diploma in elementary education - wordpress.com · course introduction this course on “education,...

D.El.Ed. (02)

KRISHNA KANTA HANDIQUI STATE OPEN UNIVERSITYHousefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati- 781006

DIPLOMA IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

COURSE - 2

EDUCATION, SOCIETY AND CURRICULUM

BLOCK - 1

CONTENTS

UNIT 1 : Philosophical Understanding of Education

UNIT 2 : Aims of Education

UNIT 3 : Education, Politics and Society

UNIT 4 : Teacher and SocietyREFERENCES: (For All Units)

Subject Experts

Prof. M. Srivastava, Distance Education Council, IGNOU, New Delhi

Prof. P.K. Biswas, STRIDE, IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. P. Bhusan, Asso. Professor, School of Education, IGNOU, New Delhi

Dr. B. Deka, Retd. Principal, Nirmal Haloi College, Patacharkuchi, Barpeta

Mrs. P. Deka, Retd. Professor, Banikanta College of Teachers Education, Guwahati

Mr. S. Dowerah, Former Senior Academic officer, SEBA, Guwahati

Course Coordinator : Devajani Duarah & Tarali Pathak, KKHSOU

SLM Preparation Team

UNITS CONTRIBUTORS

1 Dr. Birendra Deka, Nirmal Haloi College, Patacharkuchi &

Devajani Duarah, KKHSOU

2 Dr. Marami Goswami, Gauhati College

3 Dr. Ritimoni Bordoloi, KKHSOU

4 Devajani Duarah, KKHSOU

Editorial Team

Content : Prof. Manjulika Srivastava, Distance Education Council, IGNOU, New Delhi

(Units - 1, 3 and 4)

Language : Prof. Rabin Goswami, Retd. Professor, Deptt. of English, Cotton College

(Units - 1, 3 and 4) & Pallavi Gogoi, KKHSOU (Unit-2)

Format : Devajani Duarah and Dopati Choudhury, KKHSOU

January, 2016

© Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University.

This Self Learning Material (SLM) of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University is

made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike4.0 License

(international): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

For the avoidance of doubt, by applying this license KKHSOU does not waive any privileges or immunities

from claims that it may be entitled to assert, nor doesKKHSOU submit to the jurisdiction, courts, legal

processes or laws of any jurisdiction.

Headquarters : Patgaon, Rani Gate, Guwahati - 781017

City Office : Housefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati-781006; Web: www.kkhsou.in

COURSE INTRODUCTION

This course on “Education, Society and Curriculum” is the second course of the D.El.Ed.

programme. The course aims to introduce you to the philosophical, the sociological and the historical

perspectives on education with a view to develop in you a sound knowledge of the core concepts and

principals of education.

The course comprises of two blocks. There are four units in each block.

BLOCK INTRODUCTION

The first unit discusses the philosophical understanding of education in which philosophical view

points of various eminent Western and Indian philosophers on education have been highlighted. The

second unit deals with the aims of education with respect to some specific context. The third unit

deliberates on the education, politics and society with special reference to the Assamese society. The

fourth unit is about teacher and society. After going through this unit, you will get to know your obligations

towards your students and towards the society and also why you should develop yourself professionally

by undergoing this training programme.

While going through a unit, you will notice some boxes along-side, which have been included to

help you know some of the difficult, unseen terms. Some “ACTIVITY’ (s) have been included to help you

apply your own thoughts. Again, we have included some relevant concepts in “LET US KNOW” along

with the text. And, at the end of each section, you will get “CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” questions.

These have been designed to self-check your progress of study. It will be better if you solve the given

problems in these boxes immediately, after you finish reading the section in which these questions

occur and then match your answers with “ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS” given at the

end of each unit.

CONTENTS

BLOCK - 1

UNIT 1: Philosophical Understanding of Education (Marks 15) Page : 5-37

Meaning of education and schooling and Relationship between the two; Education

and schooling as visualized by different Western and Indian thinkers: Rousseau,

Dewey, Froebel, Montessori, Gandhi, Tagore, Gijubhai, Swami Vivekananda,

Aurobindo, Radhakrishnan, Kothari, Yash Pal etc.

UNIT 2: Aims of Education (Marks 15) Page : 38-63

Concept and Nature of the Aims of Education; Historical Evolution of Aims of

Education: Sources of Aims of Education: Educational Aims as Derived from the

Constitution of India; National Policy on Education- 1986 and Aims of Education ;

National Curriculum Framework - 2005 and Aims of Education; Changing Aims

of Education in the Context of Globalization

UNIT 3: Education, Politics and Society (Marks 8) Page : 64-79

Elementary Education in Assam during British Period; Elementary Education in

Assam during Post Independence Period; Politics and Education.

UNIT 4: Teacher and Society (Marks 12) Page : 80-101

Concept of Teaching, Relation of teaching with learning; Changing role of teacher

in society; Need for professional development of teachers in the context of Assam;

Teaching as a profession, autonomy and accountability.

5Education, Society and Curriculum

Philosophical Understanding of Education Unit 1

UNIT 1: PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERSTANDING OFEDUCATION

UNIT STRUCTURE

1.1 Learning Objectives

1.2 Introduction

1.3 Concept of Education and Schooling

1.3.1 Relation between Education and Schooling

1.3.2 Processes of Education

1.3.3 Types of Education

1.4 Education and Schooling as visualized by Western Thinkers

1.4.1 Jean Jacques Rousseau

1.4.2 John Dewey

1.4.3 Friedrich Frobel

1.4.4 Maria Montessori

1.5 Education and Schooling as visualized by Indian Thinkers (Pre-

Independence Period)

1.5.1 Mahatma Gandhi

1.5.2 Rabindranath Tagore

1.5.3 Swami Vivekananda

1.5.4 Gijubhai Badheka

1.5.5 Sri Aurobindo Ghose

1.6 Educational Views of Indian Educationists (Post-Independence

Period)

1.6.1 Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

1.6.2 Dr. Daulat Singh Kothari

1.6.3 Prof. Yash Pal

1.7 Let us Sum up

1.8 Further Reading

1.9 Answers to Check Your Progress

1.10 Model Questions

6 Education, Society and Curriculum

Philosophical Understanding of EducationUnit 1

1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit you will be able to:

l explain the concept of education and schooling;

l analyze the relationship between education and schooling;

l state the processes of education;

l describe the educational philosophy propounded by some

prominent Western thinkers;

l describe the educational philosophy propounded by some great

Indian philosophers of pre-independence period;

l describe the educational philosophy of some eminent Indian

educationists of post-independence period.

1.2 INTRODUCTION

This is the first unit of “Course 2 - Education, Society and

Curriculum”, which introduces us to the basic concept of education and

schooling. Education is a lifelong and continuous process whereas schooling

is education that is imparted through a formal set up like a school.

In this unit we will be discussing the concepts of education and

schooling. We will also analyze the relationship between education and

schooling. Further, the educational philosophy of some well known Western

thinkers as well as some Indian philosophers will be highlighted, which will

give you a deeper understanding about education and its role in society.

At last, we shall very briefly go through the educational views of some of

the eminent educationists who had immensely contributed towards the

development of education in India in the post-independence period.

While performing the role of a teacher, you may already aware of

how vital it is for a teacher to understand the philosophical base of

education.The following sections of the unit will strive to explain this in

details so as to enlighten you about the abiding connection between

philosophy and education.



1.3 CONCEPT OF EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING

We are all aware that education is a concept which has a very wide

meaning as it encompasses the entire life of an individual and society.

Different thinkers, philosophers, psychologists, educationists and teachers

have expressed their own views according to their own outlook on

education. It is like a diamond which appears to be of a different colour

(nature) when seen from different angles (point of view or philosophy of

life). Therefore, it is very difficult to give its precise definition.

Etymologically, the term ‘Education’ is derived from the Latin roots as under:

l Educare: To bring up, to nourish

l Educere: To draw out, to lead out

l Educatum: To train, act of teaching or training

A synthesis of the meaning of these terms implies that education is

drawing out and leading out the natural endowment with which an individual

comes to the world by bringing up, nourishing, raising and training the

individual. It is the process of drawing out from within, rather than putting

in something.

Generally, education is explained in two different concepts, one is

wider or broader concept of education and the other is narrow concept of

education. Now let us try to analyze the meaning of education from these

two view points which are as follows:

l Wider or Broader Concept of Education : In the wider sense,

education is a life-long and continuous process, which begins at birth

and continues throughout the life of an individual. Human beings

Endowment

A quality or an

ability that one is

born with

‘Educare’

(To bring up, to nourish)

‘‘’Educere’ Origin of the word ‘Educatum’

(To draw out) Education and (To train)

its meaning



acquire and learn something everyday and every moment through a

number of agencies of education – the school, home, society,

environment etc. In fact, the whole universe can be regarded as our

educational institution when we view from this wider perspective.

In short, the wider meaning of education basically implies that:

Ø it is a life long process of learning

Ø it covers all the experiences of life

Ø there is no fixed curriculum and methods

Ø it is free from rigidity

Ø it is a process of adjustment

l Narrower Concept of Education : In the narrow sense, education

means formal instruction which is imparted within the four walls of

the classroom. In this sense, a person is said to be educated if he/

she passes examinations and receives some degrees and diplomas

from school, college or university. So in the narrow sense, education

is a deliberate, purposeful and planned effort on the part of the teacher

to impart some amount of knowledge with the help of a definite

curriculum.

Thus, the narrow meaning of education basically implies a type of

education which is -

Ø formal in nature

Ø time-bound

Ø based on a fixed curriculum and

Ø teacher-centered. However education today ideally should be

child centered.

l Concept of Schooling : Schooling is basically a part of the broader

field of education. It takes into account the formal aspect of education.

