Over the course of the 20th century, increasing numbers of people began to take charge of their destiny. Countless millions won the right to vote, and nations previously controlled by imperialism won their independence.

The century saw the rise of human rights and peace movements, and the collapse of regimes that stifled the freedom of the human spirit. These are just a few examples of how humanity has increasingly exercised its diverse will to design and implement the conditions under which individuals and societies wish to live.

Critical to this process has been the increased access to education, as literacy rates have soared in many countries, and to the mass media. There is still, of course, much to be done, and at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, greater access to education – especially for women – was high on the agenda.

In the mid-19th century, Bahá’u’lláh called for education to be made compulsory and universal, to give everyone a chance to contribute to the development and functioning of society.

In “Century of Light”, a historical overview of the 20th century, the Bahá’í International Community observes that the “mass of humanity has been, at best, spectators at the advance of civilisation. Their role has been to serve the designs of whatever elite had temporarily assumed control of the process.”

Education and human resource development are key elements to achieving positive change in society, Bahá’ís maintain. From this perspective, God’s teachers – such as Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha or Bahá’u’lláh – have a critical role as educators, training people to regard themselves as equal, spiritually noble and creative individuals.

This is explicitly expressed in the Bahá’í teachings: “The outcome of the whole life of Jesus was the training of eleven disciples and two women…That was the result of His life. The product of the life of Christ was not the churches but the illumined souls of those who believed in Him. Afterward, they spread His teachings.”

Bahá’ís are encouraged to contribute a portion of their earnings towards the training and education of children. Bahá’u’lláh tasks the international leadership of the Bahá’í community “to fix their gaze by day and by night upon… the training of peoples, the upbuilding of nations, the protection of man and the safeguarding of his honour.”

However, such education must not solely concentrate on conveying knowledge. Training in morals and good conduct share equal importance with traditional subjects such as science, mathematics and languages.

Thus, “ye may each,” say the Bahá’í teachings, “become a lighted candle in the world of humanity, (and) may be devoted to the service of all mankind.”

From the 1890s onward, Bahá’í communities in Persia and Turkmenistan established schools that combined moral and secular education, open to children of all religions. Increasing numbers of schools, colleges and nursery establishments, run along Bahá’í principles, were established in the world during the 20th century.

Bahá’í concepts of training and the imparting of skills were a fundamental influence on the activities of the nascent Save the Children Fund in the years following World War I. Annual Bahá’í-run residential schools and events sprang up around the world from the 1940s onwards.

However, it was not until the 1970s that Bahá’ís began to address the wider challenge of adult education. By this time, its community was a truly international one, as the Faith won a widespread following by citizens in developing countries. Literacy, social and economic development and skills training became fundamental aspects of Bahá’í community life.

In Columbia, particularly, a systematic programme of adult education in moral and personal development has worked so effectively, that it has now been adopted by Bahá’í communities throughout the world.

Known as “study circles”, this system involves small groups of people studying and learning together, with a facilitator or tutor. The system works equally well whether it is used for scriptural or professional study, and the steadily evolving study circle curricula reflects this. Initially limited to scriptural study, it now encompasses issues such as gender relations, skills acquisition such as agricultural techniques, peace and conflict resolution studies, and so on.

Class sizes are typically limited to ten individuals, allowing for learning and individual empowerment and transformation, where each participant has time to share their own insights and understanding of the issue being studied, while all benefit from the formal training of the class tutor.

The breadth of the curriculum varies from country to country, and in April 2001, more than 100,000 people all over the world were taking part in study circle courses conducted through more than 300 permanent ‘training institutes’.

The study circles are open to all; a gift of moral and standard education for children and adults from all backgrounds and cultures. Bahá’ís see this as their gift to a world where the entire body of humankind must play its part in the work of its own spiritual, social and intellectual development. RW