their knowledge and understanding of other divinely revealed religions, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.

This Attainment Target contains four Strands:

2. FAMILY SKILLS

3. SOCIAL SKILLS

4. ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS

Time and again we are reminded, by the Bahá’í scriptures and by the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice, that the success and progress of the Faith is largely dependent upon the individual believer and their personal initiative and contribution to the Cause.

This being the case, we need to prepare individual Bahá’ís in such a way that they will have the skills to be self-sustaining members of the community, to continue to live and function as Bahá’ís even when things become more difficult, even when they are alone without benefit of a Bahá’í community or another believer nearby.

From strong, well-motivated individual believers, strong families, strong communities and strong institutions grow. Many of the troubles from which the Faith suffers at present would disappear if the individuals who make up the worldwide community of Bahá’u’lláh were solidly grounded in those skills which helped them sustain their faith and their active participation in Bahá’í affairs.

We cannot afford to allow our children to go through several years of Bahá’í education and emerge without the means to utilise their spiritualised characters and their knowledgeable minds. These must be channelled, focused and directed toward meaningful ends through the acquisition of those skills which enable them to function effectively and in a fulfilling way as active Bahá’ís.

The mind (intellectual)

The heart (emotional)

The body

How to answer the needs of all these aspects

2. Individual Skills

Developing a devotional attitude

Learning to pray

Learning how to use prayer effectively, including the 5 steps

Getting the best out of the obligatory prayers and the 95 times Allah’u’Abhá

Learning to fast

Getting the best out of the Fast

Learning to read the writings daily

Learning to deepen effectively

Learning to study the writings f

Memorising the writings short prayers and passages by heart, coping

Learning to recite the Word of God by heart with strong feelings, etc.

Using the writings effectively

Giving to the Fund

Paying Huquq’u’llah

Making a Bahá’í will

Choosing a worthwhile occupation

Honest financial dealings

Developing a Bahá’í identity

Learning to prioritise and balance one’s life with its conflicting demands

Developing learning and study skills

Learning to deal with strong feelings, temptations and idle thoughts

Learning to deal with wrong-doing, conscience and putting things right

Learning to acquire the virtues and practising them in daily life

Learning to eat, sleep, dress, work, exercise and play within the bounds of moderation and restraint

Learning to develop one’s creative and artistic skills

Learning to develop one’s cultural heritage in relation to the Faith

3. Enhancement of Individual Skills

The individual in relation to God

The individual in relation to themselves

The individual in relation to their family

The individual in relation to the Bahá’í community and society

The individual in relation to the Bahá’í administration

KS 0, KS 1: Here individual skills might chiefly be approached through appropriate behaviour for saying and listening to prayers, learning short prayers and passages by heart, coping with strong feelings, etc

KS 2: Here develop skills of praying, reading the writings, giving to the Fund, acquiring and practising virtues, exercising moderation and dealing with thoughts and feelings, etc.

KS 3: Here these may be approached with greater sophistication, introducing everything that remains gradually, and perhaps leaving some financial skills, fasting and cultural heritage until later.

KS 4: Enable students to be confident in exercising all individual skills at a basic but effective level, and to be able to assist themselves and others in acquiring these same skills.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the institution of the family is under considerable strain at this time. The signs are clear for all to see: galloping divorce rates, soaring illegitimacy, teenage run-aways, junior-age murderers and so on. Rapid changes in lifestyle, partly brought about by technological advances, have aggravated the long-recognised generation gap. In a sense, children have never been in such a different world to their parents as now. Extended networks of relatives have broken up as more people eschew marriage for temporary partnerships and as more children are born as only children to single mothers.

Fewer people are learning the skills necessary to operate successfully within a family because fewer people are exposed to the experience of growing up in a successful and stable one. And, as the family is the basic building-block of society, the first agent of socialisation, its collapse means the more rapid disintegration of society.

Bahá’í families are naturally subject to the same pressures, and the extent to which they are able to withstand them is the extent to which the individual members of those families are able to acquire and use the skills to be found in the sacred writings of the Cause.

