For any civilization to thrive and overcome its adverse conditions and circumstances; develop and progress intelligently, it must possess an instructional system of both teaching and learning that accomplishes the following: advances its citizens' knowledge and understanding of its social order and function; implement the development and progression of morals, ethics and principles of social conduct; administer the development of skills and knowledge of the technical, economical and scientific operation of the social system, and cultivate the spiritual development and progression of the individual. Such social objectives of this magnitude demands a progressive education system that can keep pace with the evolving changes of modernity and technology; a system who's teaching and learning methods and techniques constitute a spiritual, physical, moral, social and academic curriculum. There is no such educational system of progressivism in existence on planet Earth. The existence and operation of such a dynamic system of progressive education would have long advanced humanity and our civilization far beyond its present primitive state of criminality, violence and social ills.
Education in America hasn't changed its educational process of memorization and rote method of learning since Horace Mann established public schooling over 100 years ago. Since then the Industrial Age has transformed education into an instrument of Americanizing immigrants and systemizing the force of labor. A new Age of Information has been ushered into our social system at an unprecedented pace of transformation. Its technological structure has rendered industrial education practically obsolete and has placed a demand of technological know-how on each citizen, which is crucial to the possession of a future life of standard living.
The Internet and the computer have helped to create a technological society so advanced that society has forced a second class of citizenship. Such a condition has widened the gap of ignorance and intelligence to immeasurable proportions. Society now faces a monumental social crisis created by a capitalistic conspiracy of anti-intellectualism that only progressive education and successful teaching and learning can resolve!
As a philosopher of progressive education, Zen Master of Nung-Budo-Ky and Utopian Futurist, I feel I have the wisdom, knowledge, experience and vision to make a significant contribution to human destiny through the field of progressive education. As a philosopher I think that progressive education should be used to create greater human beings. As a Zen Master I think that progressive education should create a greater consciousness of the human soul. And as a Utopian Futurist I think that progressive education should grant humanity the power to direct the course of human destiny.
I have taken the initiative to launch a movement of progressive education with intentions of exalting human consciousness, cultivating intuition and revolutionizing the patterns of thought and behavior.
The University of Nungkyyii is an estimated $5,000,000,000, 25,000 acre, monumental construction project. This magnificent super structure will be constructed in the deserts of Nevada near the Colorado River. The University's literary composition of texts, data and information will display the most sophisticated system of digital technology in existence. The University of Nungkyyii is being purposely masterminded to be the most advanced learning institution of spiritual, academic and technological education in the world.
"Know Thy Self" is the theme of the University. This ancient "Delphic Injunction" reflects the university's representation as a spiritual institution that is committed toward the consciousness, cultivation and destined expression of the human soul.
Conventional education was too industrialized for my idea of a successful education system. The purpose of today's education is to prepare the individual for the function of society, instead of for the greater development of humanity. I envision a progressive education system that focuses upon the development of the total human being – body, mind and spirit. In order to support the manifestation of my ideal system of human development, I created my own education system of progressivism and called it Exceptional Education. I define Exceptional Education as – "a philosophy of progressivism in education with a structured curriculum and system of Spiritual, Moral, Social, Physical and Academic teaching and learning that objectively strives to create greater human beings that are capable of achieving felicity." Exceptional Education is a progressive system of teaching and learning. Progressive Education as defined by the philosophy of Nungkyyii is permanent and continuous learning and its amelioration from "womb to tomb." It is an experience forever aimed at progressing the human mind. Progressive Education mandates progressivism in all of its aspects; progressive teachers, students and parents; also a progressive family and community – all of which is governed by a progressive philosophy. I focused on creating a system of progressive education that would cultivate the five most important fields of learning – Spiritual, Moral, Social, Physical and Academic. The most important field of learning is Spiritual. Within the creation of my system of progressive education I needed to address the consciousness, progressive development and destined expression of the spirit (soul). I felt that it was absolutely vital that I avoid the traditional knowledge and conventional wisdom of spirituality. I decided to approach the cultivation of the spirit with contemporary wisdom and knowledge of philosophical content, derived from the act of philosophizing – a spiritual method of producing facts of truth from the experience of living an everyday life of spirituality. My sincere search for truth and my diligent pursuit of the achievement of my idea of human development have guided me on a journey down a 35 year path of spirituality, in which my experience has evolved into a conscious, comprehensive and intelligent knowledge about life. I have learned from the experience of philosophizing through conditions and circumstances of poverty, suffering and sacrifices, along with the daily expressions of love, faith, intelligence and self-discipline; living in the truth; facing all obstacles and overcoming all adversity; meditating daily, and developing a greater harmonious relationship with the Infinite Mind of Intelligence (God) – that I have evolved into a greater conscious intelligent and moral human being. I consider myself to be sui generis, and a dynamic product and example of my own philosophy. I call my philosophy Nungkyyii. It is defined as: "the science of self-evolution and the art of self-discipline; the philosophical art and practice of obtaining the meaning of life through the expressions of love, faith, intelligence and discipline; living in the truth; total submission and obedience of the law of being, and becoming one with the Infinite Mind of Intelligence."
