The Program of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values has the development of character as its primary focus and thus, the development of the full human potential of every individual. Aiming at the spiritual regeneration of mankind, the philosophy of the Program is based on the universality of five human values that are innate in every individual: Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love, and Nonviolence. Taken together, they encompass a full vision of the human potential, including: fulfillment of the quest of the intellect for Truth; the channeling of the will into satisfying expression through Right Action; the resolution of conflicts of human emotions and interactions in the achievement of innner and outer Peace; the expansion of the heart in the flow of Love; and the realization of perfect sympathy for all creation through Nonviolence.

In the same way that every human being has a heart, these five values are acknowledged to be an integral part of the very nature of human beings. To achieve a life worth living, great minds over the centuries have written and spoken about the importance of this approach to education. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, the nonviolent liberator of colonial India, defined education as an all- around drawing out of the best in child and adult - body, mind, and spirit. Similarly, the Greek philosopher Plato said that the primary task of a human being is to know thyself. The ancient saying that the statue is already in the wood is yet another way of expressing the same idea that all human beings have a special inner worth that must be carefully cultivated and nurtured to fruition and fullness. Sathya Sai Baba says that Education must teach a person how to live life as a true human being. It must purify the heart and clarify the vision. It must prevent pollution of the head, heart and hand, caused by habits injurious to the individual, the society and the nation. It must promote virtues and raise the moral and spiritual standards of mankind.

The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Program fosters within students the ability to learn and live happily, without making others unhappy and to evaluate things, pleasure, and possessions correctly and without prejudice. Education without character is not only useless; it is positively dangerous. Therefore, given the vicious cycle of war, anger, intolerance, greed, and so many other displays of man's inhumanity to man, a values-based framework for education is clearly vital.

Sathya Sai Baba says that Education in Human Values (EHV) is really 3HV (head, heart and hand), and that it applies to all persons. He says that what the head thinks should be critically examined by the heart to determine its true human value. Then, the right decision should be carried out by the hands