P A R T   -   2

C H A P T E R   -   1 9

E D U C A T I O N

The recommendations heretofore made are for provision of physical force to assist the maintenance of social equilibrium by avoiding riots or quelling them by use of force. For civilized human society in a Welfare State some method other than use of brutal force to keep the society on even keel must necessarily be thought of.

Aldous Huxley in his celebrated book “ The Human Situation” , wrote:

“the end of human life is to realize  individual potentialities to their limits, and in the best way possible; and to create a society which makes possible such a realisation. We see that in very many cases, the effort to raise human quality is being thwarted by the mere increase of human quantity; that quantity is very often incompatible with quality. We have seen that mere quantity makes the educational potentialities of the world unrealizable. We have seen that the pressure of enormous numbers upon resources makes it almost impossible to improve material standards of life, which after all have to be raised to a minimum of any of the higher possibilities have to be realized. Although it is quite true that man cannot live by bread alone, still less can he live without bread; and if we simply cannot provide adequate bread, we cannot provide anything else. Only when he had bread, only when his belly is full, is there some hope of something else emerging from the human situation.”

The belly has to be full, otherwise physical existence would be in jeopardy. But without anything more, that would be animal living. Homosapiens are endowed by Nature with destructive traits and qualities. Man has infinite mental capacity and he is capable of having attainment in his own person of the whole range of human potential. The good of the individual has to coincide with the good of all others and of society as such. Karl Marx was right when he raised the slogan ‘ from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.’

Through good education, imparted at home, in the education institution and in the social sphere, the true element is every man has to be kindled. Today’s home, to a great extent, had ceased to offer any useful schooling. The child begins life in a small environment—for the initial few months the mother, perhaps a female attendant in well-to-do families, and occasionally the father, grandparents and some other close relations within a small part of the house constitute its environment. Very young though, the child has still immense human capacities and starts its process of silent learning from the environment. As it grows, the environmental sphere expands. In the first three or four years which are indeed the crucial years of its life, the child is ordinarily in the family atmosphere and elder members of the family, the mother being the first among them, are the people who play the role of teachers. First impressions last long. The foundation of growth in life with growing age is laid in these first few years in the back drop of the family environment.

Today the family environment is in bad shape. In a large number of families, the mother takes to employment ordinarily to support the family. Often, the justification is her anxiety to have economic independence. The father is fully occupied in collecting sustenance for the family and has no time to bestow upon the child. If  the mother is not away from home being in employment, she keeps herself occupied otherwise at home and is either not in a position or does not feel called upon to give constant company  to the child. The home- schooling for the child is thus totally unattended. The unlimited capacities innate in the child do not get the outlet to open up and become functional in a properly guided way.

Around the age of 3 or 4, the child starts going to school. More than eighty percent of the children in India live in rural areas. The primary schools do not provide the requisite environment for learning. The teacher is often ill-equipped and does not have the capacity to attend to the tender mind. Very often the inquisitive search of the young beginner is visited with punishment and this has the effect of closing the half-open mental door. Very many schools have either no teachers or inadequate teacher-strength. In many educational institutions the teacher’s representative plays the role of the teacher. Occasionally different people—very often without the necessary qualification—play the proxy depending upon availability. The primary stage is the foundation-laying period in the life of the young one. At this stage, the young mind is totally receptive and open to molding. Take the case master earthern pot maker. He prepares the clay after removing every rubble; upon mixing requisite quantity of water he makes quality paste and from out of it, his deft hands make water jars. After the mould is given and the desired thing is given proper shape, the same is burnt and is ready for use. Every customer before purchase gives the jar a test by filling it with water. If it is found to be leaking, the jar has no market and it is condemned. The craftsmen finds that he had failed to notice the presence of a rubble in the clay and when that came on the jar and remained, in the process of burning a crack developed and water leaked from that point. If the rubble had been removed when the clay was prepared into paste or when the jar was made ready but had not been burnt, the same could have been removed and with a bare touch with a little pressure, the deft fingers would have set the situation right.

