Abstract:

Dr. Daisaku Ikeda in his book Choose life (1987) states, by devoting itself to a utilitarianism that over-emphasizes intellectual knowledge and technological skills, education in modern society has had two major bad consequences. First, by making learning a tool of politics and economics, it has robbed learning of its inherent dignity and independence. Second, people engaged in learning and education, become the slaves of intellectual knowledge and technological skills, which are the only aspects of learning prized today. As an outcome of this trend, respect for humanity declines. In short, today people are compelled to serve intellectual knowledge and technological skills, which are in turn controlled by politics and economics.

Globally, higher education institutions are urged to provide quality teaching in order to enhance employability skills (Henad, 2008). In other words developing skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth for any country. However, the question that arises is what is the real purpose of education? Is developing employability and entrepreneurial skills, the real aim of education?.

This research paper is an exploratory study that goes beyond the narrow framework of higher education for the purpose of developing skills to create employment for economic growth and development. It is an attempt to introduce the Value Creating Education pedagogy propounded by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a remarkable teacher and educator who lived in Japan during the years that the country emerged as a modern nation and major world power. The question that arises is that, what is the concrete methodology of Makiguchi’s value-creating education in nurturing the future and what role does it suggest for teachers and learners? This paper also shows how the emphasis shifts from education as the ‘transmission of knowledge’ to education as the process of ‘learning to learn’. It finally deals with the fact that, only if the educators strive continuously in deepening their own learning and personal growth, will the future be nurtured.

Keywords:

Soka, Value Creating, Pedagogy, Nurturing future.