Children and young people must be helped to obtain and practise the skills which will make them successful family members, whether as supportive children for siblings and parents, or as empathetic and sharing partners, or as loving and responsible parents. Without stable Bahá’í families, Bahá’í communities cannot function properly, and without dynamic and loving Bahá’í communities, the Faith will not attract the masses.

The family as a life-long commitment

The generations within a family

The wider family and relations

Family pride and its enhancement

2. THE SKILLS

*** Child ***

Duties and rights of a Bahá’í child

How to exercise them wisely

Being a good daughter / son

Being a good brother / sister

*** Adolescent ***

Coming of age

Choosing a partner for life

Courtship and preparation for marriage

Keeping the balance of integration and independence

Living alone

Marriage

Being a good marriage partner

Child rearing

Duties and rights of a Bahá’í parent

Making a Bahá’í home

Allocation of responsibilities

Family decision-making

Family leisure activities

Family worship

Balancing family and other commitments

Encouragement and reward

Training and punishment

Enhancing family life

Equality in the family

Resolving difficulties and disputes

Coping with bereavement, disabilities, divorce, etc.

3. ENHANCEMENT OF FAMILY SKILLS

The idea of the family as a sacred institution to preserve and promote

Arranging activities, events and programmes in which all the members of the family can participate together

Allowing every family member room to be themselves and to contribute their uniqueness

KS 0, KS 1: Here family skills might chiefly be approached through family trees, meaning of names, and simple activities which engender awareness of and loyalty to the family, etc.

KS 2: Here family skills might be approached through projects such as family scrap books, and the skills appropriate to the child.

KS 3: Here these may be approached with greater sophistication and gradually moving into adolescent and adult considerations.

KS 4: Enable students to be confident in exercising all family skills at a basic but effective level in those real life situations where they might be expected to participate and to be able to assist others in acquiring those same skills.

The Bahá’í Faith is pre-eminently the religion of community, whether it be the community in miniature - the family - or the global community of the whole human race.

There is ample provision for individual spiritual needs, but the emphasis of the Faith does not lie in a passive or solitary mode of being. Monasticism is abolished, asceticism is annulled, priesthoods are abrogated. Bahá’ís must live in the world, though not be of it. Marriage is encouraged, having children is given as the principal reason for marriage. Service to others is raised to the level of worship. Salvation is no longer simply personal but collective. The primary obligation of Bahá’ís is to share their Faith with others and thus enrol new believers. All these underline the social nature of the Faith.

With such an emphasis, social skills are of paramount importance. Young Bahá’ís must therefore be raised to be at home in the widest possible range of social circumstances, among people of every conceivable origin, type and way of life, regardless of sex, age, ethnicity, education, belief, occupation or interest.

At the same time, they must also be prepared to cope with the negative aspects of association with the full gamut of humanity. The ugliness of gossip, backbiting, prejudice, easy familiarity, irreligion and immorality must be met with a combination of strength, love, tact and unwavering adherence to the Bahá’í standard.

With the grace and composure that come with well-developed social skills, a pure and devoted Bahá’í would be a pillar of their community and attract others to the Faith. To the extent that a Bahá’í individual can interact with others in a quality way, they will receive affirmation and fulfilment, and provide these for their fellows.

1. ASPECTS OF SOCIAL SKILLS

Human beings as social creatures

Interacting with others: purposes and manner

The socialising of the young: importance and methods

2. THE SKILLS

Courtesy, hospitality and entertaining skills

Fostering love and unity in the community

Enhancing equality in the community

Enhancing cultural heritage in relation to the community

Training and upbringing of children as community members

Teaching social skills to the young

Bahá’í education of children and youth (in general)

Deepening of fellow adults

Setting up and running training institutes

Proclaiming the Faith

Teaching the Faith

Enrolling new believers

Consolidating the Faith

Conducting firesides

Giving public talks

Conversing at non-Bahá’í functions

Relating the teachings to current concerns and academic standpoints

Avoiding gossip

Shunning backbiting

Eschewing the company of the ungodly

Overcoming prejudice

Remaining neutral in a partisan environment

Remaining moral amidst immorality

Remaining chaste in a promiscuous environment

Defending the Faith against attack - from within and without

3. ENHANCEMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS

Assisting fellow souls to come closer to their God

Seeing the face of God in everyone one meets

Regarding the soul of a person rather than their personality, deeds or appearance

Overcoming likes / dislikes with love for others

Avoiding pigeon-holing / categorising people - seeing everyone afresh

Putting oneself in the place of others

KS 0, KS 1: Here social skills might chiefly be approached through such avenues as interactive games, always trying to think of good things to say about people, setting tables and eating together, etc.