Schooling starts when the child takes admission in the institution of

education and ends when the child completes his/her studies or leaves

the educational institution. The school curriculum is fixed. In schooling

there are fixed teachers for every subject and curricular activities.

Society establishes schools to formally educate the children of the

society so that they would be able to acquire necessary knowledge and



practical training of social values, customs and traditions of society, moral

values and social relationship, etc. to lead their life successfully and to

face the challenges of life courageously. In India, the schooling system

was started during the Vedic period in the form of Gurukula system where

schooling took place at the kul (home) of guru (teacher). After Gurukula

system, Tol, Pathsala, Maktab, Madrassah, Monasterys and Viharas were

developed in our society to impart education. But modern school system

came to our society during the British rule. The Missionaries were the

pioneer of modern schooling system which we are following today.

1.3.1 Relation between Education and Schooling

We have learned from above the meaning of education and

schooling. We have seen that education is much more open-ended

and all inclusive than schooling. There is no boundary for education.

Education includes both the formal learning that takes place in

schools and the whole universe of informal learning. It is a life long

process that begins long before its formal start in schooling. A wise

person may be referred to as educated even if he/she does not

possess any formal degree in schooling.

On the other hand, schooling is only the formal part of

education. Formal education means that education which is

consciously and deliberately planned to bring about specific and

special influence in the learner. The general pattern of schooling is

almost similar throughout a country. There are some definite

conditions that surround the formalized process of schooling.

1.3.2 Processes of Education

Although in a broader sense, education is a life-long and

continuous process, yet for the convenience to understand the term,

educationists have differentiated it as a bi-polar process and as a

tri-polar process.

Ø Bi-polar Process of Education : Sir John Adam has advocated

the idea of bi-polar process of education. In this process, the



educator (teacher) and the educand (student) are the two poles

and both of them influence each other. However, the influence

of the teacher is very prominent in all and every aspects.

Teachers impart education and pupils acquire education in the

classroom of schooling system.

Teacher Student

Ø Tri-polar Process of Education : As a tri-polar process,

education involves interaction among the teacher, the taught

and the curriculum (subject-matter), which reflects the social

environment or the society. Through the schooling process,

the teacher consciously designs, plans and execute the

curriculum or the subject matter and tries to develop the

personality of the pupil in the light of the needs of the society.

The tri-polar process of education is advocated by the famous

educational thinker, John Dewey about whom we are going

to discuss in detail under the sub-section 1.4.2.

Curriculum or subject matter

Teacher Student

The processes of education are generally divided into three types,

viz. formal, non-formal and informal. We shall discuss about these

three types of education as follows:

l Formal Education

In brief formal education means the process of education

arranged in a precise or regular way. In more precise explanation,

education, which is imparted and received in a school or college or

university, is defined as formal education. Schools, colleges,

universities etc. are the main agencies of formal education.

Ø Characteristics of Formal Education

There are some specific characteristics of formal education. They



are as follows:

m Formal education is consciously and deliberately planned.

m Face to face contact between the teachers and the taught

has specific significance.

m Formal education is time bound. It has fixed points of

entry and exit.

m Formal education is routine bound education.

m Formal education is curriculum based education.

m Formal education is examination oriented.

l Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education is an organized and systematic learning

activity. This is an educational system which takes place outside

the formal system or formally organized schools. Flexibility in terms

of age, formalities, subject choices, time limit for the completion of a

particular course etc. are the key terms in such system. This type of

education is an open type with regard to different important aspects,

viz. admissions, entry and exit age and time limit, course choices,

curriculum, place of instruction, mode of instruction etc. The agencies

of non-formal education are the institutions of open learning such as

the open schools, open universities, institutes of distance education

etc. in which learners or students enjoy independence and self

autonomy of learning.

Ø Characteristics of Non-Formal Education

The main characteristics of non-formal education may be mentioned

as the given below:

m It is flexible in terms of entry and exit, re-entry and re-exit.

m It is life oriented.

m The course contents of different courses are need oriented.

m It emphasizes on the maximum participation of the learners

in learning.

m It makes educational provisions for the deprived sections of

the society, including women and the people who live in the



remote areas.

m Non formal education is learner oriented.

l Informal Education

Informal education is the type of education which is not

consciously and deliberately planned. This type of education takes

into its orbit all indirect influences of the home and the society. The

press, the libraries, the films and other such agencies are included

as agencies of informal education.

Ø Characteristics of Informal Education

Important characteristics of informal education are:

m Unconscious Learning.

m There are no fixed aim, fixed curriculum, methods of

teaching, etc.

m No organized body or institution behind this process.

m Life-long learning.

m Natural outcome.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1:Match the root words contained in

Column - A with their meaning in Column - B

A B

Educare To draw out

Educere To train

Educatum To bring up

Q 2: Fill in the blanks :

a) In the wider sense, education is a ..................... process.

b) The first schooling system developed in ...........................

society.

c) Sir John Adam has advocated the idea of .........................

process of education.

Q 3: As a tri-polar process, education involves interaction among



whom? Write your answer in around 20 words.

................................................................................................

................................................................................................

1.4 EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING AS VISUALIZED

BY WESTERN THINKERS

From the above discussion we have come to know that education

and schooling are the two significant components of the educative process.

Education is considered a vital instrument in bringing about a peaceful

economic and social revolution for ushering in an era of harmony, peace,

progress and prosperity. And to this revolution in the field of education

various thinkers from the eastern and western countries have made valuable

contribution. They have provided a definite basis to education by their

exceptional educational ideas. Now, we shall discuss education as

visualized by some eminent western thinkers.

1.4.1 Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Ø Life Sketch of Rousseau : Jean-Jacques Rousseau occupies

a great place in the education world as a revolutionary thinker.

His educational thought continues to be the source of

inspiration and guidance for all. Rousseau was born in 1712

in Geneva, Switzerland. Some of his monumental works were

- The Progress of the Arts and Sciences, The Origin of

inequality among Men, The New Heloises, Social contract,

Emile and The Confessions.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Rousseau :

Rousseau was a great western thinker and advocated

education according to the nature of the child. He regarded

Nature as the best teacher and believed that if children make

mistakes and violate the laws of nature, they naturally invite

the retribution of nature. He believed that everything is good

as it comes from nature and it generates in the hand of man;

Rousseau

Downloaded from http:/

/www.wikipedia.com

Retribution

Severe punishment

in revenge for

something



so he advocated that the education of the child should be purely

negative. By negative education, Rousseau means not

teaching truth or virtues to a child but shielding his heart from

evils and mind from errors. According to him, real education

is not to acquire or impart knowledge.

Rousseau hated society and its institutions, so he

advocated education away from the polluted environment of

the society. According to him, the school should have such a

natural environment where a child’s physical, intellectual and

emotional faculties can be developed properly. Rousseau said

that school system should be based on freedom, equality and

fraternity. The school’s tasks should be managed by the

teacher and the child in co-ordination. Poor and rich children

should study together in school and all types of facilities should

be available for them.

1.4.2 John Dewey (1859-1952)

Ø Life Sketch of Dewey : John Dewey was one of the

distinguished western thinkers of modern age. He was born

in Burlington, America. He started his career as a school

teacher. Afterwards he worked as professor for several years

in Minnesota University, Michigan University, Chicago

University and Columbia University of New York. He was the

author of many monumental works. A few of them are - My

Pedagogic Creed, Ethics, Democracy and Education, School

and Society, Philosophy of Education etc.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Dewey : Dewey

described education as an important need of life. According

to him, the aim of education should be to inculcate social

efficiency in a child. He opines that education should enable

the individual to live as per the ideals of society by removing

his/her deficiencies. It must habituate the child to those social

traits which are necessary for success in social life. So it is

Dewey

Downloaded from http://

www.wikipedia.com



clear that in Dewey's view, education should be such that it

assists both the individual and the society as a whole. He

emphasized democratic values in all dimensions of education.

Dewey's approach to methodology of teaching led to the

emergences of the Project method in education.

Dewey felt that the training of students for a complete

living in the society should be provided in the school. For

finding out the type of training to be imparted, he carried out

his experiments in the school which he established in 1896 in

the University of Chicago. It was known as laboratory school.

According to him, the school as the 'democratic society in

miniature' should provide opportunity for the participation of

the students in the activities of the school on the one hand

and, on the other hand, it should realize the significance of

the experiences, needs and interest of the child as an

individual. He fused both the psychological and sociological

aspects of education.

1.4.3 Friedrich Frobel (1782-1852)

Ø Life Sketch of Frobel : Friedrich Wilhelm August Frobel was a

German educationalist and is best known as the originator of

the 'kindergarten system'. He laid the foundation for modern

education based on the concept that children have unique

needs and capabilities.

Frobel was born on April 21, 1782 in Oberweiback, a village

in South Germany. He was much influenced by the educational

philosophy of Rousseau and realized the importance of the

pre-school period for laying the foundation for not only a sound

education for the individual, but also for the health of society

at large. In 1826, he published his famous book The Education

of Man. This book brought great name and fame to him.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Frobel : The concept

of 'unity' was the driving force of Frobel's philosophy and

Frobel

Downloaded from

http://www.wikipedia.com



educational practice. According to him, the aim of education is

to enable the child to realize the unity in diversity. He opined

that the purpose of education is to awaken the spiritual nature

of the child and to enable him/her to identify himself/herself

with the divine power of nature.

Frobel put his educational ideas into practice through his

school which he referred to as Kindergarten, which implies a

children's garden. According to Frobel, the school is like a

garden, the teacher is the gardener and the students are the

tender plants.

The environment of kindergarten is to be that of freedom,

play and joy - an environment which fosters self expression.

