Congratulations from the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, on the Occasion of Knowledge Day and the Beginning of the New Academic Year

Esteemed professors, teachers and mentors!

Dear students and parents!

I warmly congratulate all of you on Knowledge Day and the beginning of the new academic year. Today you are entering a new stage of your lives and preparing for important and responsible labors. Students and schoolchildren will have to diligently master various fields of knowledge; teachers and educators will devote their strength to passing on their experience and knowledge to those entrusted to their care; and parents will share in their children’s concerns and achievements and support them in every possible way throughout their studies. All of this must be done together, with mutual respect and great patience, sincerely and diligently helping one another.

Only through unity and harmony, diligence, perseverance and hard work can we acquire not merely a wealth of useful knowledge and skills, but something greater – a coherent view of the world around us, a proper perception of reality, and the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood and good from evil. In the words of the wise Solomon: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold” (Prov. 3:13–14).

The President of our country, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, emphasizes: “The future of Kazakhstan is in the hands of an educated generation.” In formal terms, the Orthodox understanding of education corresponds to the generally accepted understanding according to which education is the formation of the human person in the process of growing up, reaching maturity and becoming integrated into society in accordance with a certain ideal. A truly educated person is a well-rounded individual with firm moral principles, capable of self-control, learning, professional self-realization and the development of his or her creative potential. At the same time, such a person is socially responsible, seeing the purpose of life not so much in achieving individual prosperity as in serving other people and society as a whole. In this regard, the Church of Christ sees the meaning of education in introducing the human person to high standards of spirituality, morality and culture. Upbringing and education are intended to help a person strive simultaneously for inner harmony and for the harmonious ordering of society.

Successful mastery of an academic curriculum is impossible without the proper inner formation of the individual and good relationships between teacher and student, as well as between educators and parents. Therefore, the development of good and highly moral qualities in young people is one of the foremost tasks of modern education, alongside achieving strong academic results. Undoubtedly, these qualities must first and foremost be inherent in the teacher. Dear teachers, an enormous responsibility rests upon you: you are called not only to impart to children and adolescents the knowledge they need in various subjects, but also to instill in them a creative interest in the very process of discovering the world and to help form a whole and spiritually strong person.

The family is called to be an indispensable source of support along this important path of intellectual and spiritual growth. I wish parents to assist their children in finding their way in life through their experience, good example and wise counsel.

Dear students, the benefits of mastering human knowledge are undeniable, but it is no less important for all of us to learn to seek eternal Divine truth. Intellectual abilities and knowledge in themselves, without careful attention to one’s spiritual condition, are of little value. Only by combining knowledge with responsibility, faith in God with profound morality, can a person attain the joy of life, serve his or her Fatherland and bring happiness to loved ones.

All our efforts will be rewarded many times over and multiplied by Divine blessing if we lay as their foundation the fulfillment of the commandments, the foremost of which is love. This power strengthens family bonds, makes the lives of children successful and bright, overcomes the division between instruction and upbringing, and disposes us toward cooperation and mutual mercy. This is precisely what the modern world, preoccupied with the excessive pursuit of material wealth, so greatly lacks. Unlike grace descending from above, no material possession can give human life fullness and profound meaning, nor can it strengthen the bond between the human person and eternity.

I would like to wish all those who today embark upon the path of education that every moment of this academic year may be filled with eternal meaning; that, while achieving success in mastering their studies, we may measure our progress not only by good grades, but also by our growth in faith and virtue. May life with God serve as the foundation of our inner assessment of ourselves.

Once again, I congratulate you on this special day and wish all of you good health, peace, strength and success in the labors ahead. May God’s blessing abide with you all.

HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF KAZAKHSTAN

METROPOLITAN OF ASTANA AND KAZAKHSTAN