ST. THOMAS COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION, PALA.
ASSIGNMENT
ON
701: PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL
BASES OF EDUCATION
TOPIC
GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY ON EDUCATION
Submitted
To
Dr. T.C. Thankachan
Associate professor
By
Sr. Jincy Joseph
B.Ed Natural Science
No: 121
CONTENTS
Page No.
I.
Introduction
3
II.
Meaning
of Education 4
III.
Aims
of Education 5
i.
Immediate
Aim 5
a. Vocational Aim
b. Cultural Aim
c. Character Aim
d. Perfect Development Aim
e. Liberation Aim
f. Dignity of Labour
g. Training for Leadership
h. Social and Individual Aim
ii.
Ultimate
Aim 7
IV.
Gandhi’s
Views on Education 8
i.
Objectives
of Education
ii.
Education
through Craft
iii.
Curriculum
iv.
Methods
of Teaching
v.
Role
of Teacher
vi.
Concept
of Discipline
V.
Basic Education 11
VI.
Evaluation
of Basic Education 13
i.
Merits
ii.
Demerits
VII.
Gandhiji’s
Contribution to Education 14
VIII.
Relevance
of Gandhi’s Views on Education 16
in the Modern Context
IX.
Gandhi’s
Publication on Education 16
X.
Conclusion 17
XI. Reference
17
INTRODUCTION
Mohan das karam chand Gandhi was a
great leader, a practical philosopher, and an educational thinker of great
repute. He wanted to establish a free and casteless society with no
exploitation and racial discrimination. For this purpose, he used education as
an instrument. His philosophy of education was the outcome of his long
experiences of political, social, and economic life of the country. The meaning
of education, according to Gandhiji, is to promote the physical, mental, and
spiritual development of an individual. Reading and writing is only a means of
education, and it is not all. To Gandhiji no education is worth the name unless
it makes boys and girls good citizens. Gandhiji’s basic education was the
practical embodiment of his philosophy of education. The main aim of basic
education was to purify the heart and mind of all people and create a society
free from all exploitation and aggression. Viewed in this light Gandhiji was a
great educationist also.
Gandhiji’s
contribution to education is unique. He was the first Indian who advocated a
scheme of education based upon the essential values of Indian culture and
civilization. The methods and techniques advocated by him and the environment
he prescribed revolutionized Indian thinking and way of living. At heart he was
devoted to idealism. He wanted to translate his ideals and values in to
practice. His philosophy of education is a harmonious blending of idealism,
naturalism, and pragmatism. It may be noted that there is no inherent conflict
between the three philosophies. Idealism is the base of Gandhiji’s philosophy
where as naturalism and pragmatism are the helpers in translating that
philosophy into practice. Gandhiji advocated the ideals truth, non violence and
moral values to achieve the ultimate truth of self realization. He is a devotee
of naturalism when he speaks about the development of the child according to
his nature and he becomes a pragmatist when he advocates learning and doing by
experience. All this leads to integration, so essential to effective education
and development of the total personality.
MEANING OF EDUCATION
According to Gandhiji “literacy is neither the beginning nor
the end of education. This is only a means through which man or woman can be
educated”. Gandhiji observes “by education I mean an all round drawing out of
the best in child and man- body, mind, and spirit. This is only a means through
which man and woman can be educated.”This is how Gandhiji summed up his idea of
true education accordingly.
EDUCATION
IS DEVELOPMENT:
“All round” implies harmonious development. ‘Drawing out the best’ recognizes a
great potentiality coiled up in the child which can be realised and developed
to its perfection through education.
It
is development of human personality in terms of physical, intellectual and
spiritual aspects. Education should take care of the whole child, the human
personality. It should be the function of education to bring about a harmonious
development of all the aspects of human personality so that it can grow to its
highest stature and serve the society at its best.