Education is to be given to the children through three ways -

songs, movements and construction. For example, when a

story is told or read, it is expressed in a song, dramatized in

movements and gestures and illustrated by construction of

blocks, paper, clay or drawing.

Frobel's belief in the unity of mankind and nature and of

the inanimate world and living things, led to his conviction of

the crucial importance of a harmonious relationship among

home, school and society.

1.4.4 Maria Montessori (1870- 1952)

Ø Life Sketch of Montessori : Maria Montessori was an Italian

physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and a famous

educationist. Her educational method is in use today in public

and private schools throughout the world.

Montessori was born on August 31, 1870 in a prosperous

family in Chiaravalle, Italy. She became Italy's first female

doctor when she graduated in 1896 from the University of Rome.

She started her career as an assistant doctor in the medicine

department of the same university. In the department she was

assigned to look after the handicapped and mentally retarded

Montessori


/www.michaelolaf.net



children. She had closer information about the problems faced

by these children and she experienced that a specific type of

education was needed for solving the problem of these children.

She attracted the attention of the parents and countrymen for

solving the problems and development of such children. In

1899, she was made the Director of the school for the

handicapped. Montessori wrote over a dozen books. The most

well known are the Montessori Method and The Absorbent

Mind.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Montessori :

According to Maria Montessori, the aim of education should

be the development of a child's physical, intellectual, emotional

and social capabilities by which he/she can fulfill his/her needs

so that the child can live a fulfilled life and become a useful

component of the society. Montessori was profoundly

influenced by Fredrich Froebel, the inventor of kindergarten,

and by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who believed that children

learned through activity. She also drew inspiration from

Rousseau. She enhanced their approaches by adding her

own deeply felt belief that we must follow the child. According

to her, the teacher should not teach the children, but rather

should create a nurturing environment in which the children

can teach themselves through creative activities and

explorations.

Dr. Montessori observed that placing children in a

stimulating and homely environment encourages learning. She

referred to her school as Children's House. Montessori opened

her first Children's House in 1907. Montessori education

spread to the United States in 1911 and became widely known

in education and popular publications. According to Dr.

Montessori, the schools should be based on the following

characteristics:

Homely environment and rooms with well equipped



furniture

m Complete freedom to the children

m No harsh time table

m Individual attention to each child

m Special emphasis to the sensory training

m Play-way method for imparting education

m No use of punishment

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 4: According to Rousseau who is the focal point

of education?

Q 5: Fill in the blanks:

i. According to Dewey, the aim of education should be to

inculcate ......................... in a child.

ii. Dewey fused both the psychological and .........................

aspects of education.

iii. According to Frobel, the aim of education is to enable the

child to realize ............................

Q 6: Write the characteristics of schools as prescribed by Dr.

Montessori.

..............................................................................................

..............................................................................................

ACTIVITY 1.1

l Make a comparison of the educational

philosophies of Rousseau and Dewey.

l Find out the similarities in the view points of Froebel and

Montessori on education and schooling.

1.5

We have already understood the philosophy of education as

visualized by some eminent western thinkers. Now we will discuss the



procedure of education as visualized by some renowned Indian thinkers

belonging to the pre-independence period.

1.5.1 Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Ø Life Sketch of Mahatma Gandhi : Mohandas Karamchand

Gandhi was the most respected spiritual and political leader

and also a great educational thinker of India. The Indian people

called Gandhiji ‘Mahatma', meaning Great Soul. Gandhiji wrote

extensively on education and some of his important

publications are - My Experiment with Truth, Basic Education,

Towards New Education, True Education etc.

Gandhiji was born on October 2, 1869 at Porbandar in

Gujrat. His father was a chief revenue officer of a small state.

His mother was very pious and Gandhiji was greatly influenced

by her. Gandhiji went to London for studies and completed

his Law degree. After returning from England, he started his

legal practice in Bombay. In 1893, April he went to South Africa

in connection with a civil law case of a firm. Gandhiji took up

the cases which were not entirely political but touched

intimately the life of the people. While living in South Africa

he came to know that the Indian people were suffering a lot

there. They had no political rights. The sufferings he witnessed

there became the turning point of his life. He gave up his

legal practice and completely devoted himself to the service

of the people. He put into practice Satyagraha. He spent 21

years in Africa working to secure rights for the Indian people.

In 1915 Gandhi returned to India. Within 15 years he

became the leader of the Indian Nationalist Movement. Using

the principles of Satyagraha he led the campaign for Indian

independence from Britain and helped free the Indian people

from British rule through nonviolent resistance. He is honored

by Indians as the Father of the Indian Nation.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Mahatma Gandhi :

Satyagraha

Satyagraha was Gandhiji’s

philosophy of applying

pressure for political and

social reform through non-

violent protest and passive

resistance. The philosophy

was developed during

Ghandiji’s time in South

Africa. Satyagraha literally

means ‘truth through

persistance’.

Gandhi

Downloaded from

http://www.topnews.in



In the words of Mahatama Gandhi, "By education I mean an all

around drawing out of the best in child and man - body, mind

and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education not even the

beginning. It is one of the means whereby man and woman

can be educated. Literacy in itself is no education" - Harijan,

July 31st, 1937.

Thus it can be seen that Gandhiji distinguished between

literacy and education. According to him, literacy is a must for

receiving any type of education and it will lead to all round

development of child's personality.

He divided the aim of education in two main types, such

as - Immediate Aims and Ultimate Aim. Immediate aims are

the ones which are covered within our day to day life, such

as, bread and butter or vocational aim, character development,

harmonious development, training for Leadership, dignity of

labour, etc. These aims are to be achieved through education.

On the other hand, the Ultimate aim of education is to realize

the God or Truth.

In order to fulfill the aims of education, he emphasized on

the activity centred curriculum instead of a bookish curriculum.

According to him, education should be imparted through local

crafts and the teaching of all subjects should be related to

craft. Besides craft, he also suggested other methods of

teaching such as learning by doing, experience method, co-

relation method, discussion method etc. He said that the

mother tongue of the students should be the medium of

instruction so that one can easily understand the task.

Gandhiji contributed immensely to Indian education by

introducing the Basic Education system. Basic means the

bottom or the foundation of a thing upon which the whole edifice

rests or is made. Gandhiji explained the concept of Basic

Education through a series of articles in his 'Harijan' magazine

in 1937 as 'Nai Talim' or 'New Education'. In the conference at



Wardha after a detailed discussion about Gandhiji's articles

the scheme of Basic Education took shape under the leadership

of Dr. Zakir Hussain. The following four resolutions were

passed in the Wardha Conference.

m Free and compulsory education should be given to all

children for a period of seven years.

m The medium of instruction should be the mother tongue,

m The process of education should be centred round some

form of manual production work in the shape of a craft.

m This education should be self-supporting to some extent.

1.5.2 Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Ø Life Sketch of Tagore : Rabindranath Tagore was the greatest

prophet of educational renaissance in modern India. He was

born on 7th May, 1861 in Kolkata. His father was a famous

social reformer and scholar.

Rabindranath was unable to adjust himself to the 'dead

routine and the teaching' of the educational institutions.

Therefore, he gradually withdrew from formal schooling when

he was around 14 years old. The remainder of his education

was carried out at home through his own personal efforts and

with the help of tutors in various subjects. He went to England

in 1877 for higher education but returned back in 1880 without

completing his studies. He became the first Indian to receive

the 'Nobel Prize' for his famous book 'Gitanjali'. The British

Government bestowed on him with knighthood. University of

Calcutta awarded him the degree of D. Lit. He was addressed

as 'Gurudev' by Mahatma Gandhi and we know him as

'Kabiguru Rabindranath'.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Tagore : 'Harmony

with all things' is the basic principle of Tagore's educational

philosophy. He interprets this harmony in three contexts- with

nature, with human surroundings and with international

Tagore

Downloaded from

http://en.wikipedia.com

Edifice

A large impressive

building



relations.Tagore opined that the child's life should be

surrounded with things of nature and he must be kept away

from the sophistication of the so-called modern civilization.

He said that a child should be given such opportunities

by education so that he can develop his creative instincts.

According to him, education not only gives freedom from the

cycle of birth and death but also from social, economic, political

and mental slavery. Therefore, man should gather all types

of knowledge with the help of education which his ancestors

have compiled. Tagore referred to it as 'True Education'.

According to him, the aim of education should be based

on - Physical development, Mental development, Moral and

spiritual development, Social development, Development of

Internationalism, Development of ability to adjust etc. Tagore

said that efforts should be made to give bookish knowledge

as less importance as possible.

Rabindranath Tagore emphasized that the process of

education should be lively and the interest of the children

should be maintained. Children should be given more and

more opportunities to investigate the phenomenon by their

own activities and experiences and gain knowledge directly.

The Process of education should comprise activities, games,

creativity and pleasure. Tagore said that instead of imposing

bookish knowledge, the teacher should try to create a

conducive environment in which the children can learn

themselves and should treat his/her students with great love,

affection and sympathy.

According to Rabindranath Tagore, schools should be

similar to the ashrams prevalent in ancient India. So, in order

to impart education in a free and natural environment, he set

up an ideal school called 'Shanti Niketan' at Bolpur District of

West Bengal in 1901. The school was later expanded into a

university in 1921 in the name of 'Visva Bharati' University.

Tagore with Mahatma

Gandhi and Kasturba

Gandhi at Santiniketan in

1940 (downloaded from

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Santinikatan)



1.5.3 Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)

Ø Life Sketch of Swami Vivekananda : Swami Vivekananda was

a spiritual genius of commanding intellect and power. He is

considered as a key figure in the introduction of Indian

philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western World,

mainly America and Europe. He is credited with raising

interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a

major world religion during the end of 19th Century. He

participated at the World's Parliament of Religions held in

Chicago in the year 1893 and the inspiring speech he delivered

there made him famous as an 'Orator by Divine Right' and as

a 'Messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world'.

