Mahatma ’s Views on Educational Thoughts

Dr. Satish R. Mahalle Vidyasagar kala Mahavidyalaya, Khairi (Bijewada),Ramtek. [email protected]

ABSTRACT :-

Education system proposed by is called as "Basic Education". He mainly aims at the education in mother tongue and asked for activity centered education to make the children skilled and independent. Gandhiji wanted to construct small, self-reliant communities with its ideal citizens being all industrious, self-respecting and generous individuals living in a small co-operative and community. He wished that some local craft should be made as medium of education for children so that they develop their mind, body and soul in a harmonious way and also meet the needs of their future life. Such Gandhian Educational thoughts are relevant for development and providing solutions of the current problems like unemployment, poverty, corruption and many others. An attempt has been made in this paper to discuss the Gandhi's educational thoughts. According to T. S. Avinash lingam “Basic education is the last and perhaps the greatest gift of the father of our nation.”

INTRODUCTION :-

Gandhi was Indian lawyer, politician, social activist and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India. Gandhi is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of non-violent protest () to achieve political and social progress. He was arrested and imprisoned many times. Mahatma Gandhi‟s greatest gift is known as “The Scheme of Education” or “Nai Talim”. Gandhi says “Purity of personal life is the one indispensable condition for building a sound education.”

Gandhi believed in the total development of the human personality through education. He advocated that education should start with hand. His emphasis was more on 3H‟s (head, heart and hand) than on 3R‟s (reading, writing and arithmetic). His concept of education means “an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit”. He viewed education as a quest for truth and non-violence. Gandhi emphasised the

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craft-centered education. Gandhi said that “literacy should never be the end of education nor even the beginning. It is only one of the means whereby man and women can be educated”. He felt that true education calls for a proper exercise and training of the bodily orgens and mental faculties. Gandhi gives importance both of individual and society. Gandhi hence mentioned in the dated 26th March, “A nation cannot advance without the units, of which it is composed, advancing and conversely, no individual can advance without the nation of which it is a part also advancing.” True education, according to Gandhi, is that which drawout and stimulates the intellectual and physical faculties of the children.

His philosophy of education is a harmonious blending of Idealism, Naturalism and Pragmatism. Idealism is the base of Gandhiji's philosophy whereas Naturalism and Pragmatism are the helpers in translating that philosophy into practice. Therefore he is known as practical- idealist. His nation was "education for life, education through life, and education throughout life." This definition of Mahatma Gandhi would comprise everything that can be conceived under education. In the present paper an attempt has been made to discuss about the Gandhi's Educational thought which were influenced by his philosophy of life.

The Basic Philosophy :-

Gandhiji‟s educational philosophy is sound psychologically, sociologically, pedagogically and biologically.

Mahatma Gandhi revolutionized the whole gamut of education by devising a scheme of education popularly known as „Basic education‟ which was based upon Indian culture and ways of life of people. His educational scheme sought to draw out the best in both the child and man to develop in an integrated manner-body, mind and spirit. Education must be concrete and inter connected not abstract or given in isolated sections. Concrete education allow the learner to manipulate problems or sets of problems and study their relationship character and artistic sense. It allows the mind, heart, and eyes to work simultaneously in a correlated manner, resulting in a harmonious and well balanced personality. True education is all round development of the faculties, best attained through action. It bases itself on the fact that knowledge and understanding develop in relation to problems set right by action. Information thrust on the mind only burdens the memory and causes intellectual indigestion,

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casting learning into oblivion. Education must be imparted in the child‟s mother tongue and organically connected with the child‟s social and cultural environment.

Gandhi's Educational Thoughts :-

Gandhiji has himself explained - "By education I mean all-round drawing out of the best in child's and man's body, mind and spirit. Literacy is neither the beginning nor the end of education. This is only a means through which man or woman can be educated."

A) Free and Compulsory Education for Seven Years :- From 7 and 14 years of age, education of each child should be compulsory, free and universal. Seven years course will not only impart elementary education but also secondary education.

