By Aditi Misra
In today’s world, it feels like everyone’s trying to get ahead, and it’s all about competition. The idea of putting Service Before Self might seem old-fashioned. But I really think it’s super important for how we teach kids now and in the future.
Service Before Self isn’t just a saying at Delhi Public School Society. It’s how we teach our students. In a time when tech is changing fast, society’s split up, and school’s stressful, we need to do more than just produce kids who get good grades. We need to help them grow into caring people who understand their responsibility.
School’s changed
The way students are learning and socializing now is totally different. Things like , the internet, and being able to talk to people all over the world have given them so much access to information. But they’ve also cranked up the stress, the competition, and the feeling of being alone. Students are always trying to hit certain marks in school, get likes on social media, and worry about their future jobs.
That’s why Service Before Self is so important. It reminds us that school isn’t just about getting ahead. It’s about knowing we have a job to do for the rest of the world. When students help others, whether it’s by helping out in their town, taking care of the environment, mentoring younger kids, or just trying to understand other people’s feelings, they see that learning can help everyone get better.
Getting good grades and helping others aren’t opposite things. Helping others actually makes you a better student. If a student volunteers in a poor part of town, they’ll learn stuff about life, have more sympathy for others, and learn how to fix problems in ways that no book can teach you.
Learning to understand people
The big problems we have today, like climate change, inequality, mental health, and people not getting along, can’t be fixed just with smarts. We need. That means schools need to care about emotional intelligence as much as they care about how smart someone is.
When students do things to help others, they learn to listen, work with others, and be leaders in a kind way. They get stronger and more thankful. And, most importantly, they realize that being a leader isn’t about bossing people around; it’s about being responsible.
So, the classroom shouldn’t just get students ready to compete with the rest of the world. It should get them ready to make a real difference. Helping others makes you humble, and being humble makes you a better person.
Getting ready to be good citizens of the world
The world’s getting smaller. Students now will be citizens of the world later. They’ll be working with people from different places, with different ideas, and in different jobs. In this world where everyone’s connected, putting others first helps us know what’s right and wrong.
At DPS Sector 45, Gurugram, we try to make helping others part of what students learn in class. They do things that help the environment, include everyone, and make people more aware of what’s going on in the world. These experiences teach them that being is about more than just making money. It’s about making the world a better place.
Real school should get students to ask, How can I make a difference? instead of How can I get ahead?
Thinking about
A lot of times, people think being means being rich, powerful, or famous. But school should teach us that being means living with a purpose. Service Before Self teaches us that you feel best when you’re helping something bigger than yourself.
When students really believe this, they become adults who care about doing what’s right instead of cutting corners, working with others instead of fighting them, and taking care of the earth instead of using it up. Whether they become doctors, engineers, artists, business owners, or politicians, they’ll make decisions that show they care about society.
What teachers and schools should do
If we want students to really live by the idea of helping others, teachers need to show them how. Teachers aren’t just people who give out information. They’re also people who show students how to act and what to want in life. When students see their teachers being kind, fair, and honest, they learn that values aren’t just ideas; they’re things you do.
Schools also need to create real ways for students to get involved. Helping others can’t just be something you do once in a while. It needs to be part of the school’s culture. Students should think about what they’re doing, talk about it, and keep learning from it.
A call for school that focuses on values
The future of school is about finding a balance between being new and being honest, wanting to do great things and wanting to help others, being good at what you do and caring about others. As we get our students ready for a world that’s changing all the time, we need to teach them values that will last.
Service Before Self isn’t just something from the past. It’s a guide for the future. In a world where people often think about themselves first, school needs to remind young people that we’re all connected.
When students realize that what they learn comes with a responsibility, they become people who can change the world. And that’s what school is really for.
– The author is the Principal Director of Delhi Public School Sector 45
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETEducation does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETEducation will not be responsible for any damage caused to any person or organisation directly or indirectly.