Vivekananda was born in Calcutta on 12 January, 1863.

His real name was Narendranath Dutta. He inherited religious

temperament from his parents. He was deeply interested in

the study of philosophy and religion. His search for truth led

him to the famous saint of 19th Century, Shri Ramakrishna

Paramhansa. Narendranath remained in association with his

master for six years. During this period, Narendranath had a

spiritual transformation and emerged as Swami Vivekananda.

After Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa passed away, Swami

Vivekananda established Ram Krishna Mission to continue

the unfinished religious assignment of his master further.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Swami Vivekananda

: According to swami Vivekananda, education is not the

imparting of knowledge or information into the minds of children

by force. He opines that if education means information only,

then libraries could be the greatest saints of the world and

encyclopedia had become seers and rishis. According to him,

the aim of education should be to make a person perfect by

diagnosing the perfection already present in him/her. It is that

process which prepares a man for struggle of existence by

Swami Vivekananda


en.wikipedia.org



making him/her self-reliant and by developing his/her character

and intelligence. He also said that fear is the main cause behind

all social and individual problems. Education should remove

this fear and make the citizens bold and brave to face the

challenges of life.

Swami Vivekananda prescribed the same ancient methods

of instruction which were prevalent in ancient Gurukulas.

According to him, those subjects should be included in the

school curriculum which can bring about material progress

along with spiritual development. He suggested practices of

Yoga and deep meditation to be followed in the schools for

controlling the mind and emotions of children. He emphasized

child-centered education in which the child is given full freedom

for activities and learning. The task of the teacher is only to

guide and inspire the child so that his/her inner knowledge is

brought out.

1.5.4 Gijubhai Badheka (1885-1939)

Ø Life Sketch of Gijubhai : Gijubhai Badheka was a famous

patriot, devoted teacher and an inspiring pillar of education.

He was born on 15 November, 1885 in Gujrat. His parents

were religious by nature. So, it was natural for him to inculcate

religious tendency. Gijubhai was much influenced by the ideas

of famous educationist Maria Montessori. He studied

Montessori educational system deeply and transformed it as

per the Indian circumstances.

Ø Education and Schooling as visualized by Gijubhai : Gijubhai

Badheka is an educational thinker of high quality. He has given

a very important place to child in his educational thought.

Gijubhai advocated child centred education. Perhaps he was

the first great educator in India who focused his attention at

the pre-primary stage of education in India.

His principles of child-centred education was based on

Gijubahi Badheka


www.kaavyasoor.word

press.com



such concepts as freedom for the child, respect for the child,

spiritual development for the child, creativity of the child and

development of good qualities of citizenship. He emphasized

on the method of self learning through self dependence, self

discipline, self expression, sense training and nature study.

Education prepares the mind of our young men and women,

so that they can accept the good and life giving elements of

our culture. According to him, the curriculum of education

should be purposeful. The curriculum or content should as

such that it can meet the aims of teaching that subject.

Gijubhai dreamt of a school for children that do not instill

fear in their mind and a place where they would go happily

and willingly. His dream was turned into a reality in his 'Bal

Mandir' - a school which he set up for children between two

and half years to six years of age in 1920 at Bhavnagar,

Gujarat. There he devoted himself to child education fully. In

this Bal Mandir, Gijubhai conducted a new experiment. He

provided free opportunities to children for playing, singing,

poetry reciting, story telling, gardening, nature study and used

the play-way method. It gave maximum freedom to the children

to develop their potential. As a result of this, Bal Mandir

became a centre of attraction for children and Gijubhai became

a great source of inspiration for those engaged in nursery

education.

1.5.5 Sri Aurobindo Ghose (1872-1950)

Ø Life Sketch of Sri Aurobindo : Sri Aurobindo was a great yogi,

poet and unmatched worshiper of the Indian culture. He was

born in an educated middle class family of Kolkata on August

15, 1872. He went to England when he was 7 years and lived

there for 14 years. He was educated at Cambridge and

mastered in English, Latin and Greek. He also learnt French,

German, Italian and Spanish language. He returned to India



in the year 1893. He served as a teacher in the Baroda College

and later in Baroda University. Finally, he was appointed the

Principal of Baroda College.

Ø Education and schooling as visualized by Sri Aurobindo :

According to Sri Aurobindo, education should be according

to the mental and spiritual needs of the children and the

demands of the country. He said that education should enable

an individual to realize his/her inner self which is apart of the

universal consciousness. The individual has to enter into right

relationships not only within him/herself but also with the

people of his/her country and with the universal society to

which he/she belongs. Thus, education should be in

accordance with the changing needs of our real modern life

so that the children may face the challenges of life with ease.

Education, according to him, is based on some principles,

which are: Principle of conscience, Training of senses, Training

of mental faculties, Principle of physical and muscular

purification, Principle of inherent knowledge, Principle of

interest, Principle of mother tongue, Principle of discipline,

Principle of yoga and Principle of knowledge.

According to Sri Aurobindo, a child should live a well

organized life at school, but he/she should not be subjected

to any type of binding or obstacle. The mind, speech, and

deed of all individuals in a school should be able to get the

knowledge of all religions and cultures; there should not be

any discrimination on the grounds of colour, creed, caste,

country, religion etc. The school should be such an institution

which treats and develops an individual with love. Aurobindo

said that the school environment should lead the teacher, the

learner and other individuals towards spiritual perfection and

this can be possible when true and real education is imparted

at school using suitable methods and means. According to

him, the teacher should act only as a helper and guide in the

Sri Aurobindo

Downloaded from

http://en.wikipedia.org



class. His/her duty is to show the students the way of acquiring

knowledge.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 7: State whether the following statements are

true or not.

i. According to Mahatma Gandhi, there is a

difference between literacy and education. (True/False)

ii. Gandhiji said that the education should be imparted through

the medium of English language. (True/False)

iii. According to Swami Vivekanada, children should study hard

so as to pass the examination with flying coulors. (True/False)

iv. Swami Vivekananda suggested the practice of Yoga and

deep meditation to be followed in schools. (True/False)

v. Gijubhai Badheka may be referred to as a father of pre-

primary education in India. (True/False)

Q 8: What are the two main aims of education according to Gandhiji?

...................................................................................................

...................................................................................................

Q 9: 'Harmony with all things' is the basic principle of Tagore's

educational philosophy'. He interprets this harmony in the three

contexts. What are they?

...................................................................................................

...................................................................................................

ACTIVITY 1.2

Analyze the educational philosophies of all the above

mentioned Indian Philosophers and write down whose

view you prefer most and why?



1.6

We have gone through the philosophy of education and schooling

as visualized by some eminent Western and also Indian thinkers of pre-

independence India. Now let us discuss in brief some of the prominent

Indian educationists who have immensely contributed towards the

development of education in various spheres through their valuable

recommendations in the post-independence period. We shall, however,

limit our discussion to their brief life sketch and their views on education

only.

1.6.1 Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975)

Ø Life Sketch of Dr. Radhakrishnan : A famous teacher, who

later became the first Vice President and the second President

of India, is Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was a great

educationist too with unsurpassable proficiency in English,

French, Sanskrit, Tamil, Bengali, Hindustani and Telugu. He

wrote more than 150 books including 'Indian Philosophy' and

'The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy'.

Radhakrishnan was born in Tiruttani, Madras into a poor

Brahmin family on September 5, 1888. The financial condition

of the family was not stable and so Radhakrishnan went

through most of his education on scholarships. He had served

as Professor of Philosophy in Madras, Mysore, Calcutta

Universities and as Vice chancellor of Andhra University (1931-

1936) and Banaras Hindu University (1939-1948).

Radhakrishnan also had the rare honour of teaching at Oxford

and occupying the Spalding Chair on Eastern religions and

philosophy. In 1948, Dr. Radhakrishnan became the Chairman

of the University Education Commission, which is popularly

known as Radhakrishnan Commission. He received

'Knighthood' award in 1931 and 'Bharat Ratna' award in 1954

Dr. Radhakrishnan


www.iloveindia.com



and was conferred with several honorary degrees and titles.

His mastery on his subject and his clarity of thought and

expression made him a much sought after teacher. Whatever

position he held, whether as President or Vice President or

even as Ambassador, Dr. Radhakrishnan essentially remained

a teacher all his life. As a tribute to this great teacher, his birthday

is observed as Teachers’ Day across India.

Ø Dr. Radhakrishnan's Views on Education : According to Dr.

Radhakrishnan, the aim of education is not the acquisition of

information or acquisition of technical skills, though essential

in modern society, but the development of that bent of mind,

that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make

us responsible citizens. He was of the opinion that only the

right kind of education could solve many ills of the society and

the country. He wanted to bring in a change in the educational

system by improving the quality of education and building up a

strong relationship between the teacher and the taught. In his

opinion, teachers should be the best minds of the country; they

should not merely instruct but should also gain the true

affection of their pupils, and the respect for teachers cannot



be ordered but it should be earned.

1.6.2 Dr. Daulat Singh Kothari (1905-1993)

Ø Life Sketch of Dr. Kotahri : Daulat Singh Kothari, popularly

known as D. S. Kothari, was a person with multifaceted

personality - an outstanding teacher, a great educationist, a

renowned physicist and a highly successful leader. His

contribution to the entire spectrum of Indian education from

elementary school to the university level is well-known.