KS 2: Introduce basic community and teaching skills, encouraging students to be loving and hospitable and to adopt small-scale teaching projects such as telling friends about being a Bahá’í and giving short presentations at their full-time school on the Faith, etc.

KS 3: Broaden the range of skills to include education and challenges. Make use of story and drama and task-based activities to allow students to exercise their developing skills in situations that closely mimic real life, or in real situations where possible.

KS 4: Enable students to be confident in exercising all social skills at a basic but effective level in those real situations where they might expect to participate and to be able to assist others in acquiring those same skills.

How often have we longed for the firm and sure-footed guidance of a strong local spiritual assembly? How frequently have we puzzled over the decisions of a committee? And how many hours have we endured of boring, unfocused opinion-giving that passes for true consultation in our feasts and meetings? And, yet, what else should we expect when the majority of Bahá’ís come into the Faith as youth or adults without benefit of training in assembly membership, collective decision-making or consultation; and when the majority of those raised in the Faith fail to be taught, or, when taught, fail to learn these things?

The administrative order is a wonderful instrument for the advancement of the human race, but its wonders have yet to be seen because we are too few and too unskilled to make proper use of it.

By teaching those skills which will equip our young Bahá’ís for administrative service, we will create more eager and empowered individuals and more mature institutions capable of dealing with the more rapid changes, greater challenges and heavier responsibilities which will come with the advancing process of entry by troops.

As must be obvious to any observer, the skills in the four strands are interconnected and success in the one often means success in the others, while failure in one may lead to difficulties in the others. Each one of the four is vitally important in preparing our young people for the lives they must lead as active Bahá’ís in a non-Bahá’í world.

1. ASPECTS OF AMINISTRATION

What kind of skills are administrative skills?

When and where do we exercise them?

Community, committees, spiritual assemblies and the learned arm

2. THE SKILLS

*** General ***

Consultation

Decision-making

Conflict-resolution

Preparing agendas

Making suggestions

Voting and Bahá’í elections

Voting rights and their loss

Understanding and acting on the plans that come from the World Centre

Preparing devotionals

Conducting Nineteen Day Feasts

Holding Holy Days

Publicity and contact with the media

Arranging firesides, public meetings, prayer meetings, deepenings

Conducting marriages, funerals and memorials

Conducting unit conventions, being a teller or delegate

*** Committees ***

Committee formation and membership

Being a committee member

The brief and the vision

*** Spiritual Assemblies ***

Local Spiritual Assembly formation

Being an Assembly member

Confidentiality

Developing local plans

Duties of Assembly officers: chairing, secretarial, treasury, archives

Being appointed

Counselling and leadership skills

Human resource development skills

Identifying suitable members

3. ENHANCEMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS

The relationship of what we do in the administrative system to the Covenant

The administrative system as the blueprint for the world order of Bahá’u’lláh

The plans as stages in the establishment of the New World Order

KS 0, KS 1: Here administrative skills might chiefly be approached through such avenues as co- operative games, which would help the children to learn to work together. Let them choose prayers and readings for their class devotionals, etc.

KS 2: Introduce the basic skills of consultation, allow students to practice them by being set group tasks to accomplish something for later wider consumption, etc.

KS 3: Here most general and community skills could be taught, through interactive tasks and games, with opportunities to practise newly acquired skills in real settings for class, school and beyond.

KS 4: Enable students to be confident in exercising all administrative skills at a basic but effective level in those real situations where they might expect to participate and to be able to assist others in acquiring those same skills.