Education has been given a spiritual definition. According to the philosophy of Nungkyyii: education is the process by which we learn, understand and experience who we are; where we're going, and what is guiding our destined journey. Spiritual education must ultimately prepare and equip the student with the know-how and capability to: discover the soul; to live a fruitful life of success; become God conscious, and achieve a state of happiness.
Nungkyyii introduces education to a new philosophy; a new system of education, and a new methodology of teaching and learning. The philosophy of Nungkyyii embraces education with a new purpose, reason and meaning of life. The purpose of life is perfection; therefore, we must strive to become perfect human beings. The reason of life is support; therefore, we must commit ourselves to the support of humanity through human service. And the meaning of life is happiness; therefore, we must demonstrate our humanness and prove ourselves to be worthy of divine reward.
In order to properly address the multitudes of different individual processes of learning, their various levels of comprehension and the many learning barriers that complicate both teaching and learning, I created a methodology of teaching and learning that orchestrates a bonding network between teachers and students, in conjunction with the episodes of experience of everyday life of the students. Such a methodology converts the conventional classroom into a theater of drama, in which students participate wholeheartedly into the action of learning. Special audio-visual aids and techniques have been created to overcome student inferiority and learning barriers created by insufficient academic skills in reading/comprehension, writing/composition; speech/communication and mathematics. Nungkyyii declares experience as the ultimate teacher. No learning is ever complete without its mark of activity. The process of experience is the centrality of Nungkyyii's methodology of teaching and learning. I called this methodology of teaching and learning D.A.V.E. (Dramatic Audio-Visual Experience). The dynamic duo of Exceptional Education and Dramatic Audio-Visual Experience was not created to produce competent labors of the wheel of economics, but it was specifically designed and created to develop greater human beings who are capable and responsible for the navigation of human destiny.
To approach the success of such spiritual objectives through education demands discipline. I chose martial arts as the methodology of discipline of my progressive education system. Martial arts has the most profound method of disciplinary training that I have ever experienced. Most styles of martial arts are commercially orientated and focus upon the teachings of self-defense more so than self-discipline. There was no existing style of martial arts that offered the teachings of self-discipline to the degree that would suit my desired level of success for my progressive education system. Therefore I created my own art of self-discipline and named it the Nungkyyii System of martial arts. The University of Nungkyyii is an institution of both spirituality and discipline. Together the harmonious relationships of spirituality and discipline will cultivate self-development, causing students to experience the personal rewards of self-respect, self-worth and self-esteem. As the University's method of discipline, martial arts exercises are mandatory. All teachers, students and faculty must continue to practice, train and progress in the Nungkyyii System of martial arts. With an entire teaching staff possessing black belt rank or above, I seriously doubt that students will confront their teachers without contemplating the consequences – nor will there be a need for security guards to fill the corridors, or saturate the campus of the University.
The University's dress code will be a fashionable array of oriental attire and karate uniforms that signifies the rank of the practitioner. Martial arts rank carries a very strong, yet silent voice of respect.
The rigorous training and strenuous workout, along with combative experience of martial arts practice, provides ventilation of stress, tension and hostile emotions. Such a contact sport serves as sort of a built-in program of anger management.
The University of Nungkyyii will recruit both the world's greatest teachers and educators, and the most gifted and intelligent students. The selection of students will come from our Private Schools of Discipline. And all teachers and educators will be university scholars who have graduated from The Purple Dragons Teachers Academy, and are active members of The Purple Dragons Pedagogue Society.
The University of Nungkyyii is a 15 year learning experience. Its institution is structured into three divisions of learning – Primary – Secondary and College. Each division is structured on a five year term. Its mass occupancy is 30,240 students. The University has a very unique concept of the educational development of its students. In the Primary and Secondary divisions a class size constitutes 14 students. The individual student is assigned to a General teacher who serves as an educator, advisor, counselor and co-parent. The General teacher remains with his or her 14 students from enrollment of Primary school to graduation from secondary school. Although students attend classes taught by a Subject teacher, the General teacher is responsible and held accountable for the quality and quotient of student learning. Two Assistant teachers support each General teacher. Professors are responsible for the authorship of texts books, the development of curriculum, the support of Subject Teachers and the overall accountability of the function of the education of the University. Grades and standardized testing are replaced with the completion of academic assignments and requirements. The student does not advance forward until designated tasks have been completed to the satisfactory level of the institution's standards. All completion schedules are geared toward the student's own pace of learning, governed by a standard of student progress. Because the educational philosophy of the University emphasizes permanent learning, periodic evaluation sessions are scheduled and administered instead of memorized examinations. In permanent and progressive learning the student is involved in a program that exercises the knowledge presently being learned in the classroom in an expression of service or vocational experience.
The University's school sessions are year round. However, summer sessions are spent off campus on student foreign exchange curriculum programs, adventurous travel, field trips and camps of extracurricular activities. The University will host The Purple Dragons martial arts summer camp for instructors during its summer session. Graduation of the University requires three types of certification – a Master's degree in Academics, a Master's license in Technology and a black belt or above in Martial Arts.
According to Nungkyyii, teaching is the most important, valuable, prestigious and dynamic profession in the world. And the teachers of The University of Nungkyyii will be treated as such. There are four types of teachers –Assistant teachers, Subject teachers, General teachers and Professors. Exceptional Education's philosophy of progressive and continuous learning requires that all teachers continue their educational learning also.