D.S. Kothari was born on July 6, 1906 at Udaipur. He

started his career as a demonstrator in the Department of

Physics at Allahabad University. Afterwards he became a

Professor at Delhi University. He was appointed the Chairman

of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1961. Kothari

was also the Chairman of The Indian Education Commission

(1964-66), which is most popularly known as Kothari Education

Commission. He was Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru

University for two terms (1982-92). Kothari's deep concern

for education led to his association with the National Council

of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) since its

inception. He not only conceptualized the role and functions

of NCERT but also gave a blueprint for its future development

in the Report of the Education Commission (1964-66).

Kothari had immense faith in the youth of the country and

he did everything whatever he could do to encourage the

young scientists. He was keen on identifying the talented

students and nurturing them. The National Science Talent

Search Programme and the subsequent National Talent Search

Programme started by the National Council for Educational

Research and Training (NCERT) owe their origin to Kothari's

vision.

The Government of India honoured him with Padma

Bhushan (1962) and Padma Vibhushan (1973). In the honour

Dr. D.S. Kothari


en.wikipedia.org



of Dr. Kothari, Delhi University has established the D. S. Kothari

Centre for Science, Ethics and Education.

Ø Dr. Kothari's Views on Education : According to Dr. D.S.

Kothari, the true aim of all education is to understand the

wonderful world around us, to develop self-discipline and

contribute to the happiness to our home and the community.

This makes education enjoyable and most exciting and an

inspiring adventure.

Kothari's vision of education is clearly reflected in the

report entitled "Education and National Development"

prepared by the Kothari Education Commission. The Report

was hailed as a landmark in educational sectors in India and

other developing countries. To quote from the report, "The

destiny of India is now being shaped in her classrooms."

Kothari firmly believed that the future of the country

essentially depends on education. According to him, the role

of education is to improve the material standard of the people

and to enrich the quality of life. Besides knowledge and skills,

education should be also concerned with the 'inner content'

of lives, with ideas, idealism and strengthening of the spirit.

He emphasized the need for improving the conditions for

primary education in the country. He believed that without

promoting excellence in educational institutions nothing could

be achieved. According to him, excellence is to be understood

as extending over a wide range of interests and activities,

that is, studies, research, teaching, technical skills, promotion

of social and moral values, sports, etc. The meaning of

excellence, and how to identify it, needs to be examined

continually.

Dr. Kothari, in his address delivered on the occasion of

the Golden Jubilee Function of the Faculty of Education, Jamia

Millia Islamia, New Delhi on October 29, 1988 said that the



duty of the teacher is not limited to imparting knowledge content

of books, which is largely informative in nature and which readily

gets out of date for the students. But more than that, the teacher

should inspire them, by his/her own example, towards the

process of character building and the use of knowledge for the

welfare of the community.

1.6.3 Prof. Yash Pal (1926)

Ø Life Sketch of Prof. Yash Pal : Yash Pal is a renowned Indian

scientist and educator. He is a well known face for his regular

appearances on the science programmesTurning Point and

Bharat ki Chaap telecast on Doordorshan.

Yash Pal was born on 26 November, 1926 in Haryana.

He has held many positions within the educational

establishment of the Indian government. He has been

Chairman/Member of various National and International

Committees, Boards and Organizations, and on the editorial

boards of scientific journals. Along with Padma Bhusan (1976),

he has received several other awards for his contribution to

science, space technology and field of education. Between

1986-1991, he was the Chairman of University Grant

Commission. He also served as a Chancellor of Jawaharlal

Nehru University, New Delhi.

Ø Prof. Yash Pal's Views on Education : Prof. Yash Pal has

always had keen interest in education and the newer forms

of learning. He stresses the human contact and social

interaction during education rather than a bookish education.

According to him, apart from the formal education imparted in

the schools and universities in India, we also have countless

informal institutions of education such as those of the craft-

persons, musicians, skilled labourers and many others. Their

skills also involve some amount of knowledge about those

sciences which, for instance, an engineer, a doctor, or an

Prof. Yash Pal


/www.digitallearning.in



architect is required to possess.

Prof. Yash Pal has also stressed on making education less

stressful for the little children by taking away the burden from

their shoulders and giving them the real joy of learning and

understanding. He says that children are born curious and it is

very important to ensure that one doesn't destroy what is

already there in a child. He opines that there is need to form

the science curriculum in schools based on what children want

to know. He says that the schools should respect the children's

curiosity and the teachers must learn from the children during

the course of teaching them. He also mentions that science

can be learnt only from observations and experiments. The

objective of school programmes should be to help children

realize that there is science everywhere, be in the kitchen, the

open sky, in bicycles, bullock carts, flying birds, trees, wind.

The inherent purpose of this is to help create new ways of

thinking and nurturing young minds towards creativity and

experimentation

According to Prof. Yash Pal, teachers should not get turned

into courier service. A syllabus is framed by the educational

board and teachers teach the students its content, but it is not

sufficient. The teachers should act as friendly guides of the

students to lead them to the realm of knowledge. Dr. Kothari

also suggests that the teachers must employ interesting and

new methods of teaching to capture the attention of students.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 10: Fill in the gaps:

i. In 1948, Dr. Radhakrishnan became the

Chairman of the University Education

Commission, which is popularly known as

.........................

ii. According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the respect for teachers



cannot be ordered but it should be ...........................

iii. Kothari was also the Chairman of ............................, 1964

which is most popularly known as Kothari Education

Commission.

iv. Prof. Yash Pal, at present is holding the position of

.............................

Q 11: State whether the following statements are true or false:

i. According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the aim of education is

the acquisition of information and technical skills since these

are very essential in modern society. (True/False)

ii. Dr. Kothari opined that the teachers should inspire their

students with their own examples. (True/False)

iii. Prof. Yash Pal believes that children should be provided

with the opportunity of joyful learning without burdening their

little shoulders. (True/False)

ACTIVITY 1.3

Write down the qualities and duties of a good teacher

in your own language based on the view points of Dr.

Radhakrishnan, Kothari and Yash Pal.

1.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have discussed the following main points:

l In the beginning of our unit, we have focused our discussion on the

concept of education and schooling. We have seen that education is

a continuous life-long process which encompasses the entire life of

an individual and society. On the other hand, schooling is the narrower

meaning of education which is imparted within the four walls of the

classroom.

l Next, we have discussed the philosophy of education and schooling

as visualized by the renowned Western philosophers Rousseau,



Dewey and Montessori.

l In Pre independent India education received the due attention from

a number Indian thinker that includes Mahatma Gandhi, Kabiguru

Rabindranath, Swami Vivekananda, Gijubhai Badheka and Sri

Aurobindo.

l In the post independent period some eminent Indian Educationists

like Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Kothari and Prof. Yash Pal have given

their views on education. Their thoughts and ideas as well as the

recommendations have been briefly mentioned.

1.8 FURTHER READINGS

1) Agarwal, J.C. (2008). Education in the Emerging Indian Society. Delhi:

Shipra Publications.

2) Bhatia & Bhatia (2008). Philosophical and Sociological Foundations

of Education. New Delhi: ABH Publications.

3) Dash, B.N. (2006).Teacher and Education in the Emerging Indian

Society (Vol -II). Hyderabad: Neelkamal Publication Pvt. Ltd.

4) Deka, B. & Bhattacharya, S. (2004). A Text Book of Education. Gauhati:

Assam Book Depot.

5) Gupta, S. (2011). Education in Emerging India Society. Delhi: Shipra

Publications.

6) Pachuri, G. (2010).Great Educationist. Meerut: R. Lall Book Depot.

7) Pandey, R.S.(2007). Principles of Education. Agra: Ram Prasad &

Sons.

1.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR

PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: Educare -------------- To bring up

Educere------------ To draw out



Educatum------------- To train

Ans to Q No 2: (a) Continuous

(b) Greek

(c) Bi-polar

Ans to Q No 3: As a tri-polar process, education involves interaction among

the teacher, the taught and the curriculum or the subject-matter, which

reflects the social environment or the society.

Ans to Q No 4: The child is the focal point of education.

Ans to Q No 5: (i) Social efficiency (iii)Sociological (iii)The unity in diversity

Ans to Q No 6: Homely environment and rooms well equipped with furniture;

Complete freedom to the children; No harsh time table; Individual

attention to each child and special emphasis to the training of senses

Ans to Q No 7: (i) True (ii) False (iii) False (iv) True (v) True

Ans to Q No 8: Immediate aim and the Ultimate Aim

Ans to Q No 9: With nature, with human surroundings and with international

relations.

Ans to Q No 10: (i) Radhakrishnan Commission (ii) Earned (iii) the Indian

Education Commission (iv) Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University,

New Delhi.

Ans to Q No 11: (i) False (ii) True (iii) True

1.10 MODEL QUESTIONS

A) Very Short Questions

Q 1: Write the Indian synonyms of the word 'Education'.

Q 2: What is the narrow meaning of education?

Q 3: Mention the kind of schooling system that was prevalent in India during

the Vedic Period.

Q 4: Whom did Rousseau regard as the best teacher?

Q 5: Who was the main propagator of 'Project method of teaching' ?

Q 6: Montessori's schools are better known by which name?



Q 7: According to Gandhiji, what is the Ultimate aim of Education?

Q 8: What is the basic principle of Tagor's educational philosophy?

Q 9: What is the name of the school established by Gijubhai?

Q 10: What is the true aim of education according to Dr. Kothari?

B) Short Questions (Answer in about 150 words)

Q 1: What does the narrower concept of education basically implies? Write

down the relation between education and schooling.

Q 2: Briefly discuss the concept of school by Frobel.

Q 3: Explain the aims of education according to Mahatma Gandhi.

Q 4: Give a brief life sketch of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Q 5: Write down the role of teacher as explained by Prof. Yash Pal.

