Teacher training

[fluffy bunny]

I was told that in India there might be, literally, thousands of BK "teachers" who have had basically no training at all. Left alone to 'Remember Baba' and read the Murli out on the assurance that to do so would make everything alright. Recently on the forum, someone spoke about how they felt the so-called "teacher training" courses really offered little new at all. I suggest we put a little energy into documenting the nature of "teacher training" and make suggests about how it could be improved.

From my own experience, although I was quite early and easily let loose to dabble with the minds and souls of newcomers via the 7 Day Course, I was giving absolutely no training whatsoever apart from "The Correspondence Course" to read and repeat. The only ad hoc training I received was being asked to sit on a guddhi from time to time and "give my experience". The only training the center-in-charges had in my time was little 'one to ones' with the SS and telephone support.

What I would suggest is that teachers and especially center-in-charges should to be given AND TESTED on a basic set of skills which would include;

• basic accounting and taxation
  psychology (recognition of illness/stress treatment)
  professional counselling skills(e.g. client confidentiality)
  public law (duty of care) and ethics applying to small groups
  information handling/media training

Of course, I am almost joking to suggest that this could ever happen or that the Yagya could have expanded as it has if it had been required but I do feel that EVEN if you are going off to become a counsellor, you would require SOME professional training and certification. To be let alone to dabble with students' mind at such a deep level as happens in Gyan cannot be right, surely? Such is the nature of aggressively evangelical operations.

From my own experience, the only "written" examination of any conceivable sort I was asked to do was that nutty primary school level "statement of faith" thing that one had to ceremonially hand over, signed, to the Senior Sister so she could check that you did not secretly think Krishna was God etc. I presume/hope that they have ditched that!

Can anyone speak of more recently programmes/retreats? They seemed to me to be primarly "rewards" for the chosen few to allow them special experiences and more exposure to the senior BK. They were always a little bit of a mystery to we non-center-in-charges.