The teacher, be it at home or at school, is expected to play the role of the craftsmen. The child is at the clay-paste stage. It comes to school for removal of rubbles. If the teacher fails to detect the presence of the rubble and have it to be removed in the process of schooling, the young one in due course would enter into society with the defect. Society does not have the test undertaken by the customer prior to the purchase of the jar. The net result, therefore, is the introduction of an undesirable person into society.

When the country’s future citizens are in the making, the teacher has no personality of his own to place before the young ones to be emulated. Unless the teacher is an embodiment of human virtues and by allowing exposure of himself and his qualities to the young students he is able to act as a model for them to imbibe, real primary schooling is not imparted. At the primary stage foundation of the life’s course has to be laid. Lessons through story-telling relating to indisputable human qualities like love for truth, respect for elders, tolerance of all, consideration for every one, kindness to animals, affection for fellow-beings, a sense of patriotism, firm  faith in  God and the like help easy pick up and assimilation at this age. The child has the natural instinct of absorbing what is told to it and since it has an impressionable mind, pick up is both easy and lasting; special attention should be given at that stage to ensure a neat and clean environment and allow total exposure of its mind. Article 45 of the Constitution envisaged that by 1960, full and compulsory education for all children until completion of the age of fourteen years should have been provided by the State. This has not yet been possible in spite of  serious and sincere attempts of Governments. It is difficult to visualise an India of some future date where every citizen would have had schooling up to the age of fourteen. Even if that type of education still  remains a far-cry, real emphasis should be on the primary stage.

No education can be said to be appropriate unless it is  grounded upon a moral base. The Central Advisory Board on Education as early as  1944  recommended :

“  While   they recognise  the  fundamental  importance of  spiritual  and moral  instruction  in  the  building of character, the provision for such  teaching, excepting  in  so far as  it  can be  provided in the  normal course  of  secular instruction, should  be the  responsibility of the home  and the  community  to which the pupils  belong. ”

The  University  Education  Commission  (1948-49)  observed  :

“Religion  is  a  permeative  influence,  a  quality  of  life, an  elevation  of            purpose, and  to  be secular  is  not  to be  religiously  illiterate. It is to be deeply  spiritual  and  narrowly  religious .  .  .

The attempt to make  students  moral and  religious  by the  teaching  of moral and religious    text books  is  puerile.  To instruct  the   intellect  is not to  improve  the heart .  .  .  Our attempt  should  be  to  suggest  and  to persuade ,  not  command  or  impose.  The  best method of suggestion  is  by  personal  example,  daily  life and work, and  books read from day  to day.”

The  Commission was of the opinion   that  ‘ inculcating social , moral  and spiritual  values  indispensable  for making good citizens  should be the obligation  of the State.

The  Secondary   Education  Commission  (1952-53)  believed  that  religious and moral  behaviour  spring from the   influence  of the home,  the  influence  of the  school, and  the influence  exercised  by the  public. These  , however, can be  supplemented only  to a  limited extent by  properly  organised  moral  instructions  dwelling  on the lives of  stalwarts  of  all  times and  of all  classes. It pointed  out  that  one serious  defect in the school  curriculum  is the absence  of provision for education  in  social, moral and spiritual values.

The Education Commission (1964-65)  recommended  that  conscious  and  organised  attempts  should be made  for  imparting  education in social, moral  and spiritual  values  with the help, wherever  possible, of ethical  teachings  of great religions. Dr.Rabindranath  Tagore  wrote in  Bodher  Sadhana  :  “ We  must  constantly remember  that  neither  the  education  of the  senses, nor  the education  of the  intellect,  but  the  education of the  feeling  should  receive  the place of  honour in our schools.”

Moral  values  particularly  refer to the conduct of  man  towards  man  in the various  situations in which human beings  come together. It  is  essential  that from the earliest  childhood moral value should be  inculcated in  everyone. The home has to be influenced to  begin  with. Habits, both of mind and body,  formed  in the early years at home, persist  and influence our  life afterwards. Good manners  are a very important outcome of moral education. It is not unusual  that  when a  people  attain  freedom suddenly after  long years  of bondage, they are inclined  to become  self-willed, arrogant and   inconsiderate.  In such  situations, good manners are easily  set aside  and  young  people  tend to  express  the  first flush  of freedom  in license and  rowdism.  A look  at  Indian society  today shows how  prophetic  were  the  words written  two decades back.

