Aware of the aspirations of the children of the Philippines and of the world and their need for spiritual education, the Bahá’ís extend their efforts widely to involve ever-growing contingents of participants in classes that become centres of attraction for the young and strengthen the roots of spirituality and social action in society. Children are helped to realize that they are world citizens and that it is their moral duty to serve others irrespective of their economic status, religious affiliation and racial background.
Children are the most precious resource a community has. Bahá’ís believe that spiritual, social and intellectual training for children is essential in order to nurture their capacities to make positive and responsible choices in life.
“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value,” wrote Bahá’u’lláh. “Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit there from.”
Bahá’ís and their friends conduct these classes for children in small groups, often on weekly basis – in homes, baranggay halls, schools, and other public places. These classes seek to develop essential virtues such as truthfulness, trustworthiness, honesty, and justice. These are aimed to build a strong moral framework that will assist children to achieve excellence in material, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life. Currently there are over 1000 community children classes in various parts of the country.
Classes are not limited to children of Bahá’í families but are rather offered to children in the entire neighborhood or village. These children’s classes are not classes of religious indoctrination for within communities members of various religions reside. Even though children are instructed in the principles, teachings and basic beliefs of the Faith, the emphasis is on learning to think, to reflect and to apply spiritual laws to the life of the individual and society. Especially during the early years of childhood, great attention is given to the development of spiritual qualities and to those beliefs, habits and behaviors that constitute the essential attributes of a spiritual being.
For those interested to be teachers of children, a training programme is provided using Ruhi Institute materials. These, usually conducted at neighborhood level, help develop the participant’s skills to teach these children’s classes.