THE ARTS IN THE CURRICULUM - a special note

It is very important that the arts, along with crafts, are not separated out from the curriculum as a distinct strand, for, thereby, they would be an add-on, an afterthought, an attachment - divorced from the delivery of the rest of the curriculum. Whereas, in reality, they are an integral part of the curriculum, moving across many strands, underpinning, illuminating, supporting and enhancing the manifold aspects of the Faith. Much of the curriculum can be delivered via the medium of one or more of the arts, especially so with the lowest key stages of 0 and 1.

For example, the arts appear in the following strands:

AT 1 a) Spirituality KS 0, KS 1

2. Morality KS 0, KS 1
1. Sacrifice KS 2
2. Service KS 2

AT 2 b) Teachings KS 0 - KS 2

3. History and Key Figures

5. Sacred scriptures

6. Other divinely revealed religions

AT 3 a) Individual skills KS 0 - KS 4

2. Family skills KS 0 - KS 2
1. Social skills KS 3

And, indeed, there is no reason why they cannot be used in all the remaining strands and key stages also. What is important is that they should be instruments of enhancement, vehicles to transmit the truths of the Faith but not something which becomes an end in itself. As with all other aspects of the curriculum, it is a question of balance and appropriateness.

A description of the uses to which the curriculum may be put in terms of syllabus-generation, matching content to delivery system, co-ordination of systems and aspects of evaluation.

Once we have a curriculum the question arises as to what to do with it. How do we use it? Patently it is not something to skim through and then put away in the garage or loft. It is a working document, that is, a document to work with. It is a reference work, that is, something to refer to regularly. It must inform our thinking about our educational practice in relation to children and youth. It must help us to stay on track over the years ahead.

It is not a rigid prescription, but general guidance. It does leave the classroom practitioner with a good deal of room to manoeuvre. It cannot be detailed because it must be capable of almost infinite adaptation to allow for the answering of particular, of local needs.

One of the main uses of a curriculum is that of an outline or framework from which to derive syllabi. The word syllabus is used in the plural deliberately, because it is possible to derive many different types of syllabi from the one curriculum, just as many global and regional plans have been derived from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, each with their separate emphases but all with the same fundamental and underlying features. This is dealt with more fully in the next section.

Another feature of the flexibility of the curriculum is the variety of ways through which it can be delivered, and how the broad guidelines of the curriculum may inform the educational content of all manner of "delivery systems".

A sample list of delivery systems is given below:

  * Community Schools

  * Children’s and Youth Classes

  * Children’s and Youth Institutes

  * Clubs and Youth Activities, e.g. Peace Clubs

  * Programmes at National and Regional Events

  * Residential Schools

* Correspondence Courses, e.g. Thomas Breakwell College

  * With Parents and Relatives at Home

  * The In-Home Study Programme

  * Children and Youth Magazines

  * Service Projects

Some of these systems are classroom-based and regular, others are sporadic and less formal, still others are solitary or confined to a small number of individuals, yet others are centred around activities and may reach out to the wider community beyond the Faith. All can and should be informed by the National Bahá’í Curriculum, depending upon the type of syllabus derived for them, otherwise these various systems are isolated, unconnected and limited where they could be linked, mutually supportive and collectively contributing to the overall advancement of the Bahá’í community toward goals clearly defined in the Writings.

A further use to which a curriculum may be put is as a gauge or standard against which to measure the health and progress of the various elements of the Bahá’í education system - to ensure relevance and balance and co-ordination in all educational programmes, whether long-running or intermittent. Without a curriculum no such an overview would be possible.

It would be an interesting and useful exercise for a Bahá’í class teacher to take the framework table in section eight and, for the age-range they teach, mark each one of their lessons off in the appropriate boxes over one year and observe where certain strands are emphasised and others neglected. They could then determine how balanced their year’s course had been and adjust it accordingly for the following year. This practice is called curriculum auditing.