EDUCATION
IS NOT LITERACY: Gandhiji did not favour teaching and learning of as
literacy in itself is no education. Literacy is just a means of education. He
emphasized the development of head, heart, hand and health. According to
Gandhiji “true education is that which draws out and stimulates the spiritual,
intellectual and physical faculties of the children.
AIMS OF EDUCATION
·
Immediate
aims of education.
·
Ultimate
aims of education.
IMMEDIATE AIMS OF GANDHIAN EDUCATION
1.
Vocational aim: Gandhiji wished that each child should, through his
education, be able to learn a productive craft to meet his future needs of life
by adopting some industry or business. Hence he advocated education for self
reliance and capacity to earn one’s livelihood as the main aim of education. By
this aim he did not mean to make the child a labourer. He wished that each
child should earn while engaged in learning and gain some learning as he is
busy with earning. In his own words, “Education ought to be for them (children)
a kind of insurance against unemployment.
2.
Cultural aim:
He advocated that vocational education and cultural advancement should go side
by side. He considered the cultural aspect of education as more essential than
its academic aspect. Culture is the main foundation and an essential part of
education. In the words of Gandhiji “I attach more importance to cultural
factor of education than its literary factor. Culture is primary and basic
thing which the girls should receive from school.
3.
Character aim: Like Herbart, Gandhiji also believed that one of the
essential aims of education is the moral development or character development.
According to Gandhiji, the end of all knowledge should be the building up of
character. Character building implies cultivation of moral values such as
courage, strength of mind, righteousness, self- restraint and service of
humanity. He believes that education will automatically develop an ability in
the child to distinguish between good and bad.
4.
Perfect development aim: Gandhiji once wrote, “The real education is that which fully
develops the body, mind and soul of children (Harijan on 11th
September, 1937).” He further observed, “Man is neither mere intellect, nor the
gross animals’ body, nor heart or soul alone. A proper and harmonious
contribution of all the three is required for the making of the whole man and
constitutes the true economics of education.
5.
Liberation aim: The fifth aim of education According to Gandhiji is that
education should liberate body, mind and soul. By liberation he meant two kinds
of liberation. One was the liberation all kinds of economic, social, political
and mental slavery. The second was, the liberation of the soul from worldly
pursuits and devote itself to higher forms of spiritual living. Education
should provide this spiritual freedom for self growth and realization of the
self.
6.
Dignity of labour:
Gandhiji wants that education should develops students in such a manner that
they may stand on their own legs after completing their education. Gandhiji
says that after seven years of education from the seven years of age to
fourteen years, the child should be able to earn. The students must learn the
dignity of labour. They should not feel shy while doing some work with their
hands.
7.
Training for leadership:
Gandhiji believed that for successful democracy, good leaders are needed.
Education should imbibe the education of good leaders. That way only the
students will be able to shoulder the responsibilities in a satisfactory
manner.
8.
Social and individual aim:
aims of education, as advocated by Gandhiji,
have been both social and individual. Gandhiji rightly believed that the
individual and society are dependent upon each other, because one affects the
other in all situations of life. He says that the problem of the individual is
very important and he is afraid to give complete control of education in the
hands of the state, because it may crush the individual’s propensities towards
advancement.
ULTIMATE AIM OF EDUCATION
According to Gandhiji,
the ultimate aim of education is to realize God. All other aims are subservient
to this supreme aim. It is the same aim of self realization which is coming
down since the very early times of Indian wisdom and which constitutes the
essence of Indian philosophy. According to Gandhiji, “development of the moral
character, development of the whole- all were directed towards the realization
of the ultimate reality- the merger of the finite being into the infinite.” It
is realizing Godliness in his self.
GANDHI’S VIEWS ON EDUCATION
1.
Objectives of education:
The ultimate objective of the new
education is not only a balanced and harmonious individual but also a balanced
and harmonious society – a just social order in which there is no unnatural
dividing line between the haves and have-nots and everybody is assured of a
living wage and the right to freedom.
2.