C) Long Questions (Answer in about 300-500 words)

Q 1: Write briefly about any one of the following Western thinkers and

his/her ideas on education and schooling -

i. Rousseau

ii. Dewey

iii. Frobel

iv. Montessori

Q 2: Write briefly about any one of the following Indian thinkers and his

ideas on education and schooling -

i. Mahatma Gandhi

ii. Rabindranath Tagore

iii. Gijubhai Badheka

iv. Sri Aurobindo

Q 3: Write in brief about any one of the following educationists of India and

his view on education -

i. Dr. Radhakrishnan

ii. Dr. D. S. Kothari

iii. Prof. Yash Pal

*** ***** ***


Aims of EducationUnit 2

UNIT 2: AIMS OF EDUCATION

UNIT STRUCTURE


2.2 Introduction

2.3 Concept of Aim of Education

2.4 Nature of the Aims of Education

2.5 Historical Evolution of Aims of Education

2. 6 Sources of Aims of Education: Educational Aims as Derived

from the Constitution of India

2.7 National Policy on Education- 1986 and Aims of Education

2.8 National Curriculum Framework - 2005 and Aims of Education

2.9 Changing Aims of Education in the Context of Globalisation

2.10 Let us Sum up

2.11 Further Reading




After going through this chapter learners will be able to -

l explain the concept of aims of education

l describe the nature of educational aims

l describe the historical evolution of aims of education

l identify different aims of education as derived from the Constitution

of India

l explain the aim of education highlighted by NPC

l describe the aim of education mentioned in National Curriculum

Framework – 2005

l explain the changing Aims of Education in the context of globalisation.

2.2 INTRODUCTION

In the previous chapters we have already dealt with the question –


Aims of Education Unit 2

“what is education?”. In this chapter we will discuss another question –

“what does education should do?” This question is related to the aims of

education. Every activity is followed by some purpose or the other. Education

is a purposeful activity with some definite ends in view. These ends as

purposeful activity make education meaningful and are the aims of education.

Aim is a pre-determined goal. It stimulates human activities to achieve it

and provide direction to activities. It helps the process to be realised. An aim

is essential to guide and make all the activities of an individual successful in

all spheres of life. The importance of aims and objectives of education is

recognised by all. It is said that education without aim is like a boat without

its rudder. Any education without an aim is useless. Hence, both the teacher

and student must know the aims of education to be achieved by them. Thus,

in this chapter you will be introduced with some aims of education with

reference to some specific context.

2.3 CONCEPT OF AIM OF EDUCATION

In the primitive days the process of education was absolutely informal.

Basically, it was meant for acquiring different skills for self-preservation.

But modern education is conscious and deliberate. Thus, it is obvious that

as a conscious attempt, education cannot be conceived of as without any

purpose. Education is a purposeful activity. By education we intend to bring

certain desirable changes in the students. As conscious effort it has definite

aims and objectives. Education is an organized and deliberate endeavour

to modify the behaviour of an individual with a specific end in view .The aims

of education are meant to provide general direction to the educational

process. They are formulated by keeping in view the needs of situation.

Human nature is has multiple dimensions with multiple needs, which are

related to life. Educational aims are correlated to ideals of life. The aims of

education have changed from age to age and place to place. Thus, aims of

education are dynamic.

Educational aims enable us to determine curriculum, relevant

teaching strategies, tactics, techniques together with structuring of conducive

learning conditions and experiences. Aims provide direction to our educational



efforts. The ‘ends’ of education are determined on the basis of ‘aims of

education’. It is only after fixing the aims of education we can devise

curriculum, methods and devices and harness them for attainment of desired

goals.

2.4 NATURE OF THE AIMS OF EDUCATION

In order to know the aims of education, we must know the nature of

aims. Aims of education are not fixed and universal. These are changeable

and relative in nature. We can point out some specific nature of educational

aims as follows-

l As education is not a single aimed activity, plurality is an important

feature of educational aims. Different aims represent different ways

of looking into the same thing.

l Educational aims differ in nature and orientation. Some are permanent,

definite and unchangeable whereas others are flexible, adjustable and

changeable.

l Educational aims are related to the multiple needs of the individual, as

well as, of the society.

l Educational aims are correlated with the ideals of life. Thus, educational

aims change in keeping with the different schools of philosophy,

religious, political and economic ideals held by an individual or by a

country. Therefore, the formulation of aims of education is formulation

of aims of ‘life’, itself.

l In reality, education is a reflection of the society and a process of social

control. So educational aims are the means to shape and form a

society.

l Educational aims change from age to age and place to place .Thus,

these aims are not fixed.

l Lastly, different types of education have separate aims of education.

Thus, educational aims are changing according to the specific needs

and ideals of the individual as well as the society. Quest of educational aims

has been made since time immemorial. This quest gains momentum with

the birth of great thinkers and philosophers and with their educational



experiments. Social and economic issues also serve as determinants of

educational aims and objectives. Education must prepare the future

generation for the economic and social system of the country. In determining

its educational objectives, every country has to take into consideration its

economic conditions. Thus we find variability is the nature of educational

aims. The Secondary Education Commission (1952) puts it: “As the political,

social and economic conditions change and new problems arise, it becomes

necessary to re-examine carefully and re-state clearly the objectives which

education at definite stage should keep in view.”

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: What does it mean by aims of education?

...................................................................

...................................................................

Q 2: Mention two points highlighting nature of educational aims.

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

2.5 HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF AIMS OF

EDUCATION

It has already been mentioned that educational aims are determined

by the conception of life.Every stage of human development had some aim

of life. The aims of life determine aims of education. The aims of life are

dynamic. Therefore, aims of education have changed from age to age. In

earlier times educational aims were determined by the idealistic conceptions

of life. For example, the aim of education in ancient India was the ultimate

outcome of the Indian theory of knowledge and the corresponding scheme

of life and values. People in ancient India were greatly impressed and affected

by the inevitability of death as the central fact of life. At that time the prime

aim of life was to solve the problem of death by achieving knowledge of the

entire truth of life. Thus, in Ancient India the ideal of life was spiritualistic.

Therefore, the aim of education was self-realisation or the realisation of

Brahma or the Absolute reality of life or attainment of salvation. Similarly, in



ancient Sparta education was not individualistic but socialistic. Each man

was born not for himself, but for the state. The state itself was a school

where the entire educational endeavour was regulated by the state. The

immediate aim of this state-controlled system of education was to train the

youths for military services away from home. The chief purpose of education

was to produce courageous soldiers. There was no place for Individual liberty.

Education was primarily physical.

On the other hand, in Athens, the individual occupied the pivotal

position in the field of education. The aim of Athenian education was

harmonious development of personality physical, intellectual, moral and

aesthetic. It secured harmony between the ‘individual and the state, between

physical and mental development, between thought and action’. Its

immediate aim was to develop a beautiful mind in a beautiful body.

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Greek idealists, discarded extremely

individualistic aim of education. Socrates advocated that in education

emphasise should be laid on the acquisition of universal and eternal

knowledge or truth. Plato had emphasised harmonious development of all

the powers of the individual and equated personal realisation with social

solidarity. Aristotle gave importance to the ideal of harmony between the

individual and the society, between intellect and character, theory and

practice.

The outlook of ancient Romans was materialistic. Their highest aim

of life was the attainment of material success. They had no interest in the

acquisition of purely theoretical knowledge. The aim of Roman education

was, therefore, to produce a worthy citizen of the Roman state, able to

enjoy the rights and perform the duties of a citizen.

During the middle ages, education was wholly a priestly affair.

Mysticism, monasticism, chivalry and scholasticism dominated life in every

field. Education was absolutely formal in character and religious in outlook.

With the passage of time this liberal humanistic education degenerated into

an artificial and formal system.

Against this artificial education the Realistic movement started under

the leadership of Bacon and Comenius. According to them, ignorance was



the root of all evils. So they advocated the dissemination of universal and

integrated knowledge. The child’s individuality, his powers and interests were

given supreme importance.

Due to religious, social, psychological and pedagogical reasons, a

new theory of education, known as theory of mental or formal discipline

came into being. John Locke was the historical representative of this new

doctrine. According to him, the aim of education should be to produce a

sound mind in a sound body. The aim of education would be to discipline all

the faculties such as memory, imagination, perception, thinking etc.

J. J. Rousseau revolted against the existing artificial system of

education. With his initiative, a true individualistic ideal of education came

into existence in the 18th century. He not only championed the cause of the

common people but also the cause of the child in the field of education. The

child was regarded as an important and a central factor in the field of

education. Rousseau’s concept of negative education had emphasised

education according to nature. Thus, naturalism appeared in education.

According to Rousseau, the aim of education was meant to be spontaneous

and natural self-development of the child’s nature in close contact with Nature.

Kant was greatly influenced by the individualistic concept of education and

defined education as the process by which man becomes man through his

voluntary efforts.

Pestalozzi had introduced the psychological tendency in education

and with it the child-centric movement in education had received a new

momentum and fillip. According to him, education was the process of the

spontaneous unfolding of latent powers of the individual towards perfection.

Herbart had shouldered this task and had developed a systematic

psychology with regard to the methods of teaching. Froebel, the German

idealist, regarded education as the spontaneous development of a joyful,

creative self-activity.

The twentieth century saw the emergence of the concept of

Pragmatism. Charles Pierce was the first man to introduce the concept of

pragmatism in his philosophy. Later on, it was popularised by John Dewey,

William James, Kilpatrick and Schiller. They believed that the external world



is real and the reality is being constantly created and is always changing.

The credit of introducing pragmatic ideology goes to two social thinkers

namely William James and John Dewey. According to John Dewey, the real

value of a thing lies in its utility for human welfare. Education will also be

useful and purposeful if it contributes to human welfare and progress.