It would be possible, with a National Curriculum in place, to conduct a wider curriculum audit - to look at all the above delivery systems and work out the total educational delivery by subject for one year and see where we are repeating certain things, on a national basis, and where we are leaving gaps. With such information at its disposal, a National Assembly, a national or regional committee, could redirect and refine the educational content to a more balanced and co-ordinated distribution countrywide.

In general terms, the curriculum should be used with common sense, neither ignored nor implemented in some fanatical or over-zealous manner. It should always be used in the light of the Writings and the continuing guidance of the Universal House of Justice. Finally, it should be carried out with the involvement and co-operation of both arms of the administration - National and Local Assemblies on the one hand, and Counsellors, Auxiliary Board Members and their Assistants on the other. Without the input of the mystical element of divine institutions our endeavours are not linked to the Covenant and will therefore not succeed.

A brief description of how syllabi might be derived from a curriculum document such as this, including a glance at different syllabus types and their uses.

It is when teachers and educationalists come to derive their syllabi from a given curriculum that they can exercise choice and creativity. The most important consideration here, perhaps, being to answer local need as closely as possible within the accepted curriculum framework. All syllabi would have to address the same three Attainment Targets, even the same Strands, but not necessarily in the same way.

Syllabi might be said to fall into four categories, according to the way they are structured or approached. Each category may be more suited to certain types of delivery system rather than others.

i) Traditional: This type of syllabus would very closely match the pattern and structure of the curriculum document itself, with subject headings listed as they appear in the programmes of study, as given in section nine. There would, of course, be much more detail and a definite order in which the subjects were to be taught. This would be a formal syllabus, content-based and centred in traditional classroom practice. This type of syllabus would probably best suit children of junior and lower secondary age (7 - 14), and would be most at home in the setting of a Community School or a very regular and formal Sunday School class. It is a very valuable method of introducing stability, continuity, thoroughness and regularity in a situation where education provision has been patchy and erratic.

ii) Theme-based: This type of syllabus breaks free of the subject-based approach and uses themes which cross over the Attainment Targets and Strands. It offers greater flexibility and allows the teacher to be much more creative, though it is much more difficult to monitor the balance of Strands covered. In some ways it needs much more careful preparation and evaluation to avoid losing sight of the original aims of the curriculum. This type of syllabus would probably best suit children of infant and lower junior age (4 - 8) and would be quite at home in the setting of children’s classes held at regional or national events where a more rigorous treatment of subject matter would not be so appropriate.

iii) Activity based: This type of syllabus also breaks free of the traditional approach. Elements of the curriculum are delivered through a range of activities or projects. Again, this is a more flexible model than subject-based syllabi, allowing far greater creativity, and again it is more difficult to monitor the balance of strands covered and so also requires more care in preparation and evaluation. This type of syllabus would probably best suit both the youngest of the age groups (2½ - 4) and the oldest (14 - 16). The restraints of formal education are inappropriate for most pre-school children, and youth often respond better to activity rather than formal study, particularly if they can see concrete results for their efforts. This type of syllabus can be adapted for use within a formal classroom setting, but its greatest potential lies in the realm of youth clubs, especially those organised in a similar way to the Scouts, the Red Cross, Boys Brigades, Girl Guides etc. Where formal classes do not gain the interest of a group of local youth, the Bahá’í communities in that area should consider setting up a peace club, a community service club or one more resembling other youth organisations. Many elements of the curriculum can be delivered through a syllabus of varied activities that would engage the interest of Bahá’í youth and perhaps be of benefit to a wider circle of people.

iv) Composite: This type of syllabus makes use of elements of all three types described above. In a sense, all good teachers make use of formal instruction by subject content, less formal facilitation through thematic approaches and also through use of singing, music, art, drama, community service project and so on. This approach, depending upon its actual make-up, might well be suited to the widest age-range and the broadest settings.

In all syllabus models it is important to ensure a balance of the three Attainment Targets and the fourteen Strands, either within a given year or within a rolling programme of 2, 3 or 4 years.