Education through craft:
The uniqueness of this scheme is that
education is to be given through village crafts. The
need for a machine-less society, Gandhi developed his ideas on education. The
core of his proposal was the introduction of productive handicrafts in the
school curriculum. The idea was not simply to introduce handicrafts as a
compulsory school subject, but to make the learning of a craft the centre piece
of the entire teaching programme. Knowledge of the production processes
involved in crafts, such as spinning, weaving, leather-work, pottery,
metal-work, basket-making and bookbinding had been the monopoly of specific
caste groups in the lowest stratum of the traditional social hierarchy.
3.
Curriculum:
Curriculum
in Gandhi’s scheme is activity centered and craft centered. As M.S Patel has
put it in style; “Craft occupies the position of the sun in the vast solar
system of human life” satisfying our material needs in perfect harmony with the
higher values of life. The subject in the curriculum includes in the following:
1.
Basic craft – Agriculture, Spinning,
Weaving etc.
2.
Mother – tongue.
3.
Mathematics – useful for craft and community
life.
4.
Social studies – social and economic
life of the community, culture the community, history of craft etc.
5.
General science – nature study,
zoology, physiology, hygiene, physical culture, anatomy etc.
6.
Drawing and music.
Gandhiji
advocated uniform education for boys and girls up to the fifth grade and
diversified education there after - general science to be replaced by domestic
science for girls along with craft for both. He laid special stress on
development of good handwriting. The technique of correlation is another
characteristic of the scheme. This will encourage self - activity rather than
role memory. In his scheme of education Gandhiji proposed a life centred and
activity centred curriculum where knowledge and skills are imparted through
self supporting productive craft.
Methods
of teaching: Gandhiji’s aims of education
were different from those prevalent during his days. Current education was
subject centred. Gandhiji disapproved that educational method considering as
defective and emphasized to make crafts and vocations as means of education. He
wished that some local craft should be made as medium of education for children
so that they develop their body, mind and soul in a harmonious way and also
meets the ends and needs to their future life. In this way, Gandhiji’s method
of teaching was therefore, different from the current one. He emphasized the
importance of the following principles in his method of teaching -
v To
achieve mental development, training of senses and parts of the body should be
given.
v Reading
should precede the teaching of writing.
v Before
teaching of alphabets, art training should be given.
v More
opportunities should be given for learning by doing.
v Encouragement
should be given to learning by experience.
v Correlation
should be established in the teaching methods and learning experiences.
v Mother
tongue to be the medium of instruction.
v Productive
craft as the basic of all education.
v Teaching through creative and productive activities.
v Teaching
through creative and productive
activities.
v Learning
by living, service and participation, self – experience.
v Lecture,
questioning and discussion method.
v Oral instruction to personal study.
v All syllabi should be woven around vocational
training.
In
addition to the above, Gandhiji emphasized the need of co curricular
activities, planning, realistic experiences, initiative and sense of individual
responsibility to be associated with the craft centred teaching method.
Role of teacher: He wanted the teacher
to be a model of behavior an image of society a compendium of virtues. He
wanted teachers to teach by example than by precept. He opposed corporal
punishment. How can an apostle of non – violence advocated anything like that?
Teacher must be well trained, proficient, man of knowledge, faith action and
devotion. Teachers are responsible for carving the statues of their students. A
teacher should be the epicene of character, a symbol of values, well
disciplined, a unique personality, cultured and having a good mentality. His
serenity and magnanimity should be outstanding and shining. He should be
polite, pious, and having sea of knowledge. He should be a psychologist, a
philosophies, a historian, a technologist in the matters of knowledge and
seduction. He should be a guide, mentor, and guru for imparting knowledge to
the students – the valuable pearls.
Concept of discipline: His
concept of discipline is based on self - control. Self control refers to inner
discipline which leads to self - discipline. His concept of discipline was,
however in tune with social discipline. He emphasized the value of self -
discipline in life. He assists that every individual is a productive citizen, a
worker and a parent. Education is to be recognized as a potent means for
generating then us - feeling among the individuals to make them, useful and
responsible citizen of their country.