From the above survey of the educational ideals, it is evident that the aims

and functions of education have been variously defined across the ages by

different educators. Hence, we may conclude by saying that aims of education

are not fixed and static but are rather subject to constant change and are

dynamic in nature. Educational aims are concerned with the educator and

society. Therefore, there are different aims of education. The reason for this

is that every person by nature is different from the other. Likes and dislikes

differ from person to person. Some may give importance to morality, others

to culture, and so on. So, there is a tendency for people to reflect their own

individuality in their aims. Similarly, changing social needs also demands

different aims of education at different times.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 3: What is the aim of education in ancient

Sparta?

..................................................................................................

Q 4: Who was the chief advocate of the doctrine of formal discipline?

..................................................................................................

Q 5: What type of aim of education was advocated by realism?

....................................................................................................

2.6 SOURCES OF AIMS OF EDUCATION:

EDUCATIONAL AIMS AS DERIVED FROM THE

CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

The educational system India established by the British was colonial

in character. It was designed to prepare Indians only for taking certain

subordinate positions in government offices. The main educational objective



of colonial education can better be understood from the declaration of Lord

Bentinck in his educational policy (1835): “We want a class of persons Indian

in blood and colour but English in tastes in opinion, in morals and intellect.”

The Wood’s Despatch declared almost the same policy. The aim of British

education was to inculcate European knowledge in the minds of the Indians.

But after independence the Indian leaders had realised the inherent defects

in the system of education introduced by the British.

After the achievement of independence, a new phase had begun in

the history of education. A democratic constitution was adopted in India.

The process of building a new India on values envisioned during the freedom

struggle became the guiding vision towards drafting the Constitution of India.

While drafting the Constitution, both the nation’s ideals, and the institutions

and processes for achieving them were established in the Constitution. Also,

the aims and objectives of the Indian Constitution were reflected in its

preamble. The preamble promises to secure for all citizens of India; justice

- social, economic, and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith

and worship; equality of status and opportunity; and to promote among them

fraternity assuring the dignity of Individual and the unity of the Nation. All the

social or national objectives are to be achieved through education.

Our country’s Constitution provides the guiding principles and social

values within which we locate our educational aims. The first is a commitment

to democracy and the values of equality, justice, freedom, concern for others’

well-being, secularism, respect for human rights and dignity. Education

should aim to build a commitment to these values, which are based on

reason and understanding.



India will have the right to maintain his own specific language,

script and his culture. No person can be refused right of

admission to any educational institution, established by the state,

by reason of religion, race, caste, language or any other similar

consideration.

l According to article 30, every minority community will have the

right to establish and maintain educational institutions of its own

choice, irrespective of whether the minority is a linguistic or

religious one. The state will also not refuse aid to any saucy

institution created by a religious or linguistic minority.

l Articles 45 and 46 determine the policy for education as part

and parcel of the directive principles.

l According to article 45, the state will make every effort to provide

free and compulsory education, within ten years, to every child

below the age of 14.

l According to article 46, the state will pay special attention to the

educational and economic interests of all backward classes,

especially the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. It also

entrusts the state with the duty of protecting such tribes from

social injustice and exploitation of every kind.

The modern Indian state is a welfare state whose objective is the

complete development of its people. This welfare can be achieved only

through education. Education being the most effective means to bring about

a social, political and economic change, should take the responsibility of

meeting the needs of the nation. Thus, the nation that had decided to adopt

a secular democratic setup was in need of an educational system that would

contribute to the fostering of right sort of citizenship with a broad and secular

outlook. The nation required an educational system that would develop human

resources with improved productive efficiency and would be fit for increasing

national wealth. In a democratic country like India the first and the foremost

goal of education should be development of democratic values. Keeping in

mind the different characteristics of Indian democracy and considering the



constitutional commitments of our country the following aims are emphasized

for our education system.

1. Development of Democratic Citizenship and Values in the People:

The success of democracy depends largely upon people’s awareness

of their rights and duties and the extent to which they fulfill their

responsibilities. Education should assume the responsibility of

providing the kind of education that would enable the students to develop

qualities which are of great importance for them towards bear

responsibility of a democratic citizen. Education aims at developing

the ability to think and distinguish between right and wrong in people,

to understand social, economic and political issues, and to reflect on

the possibility of solving such problems. Thus education has a

challenging responsibility with regard to moulding and directing every

citizen towards democratic citizenship.

2. Training in Skilful Living: Democracy can be said to succeed only if

it translates the democratic ideals to its society. And, for this,

socialisation of the individual through education is essential. The

educational system should be designed to inculcate some democratic

values, such as scientific temperament of mind, a spirit of large-hearted

tolerance, of mutual ‘give and take’, respect for the culture of other

nations, etc. It is also desirable to develop such social qualities as

collective feeling, cooperation, discipline, sympathy, brotherhood, etc.,

in the individual. Education must also aim to create faith in social justice

and the willingness to rebel against injustice. Education helps people

in adjusting to each other, and the educated individual is generally

tolerant and liberal. Although an educated person may differ from other

people in their opinions, he or she has the ability to adjust to such

people because such a person can understand their attitudes. Hence,

education is the only means of removing the obstacles in the path of

democracy and also of achieving some adjustment between people

who differ from each other with regard to language, race, caste, religion,

gender, etc. No education is worthwhile, if an educated man does not

translate these values in his behaviour and no democracy in that case



can survive for long. Hence, education has to make deliberate and

planned effort on development of these values in the people. This will

enable our young citizens to adopt democracy not only as a form of

government but also as a way of life.

3. Development Vocational Skill: No nation can progress in the absence

of economic progress. The first duty of the state is to provide a system

and means of education which imparts some vocational and

professional skills to the learners so that they are able to earn their

livelihood at the same time as they contribute to the nation’s economic

growth. Education must aim at increasing the productive or vocational

efficiency of young students for increasing national wealth of the country.

Therefore, another aim of education should be the development of an

attitude towards appreciating the dignity of work and productive

efficiency of the individual.

4. Development of Social, Moral and Spiritual Values: The success

of democracy, its strength and stability are contingent upon people’s

developed sense of social responsibility and a keener appreciation of

moral and spiritual values hence, the aim of education should be the

strengthening and deepening of the sense of social responsibility and

a keener appreciation of moral and spiritual values. Education must

make efforts tpwards developing these values in people. In a

democratic country like India, it is necessary to inculcate social, moral

and spiritual values in the people. Knowledge in the absence of essential

values may be dangerous. The success of democracy, its strength

and stability are contingent upon people’s developed sense of social

responsibility and a keener appreciation of moral and spiritual values

hence, education must make efforts tpwards developing these values

among people.

5. Promoting National Consciousness: India is a land of different

castes, peoples, communities, languages, religions and cultures. The

achievement of social and national integration is an important aim of

our educational system. The main role of education should, therefore,

be to enable our students to discover ‘unity in diversity’ and in this way,



foster a sense of national solidarity and national consciousness among

them. It means harmonising religions, language, caste, and class and

community differences as they exist in India.

There is no contradiction between national consciousness and

development of international understanding. Education should promote

international outlook through the study of humanities and social

sciences while simultaneously developing national consciousness.

6. Development of Physical Resources: The modernisation of

agriculture and rapid industrialisation should also be an important aim

of education in a democracy like India. To achieve this purpose

education should be linked with productivity, science should be

considered a basic component of education, work- experience should

be considered important, vocational education should be expanded,

scientific and technical education should be improved.

7. Development of Human Resources: This aim implies changes in

the knowledge, skills, interests, and values of the people as a whole.

In a democracy the individual is an end in himself and the primary

purpose of education should be to provide him with the widest

opportunity of developing his potentialities to the fullest, through social

reorganisation and emphasis on social perspectives. Cultivation of

essential values in the people, development of dedicated and competent

leadership and educated electorate are essential towards strengthening

democracy. Education, therefore, must develop such human

resources required for the defense of Indian democracy. Democracy

can succeed only if most of its members have developed mature

personalities through physical, mental, social, ethical and spiritual

development.

These aims are social or national objectives which are to be

achieved through education. These are imperative towards

strengthening the society. These aims may be considered national

goals of education or educational aims of national development. Our

education should develop a strong tradition of striving towards the

generation of a sense of national unity and national consciousness,



amongst pupils. This can be achieved by (i) making pupils understand

and reevaluate our cultural heritage and (ii) by the creation of a strong

driving faith in the future towards which we aspire. Creation of a strong

faith in the future would involve an attempt to bring home to the students,

the principles of the Constitution, the great human values, referred to

in its Preamble, the nature of the democratic and socialistic society.

With these national goals in view, the government in independent India

has set up different committees and commissions of educational

reforms in the desired lines.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 6: Mention some of the aims of Indian education

which reflects our Constitutional

commitments?

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

2.7 NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION- 1986 AND

AIMS OF EDUCATION

On the basis of the recommendation of ‘Kothari Commission’, the

first National Policy on Education was formulated by Government of India in

1968. After seventeen years of experiment, an attempt was made to evaluate

the national education policy, 1968. At the threshold of the new century, it

was felt that a mere review and minor modification would not be enough.

Hence, on becoming Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had declared, on January,

1985, that a new education policy to equip the country both scientifically and

economically to enter the 21st century would be formulated soon.

Accordingly, the ministry of Education, Government of India had prepared a

document ‘Challenge of Education– A Policy Perspective’ in 1985. The

Government of India declared its new education policy under the title “National

Policy on Education, 1986” which was intended to prepare India for the 21st

century.