The importance of good manners cannot be overstressed.  These impose   proper  restraint  on the  person and  take away harshness in   speech and rudeness in behaviour. Good  manners are often said to be the  oil  that helps to keep  the machine  of human society  running  smoothly.   Good  manners  have to  be restored to  the  living process in order that life may be graceful.  By  example  and precept  only  good manners  can be  inculcated.

Just as moral values  regulates  the relation between man and man , so do spiritual  values  regulate  the individual’s  relation with himself. As  has been  rightly pointed out :  “The  individual  is not only  a body :  he is also a soul. He does not live  by  bread alone: he  wants  inner peace and happiness. If he  loses  all spiritual values, he would  no more  be  at peace with  himself. It is necessary to have faith in something beyond the  flesh, some  identification with a purpose greater than oneself in order to achieve  mental  equilibrium.”

Patriotism  should have the primary  place in the catalogue  of spiritual  values. India  had been conceived as an organic   entity when our forefathers  carried on the freedom struggle. They  suffered all sort of harassments  in the  hands of the  British  rulers  and many made the supreme  sacrifice  of parting  with their lives for the  cause of the mother-land. The picture of India  as a living mother must  have to be drawn in the mind of every citizen of this country.  He  must be taught to accept  the position upon true   conviction  that  for  protecting the  integrity  of  mother  India,  it is the duty of every citizen, if necessary , to sacrifice his life.  Patriotic  literature must from part of the curriculum in schools and colleges. Education   should foster a burning love  for the mother-land together with an ardent  desire to serve  one’s   fellow  beings. Education should leave the  indelible  impression  on every one that anything  that helps  man to behave properly towards others is of moral value and anything that draws one out of himself and  gives the  inspiration to sacrifice for the good of others is  of spiritual value.  A  system of education fails to teach this aspect  is not  worth the name.

The greatest of today’s   needs  for  India is  to  bring forth   into  action our capacity to hold together  as a nation  in the midst  of  diversity  of language,  caste  and religion.  Our unity has to be  based upon a conscious  common cultural heritage  and acceptance  of a common goal to reach.  As long  as  we were fighting the freedom struggle,  a common  ground  overcoming  the   demarcating  lines of  differences  had been   evolved  and the common goal  of turning the foreign ruler away and  freeing the mother-land  from the  shackles  of the  bondage held  us together. Once freedom was achieved,  the  cohesiveness of purpose was  gone and no new goals attracting the imagination and spirit of the common  man had been set to keep  us together.  Maintaining  freedom , once  it is won, is indeed  a  challenging job.  That  is  not  the  exclusive  concern  of the Government  of the country. That  is the return  every citizen  who breathes  the air  of freedom has to make.

The school  programme   has to be designed  to awaken  in every student  an awareness of national integrity, community  living, fostering of the  democratic spirit, respect  and tolerance  for every  religion, universal fellow-feeling and a genuine liking for  Indianness. Emphasis  on development of these  aspects    while selecting text book material , in class  teaching as also during extra-curricular  activities, must be placed. Care  should be taken to find out  teachers who would by their living  method  present   an ideal  model for the students  to emulate.

The Seventh  Plan which closed with 1985  had indicated  that  attention should be paid to all  young children during their crucial  development years up to  the age of   five. The  early childhood  stage is the period of maximum learning and intellectual  development of the child and hence of great   potential  educational significance. An evaluation must now  be made  as to  how  much  of the target set in the Seventh Plan  has been achieved.