B) Education should be activity craft centered :- It should be productive, manual and should centre round some craft. The whole education is to be imparted through it. All round development is realisable through action and activity. Knowledge, which is not the result of activity, is soon forgotten.

C) Education should be self supporting and self sufficient :- Gandhiji was fully aware of the financial condition of our people. He wanted to make education self-sufficient. He could not wait till sufficient funds were made available by the state. He, therefore, suggested that education should be self-supporting.

D) The medium of Instruction :- Education should be given in the mother tongue. He believed that mother-tongue would enable the children not only to understand clearly the rich heritage of people‟s ideas, emotions and aspirations but would also enable the children to express themselves effectively, clearly and lucidly.

E) Non-formal examination :- Examinations do not occupy the same place in basic education as they do in the traditional system. No external and public examinations are prescribed for pupils going out of the basic schools. The attaintments of pupilsmare to be judge from their day-today, weak-to-weak, month-to-month and term-totermwork done in the school, where appropriate records have to be maintained.

F) Women Education :- Gandhi especially focuses on women education. He says that women are not only our sister, mother, and wife but also human creator, social creator and

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God‟s super article (kriti). So they wants to give safety to the women same as men. A wife is not a slave of the husband. Gandhi strongly favoured the emancipation of women, and urged “the women to fight for their own self-development”. He says that men-women are same as two wheel of any vehicle. He wants provide ideal form in women as Sita, Dropati etc., with the help of education. Accordind to him “As for women‟s education, I am not sure whether it should be different from men‟s and when it should begin. But I am strongly of opinion that women should have the same facilities as men and even special facilities where necessary.”

G) Mahatma Gandhi’s Views on Teacher :- He thought that only the right type of teachers could help in achieving the objectives of education. He should be a lover of truth and non-violence and he should possess a sound base of knowledge, skill, enthusiasm, patriotism, dedication, love for children and labour, respect for the dignity of individuals and special training in the basic education. He should be a man of action, not a man of slogan and should have a good moral character and a social bent of mind. He should lead a pure and simple life and be a man of ideals and a saga of examples.

Gandhiji's method of teaching :-

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:-

1. To achieve mental development, training of senses and parts of the body should be given.

2. Reading should precede the teaching of writing.

3. More opportunities should be given for learning by doing.

4. Encouragement should be given to learning by experience.

5. Correlation should be established in the teaching methods and learning experiences.

Conclusion :-

Given Gandhi‟s values and his vision of what constituted a truly civilized and free India, it was not surprising that he developed firm views on education. Education not only moulds the new generation, but reflects a society‟s fundamental assumptions about itself and the individuals which compose it. The modern system of education acts as an instrument to

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increase the value of consumerism, materialism, undue competition and violence. The growing concern over the erosion of ethical values, youth unrest, ecological violence and increasing cynicism in society have brought to focus the need of revival of indigenous Indian heritage and life-style. Gandhiji could foresee such possible developments half a century ago and advocated a new alternative of Basic education. By which of course, the emphasis on learning through craft may be retained, but perhaps modified to suit the times. His educational thoughts are based on eternal principles of truth, love, self-sacrifice, character building non-violence, so, will never lose their relevance. The requirement is to adapt his thoughts according to the present scenario. When Environmental consciousness, moral values, intrapersonal A skills, community and society oriented awareness are all inculcated in young minds through education, then only development of the country in true sense can be possible. A saying goes, “Gandhi is dead but is alive” He is truly called as the harbinger of educational thoughts of great educators in the west and east mass education and the father of vocational education in India.

References :- 1) Gandih M. K. (1937) Basic Education, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahamadabad 2) www.mkgandhi. Org 3) Gandih M.K. (1971) My views on Education Navjivan Trust, Ahamadabad. 4) Nandela Krishan, Gandhin on womens empowerment, (Internet, www.mkgandhi.org/articals kirshnannandela.htm) 5) ManjuKumari ,Location Educational for peace in Gandhian Thougt, Dept of Education University of Allahabad. 6) Mahatma Gandhi and education , yourarticlelibrary.com

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