How are schools now? Studying books, doing worksheets and
writing tests on them.
Crafts and art just once a week. But do you know what
Mahatma Gandhi said?
There was a conference at Marvari Education society (later
named as Nava Bhart Vidyalaya) at Wardha on 22nd and 23rd
October, 1937. This was held to commemorate the silver jubilee of the Marvari
High School. Gandhiji was the President of the conference and many other
eminent educationists were there.
The main points which were stressed by Gandhiji regarding
education in his inaugural speech in the conference are:
1.
Free and compulsory primary education for a
duration of seven years
2.
Medium of instruction must be the mother tongue
3.
Primary education must include G.K , less
English and more of Vocation
4.
Teaching of education must be through a manual
work or production
5.
The system of education should gradually be able
to give salary or fees of teachers. This means, the profit earned by the sale
of the products like thread made by
spinning, pottery, baskets,shoes made by
the children and teachers during the training should be used by the system to pay salaries for the teachers. In case of extra profit, some money could be
paid to children.
6.
Higher education should also be focused on the
industrial, technical and other productive requirements of the nation.
Gandhiji’s emphasis was more on
primary education. His educational ideas were the outcome of his extensive
travels through Indian villages and his experience of rural life in South
Africa. He limited English as a language of international communication. He
insisted on value education in the primary level. His educational ideas were to
transform hopeless, poor farmers into self-confident citizens of the nation.
The summary of Gandhiji’s educational philosophies is:
1.
Education means all round development.
2.
Education has to be through, craft, art ,
production or making of some handmade thing/ products
3.
The main true education is Character building
4.
Education should enable every student to better his/her own economic
condition
5.
Education should be based on non-violence and create communal harmony
6.
The medium of instruction should be the mother
tongue
7.
Primary education should be free and compulsory
and should be given for 7 years.
8.
Syllabus must be framed with the rural masses in
mind.
Main objectives of Gandhiji’s educational philosophy are:
1.
Character building
2.
Development of good mind, soul and body
3.
Emotional development, ethical, cultural and
spiritual development
4. Equipping the students with a vocational
training and making them self sufficient to have a vocation/occupation to earn for their living
3H is the significant concept of Gandhi. H means to the Head, Heart and the Hand.
Gandhiji wanted to establish coordination of head, heart and hand. It means, to
develop a work culture in humans along with intellectual and emotional
development.
Gandhiji framed syllabus for vocational training in
agriculture, spinning and weaving in primary education. He preferred spinning. He said spindle is as
good as a toy to children. He believed takli/charka – spinning khaddar would
bring independence to India and in fact his belief was very true. He encouraged
vocational training based on any cottage industry such as spinning, pottery,
shoe making, basket making, weaving etc.
Gandhian education, I
mean the education recommended by Gandhiji, is really
a wonderful and a complete human making professional course. A student
of Gandhian education is self-dependent financially too. What we need now is Gandhi’s educational
philosophies blended with modern advancements in science, technology and other
fields. Children must be taught as per Gandhiji’s philosophy and should be
exposed to the latest advancements like computers, internet, robotics also.
Jai Hind!
Yassasvinee Aravind