When drawing up a syllabus, the teachers and educational administrators involved need to:

 * Choose which model or type best suits their circumstances

 * List what they wish to teach in what order and in what way to the children or youth concerned

 * Decide whether this applies to a single year’s work or is part of a longer rolling programme

 * Cross-check the list they have made against the three Attainment Targets and the fourteen strands to ensure every aspect of the curriculum is addressed, making changes where necessary. As a rough guide, each Attainment Target should comprise roughly one third of the lesson contents over a year - the temptation is to allow Knowledge and Understanding to dominate, but at the most it should not be more than 6 out of 14 as a proportion of the whole syllabus

 * Take into account that such subjects as PRAYER can address several Strands simultaneously, each in a different Attainment Target, e.g.:

 Prayer as a spiritual activity - AT 1a = Spirituality

 Obligatory prayer as a law of God - AT 2a = Knowledge and Understanding of Laws

 Practising individual prayer as a personal skill - AT 3a = Individual Skills

 * Evaluate the syllabus at the end of the year to examine how closely original intentions met the requirements of the curriculum in practice, and make the necessary adjustments.

 ***********************

An examination of the dissemination, implementation, support and evaluation of the curriculum throughout the United Kingdom Bahá’í Community.

There are a number of things which will make the curriculum successful. It is not a simple task nor a quick one. Much depends on its success. Our future generations could be far better prepared for their roles as adult community members and servants of Bahá’u’lláh. It is a wonderful opportunity to revolutionise our whole approach to education of the children and youth in this country and we must not blow it.

The implementation of the curriculum cannot be an overnight affair. Its introduction would be in measured stages, perhaps starting with the Community Schools, along with other Bahá’í schools and classes.

We must ensure the following, as a minimum:

* That the curriculum document is widely publicised and widely available and produced in a form that is dignified and accessible.

* That it is well presented and explained to those who will need to use it or who want to read it.

* That it is widely read and understood - for parents and teachers it would be essential.

* That it has widespread parental support, as they have the primary responsibility for the long-term continuing education of their children in the home.

* That it informs and is combined with effective training of Bahá’í teachers and educational administrators.

* That it has the open support of both Arms of the Administration, together with their continued support for better facilities for the education of children and youth.

* That it is supported by other curricular materials and model syllabi, derived from it, which would, perhaps, be of more concrete assistance to teachers in their classrooms.

* That it is implemented in the Community and other schools immediately on its being made available, as far as circumstances permit.

* That its implementation is regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated and assessed, so that ameliorative action may be taken when and where necessary.

|* That it is implemented in an atmosphere of positiveness, order and discipline, so that no person’s education is disrupted by others, adult, youth and child.

* That it is implemented with a wide variety of teaching styles and methods.

* That it informs the education of children and youth through all the different delivery systems available.

* That greater use of the Arts is made in carrying out the demands of the curriculum.

* That there is greater involvement of pupils, parents and community members generally in the Bahá’í education process, as consumers, participants and supporters.

* That the guidelines issued by the National Bahá’í Agency for Child and Youth Education, whatever its current title, should be implemented alongside the curriculum.

In the end, as with all other important Bahá’í enterprises, success rests upon the willingness of individual Bahá’ís who are prepared to be patient, persevering, hard-working and creative in their service to the Cause. If we, the adults of the Bahá’í community, are unwilling to make the necessary effort and sacrifice to implement a rigorous and complete education system for the benefit of our next generation, how can we expect them to be obedient and sacrificial in their turn? At the end of all things lies the dynamic force of personal example displayed by parents, teachers and educational support staff.

1. "Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá" The Universal House of Justice (1978)
2. "Promulgation of Universal Peace" National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States (1982)
3. "The Compilation of Compilations Vol. I" The Universal House of Justice Bahá’í Publications Australia (1991)
4. "Directives from the Guardian" Bahá’í Publishing Trust New Delhi (1973)

5. "Bahá’í Education" Universal House of Justice Compilation no. 7 revised, Bahá’í Publishing Trust U.K. (1987)
6. "Family Life" Universal House of Justice Compilation no. 14, BPT U.K. (1982)
1. "Huqúq’u’lláh" Universal House of Justice Compilation no. 19, BPT U.K. (1986)