It is obvious that education for all people is preferred and valuable. What is more important than education itself, is the curriculum and content by which the goals of education must be achieved. Although `Abdu’l-Bahā insists on compulsory education and an identical curriculum and method of education for all people, neither the curriculum and nor the subjects that must be taught have been specified in detail. The only thing that `Abdu’l-Bahā has explicitly expressed his opinion on are a few of the subjects that must be taught in children’s classes:

The subjects to be taught in children’s schools are many, and for lack of time We can touch on only a few: First and most important is training in behaviour and good character; the rectification of qualities; arousing the desire to become accomplished and acquire perfections, and to cleave unto the religion of God and stand firm in His Laws; to accord total obedience to every just government, to show forth loyalty and trustworthiness to the ruler of the time, to be well wishers of mankind, to be kind to all.

   And further, as well as in the ideals of character, instruction in such arts and sciences as are of benefit, and in foreign tongues. Also, the repeating of prayers for the well-being of ruler and ruled; and the avoidance of materialistic works that are current among those who see only natural causation, and tales of love, and books that arouse the passions.

To sum up, let all the lessons be entirely devoted to the acquisition of human perfections.[1]

Apparently, what Baha’is have been ordered to teach in their schools are based on Baha’i teachings that `Abdu’l-Bahā sums up as, “entirely devoted to the acquisition of human perfections.” We already showed the results of these human perfections in Bahā’u’llāh and `Abdu’l-Bahā’s attitudes which were a mixture of name-calling, insults, and rude manners to their opponents, and all kinds of defamatory statements regarding non-Baha’is.

Furthermore, `Abdu’l-Bahā’s order to teach children foreign tongues contradicts his father’s order for languages to be reduced to only one, and for only that language to be taught in schools:

Languages must be reduced to one common language to be taught in all the schools of the world.[2]

As we previously said, `Abdu’l-Bahā had prohibited his followers from sending their children to non-Baha’i schools. This order has been widely ignored by Baha’is:

It is absolutely prohibited for the children of the friends to go to the schools of others (meaning non-Baha’is) for this is [a cause of] humiliation for the Cause of God and they will be completely deprived of the Blessed Beauty’s graces. Because they will be educated/nurtured elsewise and they will disgrace the Baha’is.[3]

What is extraordinary are the words used by `Abdu’l-Bahā to describe the result of Baha’is studying in non-Baha’i schools: humiliation (dhillat) of the Cause of God and disgrace (ruswā’ī) of Baha’is and being completely deprived of the Blessed Beauty’s graces!

One wonders why these words have been uttered. Does `Abdu’l-Bahā regard all forms of education other than what the Baha’is preach invalid to such an extent that when Baha’is are educated and nurtured using those methods they will become a disgrace and cause of humiliation for this creed? Or is he afraid that Baha’i children will expose the true face of Baha’ism amongst non-Baha’is which will result in their disgrace and humiliation?

It is up to you to draw your own conclusions!

[1] Helen Bassett Hornby, Lights of Guidance: A Bahā’ī Reference File, chap. VIII, no. 494.

[2] Bahā’u’llāh, Tablets of Bahā’u’llāh Revealed After the Kitāb-i-Aqdas, p. 90.

[3] `Abdu’l-Bahā, Makātīb (probably Tehran), vol. 5, p. 170.