Parenting Course
In our current age, the work of parenting has become increasingly difficult with established norms and values for society rapidly eroding. The course offers parents practical insights of essential principles that will enable the development of a sound character being the basis for a happy and successful adult life.
The Parenting Course developed by the School of Practical Philosophy in Gauteng, South Africa, was first introduced at St James Preparatory School in Johannesburg, in Gauteng, in January 2014 in response to the need of the parents.
The course material is based entirely on the words of His Holiness Shrī Shāntānanda Saraswatī containing knowledge specific to the education of children and is wholly concerned with the spiritual or causal aspect of a child’s development. It is our view that the spiritual or causal aspect forms the basis which determines all other areas of the child’s development.
The course is offered free of charge to St James parents.

When asked what constituted good character, Shrī Shāntānanda Saraswatī said that:
- “... adherence to Truth is a fundamental criterion for good character.”
- “... Character building concerns parents and teachers a lot more than it concerns children. So the elders must behave in exactly the same way as they expect their children to behave.”
Some of the subjects covered include:
- The acquisition of knowledge and character
- The rooting of discipline
- The stages of development
- Moulding of the child’s mental world
- To teach a child become a child
- The system of order and repetition
- The key to the habit of study
The course is aimed at parents of children between the ages of 0-16 and provides guidelines for building the character of the child to “a good, civilized and cultured being”.
What Parents are saying about the Course...
