A Development of the Non-Formal Education Model For Self-Reliance: Based on Asoke's Concept

Rindhamma Asoketrakul
Thailand

This research was to study the organization of the Asoke communities' non-formal education for self-reliance in order to propose a developed model. The research was conducted in three phases. The first phase was to study the social environment within Asoke communities upon which one could understand their concept of organizing such non-formal education. The second phase was to study the organization of non-formal education. And the third phase was to develop a suitable non-formal education model based on Asoke's concept. Research data was accumulated from documents, participant observations, in-depth interviews as well as group discussions in five Asoke communities with non-formal education organization - Sammasikkhalaya Wangjivit campus (Rajadhani Asoke, Sisa Asoke, Pathom Asoke, Santi Asoke, and Sali Asoke). Resource persons are community leaders, administrative committee, educational administrators, change agents, and selected community members.

The Asoke community comprises of four categories of members namely : the ordained, the aspirants, the temple residents and the community residents.
Being strict Buddhist practitioners, except for the fourth category who still earn their living from their outside jobs, all of them devote their time working for the community without pay. The reason for such a rare phenomenon lies in their social values : working hard, being honest, being economical, and devoting.

Because the Asoke ideology places high individual behavior, cultivating their thought, speech, and action is therefore considered their most important commitment. Once the competence of their mind and behavior have been elevated, their work will become more creative and beneficial not only for themselves, but for their community and society as a whole. In order to fulfill their intention to create self-reliant community, the Asoke members, with the community assent, set up a number of work-bases and produce products not only for their communities but also expand to help the outsiders by selling goods of reliable quality at low price.

Nowadays, many organizations visit Asoke communities in order to study their interesting way of life. Moreover, the communities are requested to organize several training programmes, including a special course on "Saccadham jivit (Truth of Life)" for the Farmers' Potentiality Development and Quality of Life Promotion Project in response to the present Government's policy of debt suspension.

Concerning the education of Asoke community members, it commenced in a form of non-formal education. Samana Bodhiraksa was their real pivot who pointed the way to observe strictly the Buddha's teaching in everyday life in the modern society. His followers gathered together in order to build up strong communities in various parts of the country with Buddhasthana as their spiritual and educational center. Samana Bodhiraksa has laid down as the real aim of education the development of man in eradicating all his defilement until he gain the state of Nirvana.

The essence of the education to them is the Buddhist Principle, both in theory and practice. The community members have to study how to control their mind in all actions at all times. In so doing they have Samana and Sikkhamat as their advisers. How to efficiently work in the work-bases, and how to administer their offices are the best methods to promote their capability. They learn from their doing how to find the way out together in solving the problems. Learning evaluation is the function of everyone to do for himself by grading the development of his Dharma practising. The best application of theory into practice which have been proved is that Samana and Sikkhamat join community members in working diligently and devotedly.

After twenty years of organizing the non-formal education in this way, their "Sammasikkhalaya Wangjivit (Academy of Life and Learning)" was set up with further aims to extend their holistic knowledge in response to globalization. Their educational philosophy manifested best in the slogan "Orthodox in Sila, Efficient in Working, Knowledgeable in Subjects." The same method of learning and evaluating is maintained. However, a new technique is introduced in evaluating their success, that is community members in work-bases have their part in so doing.

Based on Asoke's concept, the non-formal education model for self-reliance developed by researcher, consists of five parts :- principles, objectives, contents, activities, and evaluation.

Main principle of the non-formal education for self-reliant community development is life-long learning to develop one's behavior, work, and knowledge. Because of natural difference in learning ability of all human beings, change agents, well-cultivated with education pursuit, are definitely needed. Since the genuine educational objective is to renounce all defilement, the real barriers of human effectiveness, the more successful one is in so-doing, the more useful would he become to society.

The emphasis of Buddhist Principle called "Marga 8" is undoubtedly the "Marga (Way)" towards such goal. Its eight components [namely Ditthi (Understanding), Samkappa (Thought), Vaca (Speech), Kammanta (Action), Ajiva (Livelihood), Vayama (Effort), Sati (Mindfulness), and Samadhi (Concentration)] were used in organizing educational activities which are in fact community members' daily function. And, lastly, educational assessment could be observed from three parts of a learner's daily life, his behavior, his work, and his knowledge.