In the  Constitution the makers  very appropriately  adopted the  position that India would  not  have  any State  religion.   In a  country with  segment of the population following almost  every religion known to the  world  the position could  not be anything different.  This  constitutional  philosophy  necessarily  led to incorporation of provisions  contained in  Articles  25  to 30 under the heading “  Right to Freedom of   Religion.”  Article  25  guarantees  to all persons freedom of  conscience and the right  freely to  profess, practice and propagate religion subject to the  hedging  provided  therein.  Article  28 envisages  that no religious  instruction shall be provided in any  educational  institutions  wholly maintained  out of State  funds.   Dispute arouse  as to  what exactly  was covered by the phrase “ religious  instruction”  Courts  soon  rightly  drew  the  distinction between religious  and moral  education.  They  held that moral education dissociated  from any  denominational  doctrine  did  not  come within   the prohibition.  They  also held  that academic  study  of the teaching and philosophy  of any great  saint  of  India  such  as  Guru Nanak  or Mahavira  and the  impact thereof  on the Indian and world civilizations  could not be considered as religious instruction. This  interpretation was not taken into  account  and properly utilised.  In the  post-constitutional    era,  all books  intended  to be read by  young  people  in India  got  eliminated  of  reference    to religion  and  religious  leaders.  Today  Rama,  Krishna, Mohammed,  Jesus, Gautam and Mahavira have become strangers  to young   people  and  in them  these  names  create  no  reaction  except  recalling  to their  mind persons  bearing such names  within their  ken.  All  religions   accepts  certain  conduct  as   virtuous  and emphasize  upon   man  maintaining    the  unseen  link  with  his  Creator.

To emphasize these as a part of the education program cannot hit the constitutional mandate. On the other hand, without fruitful lessons of good conduct and imbibing some or all of them as part of life’s process, no education would be useful and no life can be successful. Into the reading material and the curriculum lessons of good living, lives of  great men, a sense of idealism and faith in an unseen superior force must get restored if the quality of life has to  improve. Scientific temper as contemplated in Article 51 A(h) of the Constitution certainly has its place. But beyond all sciences, man must repose his ultimate sense of confidence in an unseen force. A civilization with philosophy that what is not seen is not acceptable suffers from inadequacies and that is what has happened to the western civilization today. Several visible phenomena science fails to explain: yet they exist and even regulate the course of human life. Divinity is not any religion, it is the foundation of all religions and is perhaps the life force of creation. Every person in the community must take lessons in divinity ( not as part of any known religion)  and sincerely attempt to establish link with his mentor. Today’s education provides a large amount of knowledge but not the requisite wisdom. When knowledge is transformed into experience wisdom comes. What is, therefore, necessary is to provide opportunity at every level to students to transform their knowledge into a series of experiences—exclusively  their own. When this situation comes, the sense of a surcharged feeling comes and leaves an unforgetable impression on the mind. Education must help build bridges between art and science: between objectively observed facts and immediate experience: between morals and scientific appraisals. There are all kinds of  bridges to be built. Once a matter is read and assimilated, it must be something more than what has been read  it has to become a part of a living experience— represent a bridge to cross-over to the other side for exploring the great empire that lies beyond.

Education must assist total development of the personality latent in every  man and give him a personal philosophy  totally his own. While such philosophy should be generally in tune with the national ideal and philosophy, it must have touches purely personal to the person whose philosophy of life it be. Education must generate a balanced out look of life in keeping with the spirit of the nation as also the national goal. It must inculcate in every person a sense of respect for human life and other rights of  citizens. Gandhi ji,  father of  the Nation, aptly indicated that no man has the right to destroy  anything in this world which he is incapable of producing. Since man cannot create human life, what right has he to destroy it? Great emphasis must be laid on formation of character and due stress be given to obtaining of practical experience of knowledge. Once these are done, the desired transformation is bound to come.

Several generations educated on lines different from this method have come into Indian society since independence. Their reformation would be an uphill task. It is perhaps expedient that attention is bestowed on the new generations. Once the proper spirit is generated, every  man’s conscience will do the policing and no outside agency will be required. The policing by conscience will be unfailing and there would be no apprehension of a repeated exhibition of sluggish and betraying conduct as appeared during the 1984 riots.