BASIC
EDUCATION
To
materialize the vision of society Gandhi evolved a scheme of education after
many trials and experiments over a period of 40 years. His ideas revolutionized
the current thinking about education. This scheme of education is known as
Basic education or Wardha scheme of education or Nai Talim or new education or
Buniyandi Shiksha. Gandhiji used the term basic to describe his scheme of
education because it is intimately related with the basic needs and interest of
Indian children. Moreover, it is closely related to the people living the
villages. It is an educational scheme for common man who constitutes the base
or backbone of our country. The goal of a basic education is to enable a
student to acquire the desired fruit through his or her own actions.
Features of basic education: Basic
education was an embodiment of Gandhi’s perception of an ideal society as one
consisting of small, self reliant communities. The basic scheme of education
has the following important features:
v The
core aim of basic education is to help students to develop self sufficiency.
v Basic
education laid a strong emphasis on manual work.
v There
should be free, compulsory and universal education within the age group 7 to
14.
v
It envisages providing education
through the medium of craft or
productive work so that the child gains economic self reliance for his life.
v
The medium of education should be
mother tongue.
v
Education should develop human values
in the child.
v It
is aimed to achieve the harmonious development of the child’s body, mind heart
and soul.
v In
basic scheme education is imparted through some local craft or productive work.
v The
basic education is self supported through some productive work.
v It
is geared to create useful, responsible and dynamic citizens.
v Play
is an essential part of basic education.
v Subjects
are taught in correlation with craft, with environment and with other subject.
EVALUTION
OF BASIC EDUCATION
MERITS
The
following are the merits of basic education;
Ø Basic
scheme is an education for life, education through life, and education
throughout life. Shortly, it was a life centred education.
Ø This
system is suited to our needs, requirements, genius, and aspirations for the
future.
Ø The
craft centred education will give greater concreteness and reality to the
knowledge acquired by children.
Ø It
synthesized the individual and social aims of education.
Ø It
was a need based education which curtailed rural unemployment.
Ø Gandhiji’s
scheme was highly practical as it starts with action rather than reflection.
Ø Basic
scheme takes in to account the needs, interests and aptitude of the child. Thus
it is essentially child centred.
Ø The
basic scheme was nationalist in setting, idealist in nature and pragmatic on
one hand while social in purpose and spiritual in intent on the other hand.
Ø The
Wardha scheme is non theoretical and as such it enables the student to
undertake independent action.
Ø Basic
education provides for the inculcation of an attitude of truth in children.
DEMERITS
v The
over emphasis on crafts and productive activity has often been criticized as
child labour.
v It
neglects education in terms of personality development and development higher
mental abilities,
v The
craft centeredness has resulted in enormous wastage of material as small
children are not in a position to produce anything worth – while.
v Schools
would degrade as trade centres.
v It
may arrest the child’s spontaneous development.
v The
call for correlation becomes forced and unnatural.
v The
basic scheme overlooked the possibilities of higher intellectual development of
children.
v To
serve as a medium for education the basic craft selected must answer the test
of universality.
v Making
handicraft as nucleus of teaching will amount to throwing the country further
behind in this age of science and technology.
v It
is not up to the aspirations of the new generation of a digitalized world.
GANDHIJI’S
CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION
Gandhiji’s contribution to education
is unique. He was the first Indian who advocated a scheme of education based
upon the essential values of Indian culture and civilization. His important
contributions to education are the following:
· Gandhiji
put forth a very comprehensive and practical system of education suited to
genius of our country. It is a constructive and human system integrated with
needs and ideals of national life.
· Gandhiji
was the first educationist to advocate the large scale use of handicraft, not
only as a productive work but as a pivot round which the teaching of different
subjects should be undertaken.
· He
presented a practical scheme of education based on the principles of equity,
social justice, non – violence, human dignity, economic well being and cultural
self respect.
· Gandhiji
gave a very broad - based concept of education describing it as all round
development of human personality.
· He
recommended immediate and ultimate aims of education which are in accordance
with the Indian socio political, economic, cultural and social aim of
education.
· He
suggested a very practical and broad based curriculum. It is needed an
integrated curriculum which is psychologically sound.
· The
method of teaching suggested by Gandhiji is highly pragmatic and pedagogically
sound.
· Gandhiji’s educational model was not only
holistic and practical; it was highly decentralized and integrated, with a
demonstrated capacity to motivate the entire community and place responsibility
and accountability at the community level versus the state.
· Gandhiji’s
educational scheme revived India’s economic, social and cultural life through
the instrumentality of a handicraft.
· The
basic scheme of education was a practical solution for rural unemployment. Gandhiji succeeded in presenting a type of
education which can provide the necessary economic self sufficiency and self
reliance.
GANDHI’S
PUBLICATIONS ON EDUCATION
Ø Basic education.
Ø Medium of instruction.
Ø Tasks before Indian students.
Ø To the students.
Ø Towards new education.
Ø True education Gandhi wrote extensively
on education in ‘Harijan’.
RELEVANCE OF GANDHI’S VIEWS ON
EDUCATION IN THE MODERN CONTEST
The most important
point in Gandhi’s scheme of education is its emphasis on relating school
education to the needs of the society. He wanted to achieve this objective
through a system of Learning while earning. He gave an important place to the
learning of craft. It will be seen from the curriculum of the present day
schools that work experience and socially useful productive work find an
important place. His views on early childhood education are quite relevant to –
day. Parent education is stressed for the proper development of the early
stages of the life. His emphasis on education through the mother tongue is the
accepted principle throughout the period.
CONCLUSION
Gandhiji’s
contribution to education is unique. He was the first Indian who advocated a
scheme of education based upon the essential values of the Indian culture and
civilization. The methods and techniques advocated by him and the environment
he prescribed revolutionized Indian thinking and way of living. At heart he was
devoted to idealism. He wanted to translate his ideals and values into
practice. His philosophy of education is a harmonious blending of idealism,
naturalism, and pragmatism. According to Gandhiji, “Education is an all round
drawing out of the best in child and man – body, mind and spirit”. He advocated
that literacy should never be the end of education or even the beginning. True
education according to him is that which draws out and stimulates the
intellectual and physical facilities of children. He gave greater importance to
the child, than the techniques and method of education. It was him firm belief
that a sound education should produce useful citizens of the entire humanity.
Education in its true and broad sense is a lifelong process, which begins with
beginning of life and ends with the end of life going on unceasingly.
REFERENCES
JOURNALS
Prof. Bhikhu, Parekh (2007). Gandhion poverty
eradication and peoples empowerment. New Frontiers in education, 37(2),120.
Susai,
Mary.K.A. (2007). Self directed learning, Mahatma Gandhi. Edutracts.
6(8),60.
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Teacher and Education in a Developing
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Akhtarul,
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Gandhi and Man. New Delhi:
Shipra Publications.
Prof.
Chaube, S.P. &Dr. Chaube Akhilesh (2002). Educational Ideals of the
Great in India. Hyderabad: Neelkamal Publications.
Mohanty,
Jagannath (1982). Indian Education in the
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Sterling publishers.
Pathak,R.P.(2009).Philosophical and Sociological Principles of
Education. New Delhi: Dorling Kindersley.
Rusk,
Robert (1918). The Doctrines of the Great
Educators. New York: London
Macmillan &Co.
Prof.
Sharma,A.P.(1997). Development of Western
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Thankachan,
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INTERNET
www.wikipedia
www.gandhi
manibhavan.orgwww.connect the thought .net
www.mk Gandhi.org