The National Policy on Education– 1986 marked a significant step in



the history of education in post-independence India. The Policy proposed a

national system of education to provide access to education of the

comparable quality to all students, to have a common educational structure

with national curricular framework with a common core. At the same time, it

would safeguard the values of secularism, socialism and equality which

had been promoted since Independence. The central government also

declared that it would accept a wider responsibility to enforce ‘the national

and integrative character of education, to maintain quality and standards’.

The key legacies of the1986 policy were the promotion of privatisation and

the continued emphasis on secularism and science.

NPE and aims of education:

According to this policy education is fundamental to our all-round

development- material and spiritual. It is a unique investment in the present

and for the future. Education develops manpower for different levels of the

economy. Education has an acculturating role. It refines sensitivities and

perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, a scientific temper and

independence of mind and spirit. Education is desirable for achieving the

goal of socialism, secularism and democracy enshrined in our constitution.

As per the National Policy on Education (1968), the aim of education is “to

promote national progress, a sense of common citizenship and culture and

to strengthen national integration”. Education should foster among students

an understanding of the diverse cultural and social characteristics of the

people living in different parts of the country. To sum up, according to NPE-

1986, the aims of education should be-

a) To foster all round material and spiritual development of the individual,

as well as, the society as a whole.

b) To promote values such as India’s common cultural heritage,

egalitarianism, democracy, socialism and secularism, equality of the

sexes, national cohesion, removal of social barriers etc.

c) To provide education of comparable quality to all students, irrespective

of caste, creed, location or gender.

d) To develop manpower for different levels of the economy which would

further guarantee national self-reliance.



e) To develop a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit.

f) To reconstruct the educational system to improve its quality at all

stages, and give much greater attention to science and technology,

the cultivation of moral values and a closer relationship between

education and the life of the people.

g) To inculcate in the mind of the students the importance of national

integration and certain national values like secular, scientific and moral

values.

h) To strengthen the world view and motivate the younger generations

towards international cooperation and peaceful coexistence.

i) To promote equality, it is necessary to provide equal opportunity or

access, but also provide conditions for success.

j) To develop awareness of the importance of protection of environment

and observance of the norms of small family.

k) To encourage students towards cherished goal of life long education

through open and distance education.

2.8 NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK–2005

AND AIMS OF EDUCATION

The term National Curriculum Framework was articulated in the NPE,

1986 and the Programme of Action (POA) 1992.National education policy,

1986 had proposed a national framework for curriculum as a means of

evolving a national system of education capable of responding to India’s

diversity of geographical and cultural milieus while ensuring a common core

of values along with academic components. It provides the framework for

making syllabi, textbooks and teaching practices within the school education

programmes in India.

As an apex national agency of educational reform, NCERT is

expected to review the school curriculum as a regular activity, ensuring the

highest standards of rigour and deliberative openness in the process.

Despite the review of the Curriculum Framework in 2000, the unsatisfactory

issues of curriculum load and the domination of examinations remained

unresolved. Consequently, in 2004, the NCERT initiated the review of National



Curriculum Framework for School Education– 2000. In the context of this

exercise, a National Steering Committee chaired by Prof. Yash Pal and 21

National Focus groups were set up. The position papers prepared by these

National Focus groups provided inputs to the National Curriculum

Framework–2005.The National Curriculum Framework-2005 takes into

cognizance both positive and negative developments in the field, and

attempts to address the future requirements of school education at the turn

of the century. In this endeavour, several interrelated dimensions have been

kept in mind, namely, the aims of education, the social milieu of children,

the nature of knowledge in its broader sense, the nature of human

development, and the process of human learning.

This revised National Curriculum Framework open, with a quotation

from Rabindranath Tagore’s essay ‘Civilization and Progress’. In this

quotation, the poet reminds us that a ‘creative spirit’ and ‘generous joy’ are

keys to a fulfilling childhood, both of which can be distorted by the adult

world. The NCF 2005 derives its objective of student learning and

development from the values enshrined in the Constitution and contemporary

concerns towards strengthening unity and national identity in a multicultural

context and enabling the nation to face future challenges. It reaffirms faith in



the Constitutional vision of India as a secular, egalitarian and pluralistic society

founded on values of social justice and equality. It addresses the challenge

of quality in a system that seeks to deliver the exclusive triangle of equality,

quality and quantity. Affirmation of the primacy of an active learner, connecting

knowledge to life outside the school is essential. According to this framework

the basic aim of everything done in schools should be geared towards

preparing students for the following factors :

1) Lifelong Learning: Education should develop a love for learning and

the constant willingness to unlearn and relearn. Thus, an important

aim of education is to empower all students to towards knowledge

and learning.

2) Democratic Values: We should build in students a commitment to

democratic values of equality, justice, freedom, respect for human

dignity and rights, based on sensitivity to others’ well-being and feelings,

together with increasing knowledge and understanding of the world.

3) Meaningful Work Leading to Social Transformation: Schools must

prepare children to participate in socio-economic processes and

meaningful work in a spirit of self-reliance and cooperation, contributing

to the improvement of society.

4) Development of Creativity: Education must provide the means and

opportunities to enhance the child’s creative expression. Education

should enable learners to respond to new situations in a flexible and

creative manner. Learner engagement is construction of knowledge

and fostering of creativity is necessary as well.

5) Development of Life Skills: Development of life skills such as critical

thinking, interpersonal communication, negotiation skills, problem-

solving, and self-management is also very critical towards dealing with

the challenges of everyday life.

6) Independence of Thought and Action: Another aim of education is

the development of independence of thought and action. It should teach

people to think for themselves and make important independent

decisions. Education should make adequate room for voicing children’s

thoughts, curiosity, and questions in curricular practices. Connecting



knowledge across disciplinary boundaries to provide a broader frame

work for insightful construction of knowledge is much significant in

child development.

7) Holistic Development of Children: The school years are a period of

rapid development, with changes and shifts in children’s capabilities,

attitudes and interests. Holistic approach in the treatment of learners’

development and learning must be taken up.

In short, according to NCF-2005, our education should aim to build

a commitment to democratic values of equality, justice, freedom, concern

for others’ wellbeing and feelings, secularism, respect for human dignity

and rights. It should also aim at fostering independence of thought and action,

and create ability to work for developing a social temperament and inculcate

aesthetic appreciation. Also, it must aim towards developing ability to learn

to respond to new situations in a flexible and creative manner, predisposition

towards participation in democratic process, and the ability to work towards

and contribute to economic process and social change.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 7: Mention the two aims of education that are

emphasised in NPE-1986.

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

Q 8: What are the aims of education which form the basis of NCF-

2005?

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

2.9 CHANGING AIMS OF EDUCATION IN THE

CONTEXT OF GLOBALISATION

Globalisation is an important trend that affects the world deeply in

new millennium. ‘Globalisation’ is commonly used as a way of describing

the spread and connectedness of production, communication and



technologies across the world. Globalisation involves the diffusion of ideas,

practices and technologies. The term of globalisation was first used in the

field of economy. But the process of globalisation has deeply affected the

economic, social, cultural and technological sides of societies in new world

order.Globalisation has developed a new vision and has brought about or

ushred in a new way of life. With globalisation new concepts and values

have entered into our lives with new problems and perspectives for the

nations. The effects of globalisation has brought rapid developments in

technology and communications thereby producing a shift in society from

industrialisation towards an information-based society. It has brought the

world closer like a small village without borders through its technological

network or interconnectedness. New technologies make it possible to

communicate more effectively across cultural boundaries by providing

options that are effective and efficient. This process is marked by speedy,

free movement of people, services, capital, goods, ideas and knowledge

across borders. The process of globalisation in India had started with the

economic reforms that had begun in 1991. These economic reforms were

aimed at integrating the Indian economy with the world economy. Let us

now move to see the connection between globalisation and aims of education.

Globalisation has a close relation with education. As education has

an important place in shaping a society, it has to be connected with

globalisation and the global activities have a deep impact on education. Thus,

the educational scenario is rapidly changing owing to the changes brought

in by the widespreal of globalisation. The developments in technology and

communication systems have brought about changes in the teaching and

learning systems across the world. New ideas, change in values and

knowledge, have changed the roles of students and teachers too. Education

is now expected to shape children, the future citizens of the world into global

citizens, with a broad range of skills and knowledge. The future of society in

the global knowledge and information age is, therefore, increasingly

dependent on the future of education. No education system globally can

survive and stay unaffected by globalisation. In the 21st century, education

systems face the dual challenge of equipping students with the new



knowledge, skills and values required to be competitive in a global market

while at the same time producing good citizens who are responsible adults

and good citizens both of their own country and of the world.

Within the wider context of globalisation, education is regarded an

international commodity in the global economy with investment in people,

skills and knowledge. A global education should teach about issues that

cross national boundaries, and interconnected systems ecological, cultural,

economic, political and technological aspects or fields. Education prepares

the individual to connect - and live in harmony - with the environment around

him. The challenge for education, therefore, is to reform, create and develop

systems that prepare the individual to work in a borderless economy and

live in a global society i.e.to produce global citizens. With the concept of

globalisation, much changes are expected in the field of education. But the

global education has many aims in common for every country. The aims

and importance of global education can be stated as follows:

1. Education should aim to enhance the ability of learners to access,

assess, adopt, and apply knowledge. Thus, developing student’s ability

to acquire and utilise knowledge gains importance in the process of

globalisation. Education must develop capacity of student to acquire

the relevant knowledge that will guarantee the ability to remain up to

date in the changing environment.

2. Education should allow every individual to develop freely. The individual

will have to find his/her own point of reference in a society of constant

change that generates short lived values.

3. Education helps students to gain skills of new cultures. Education

should help learners to develop their critical thinking skills, gain

democratic values and apply their knowledge independently in an

effectively designed teaching-learning environment.

4. Education must give the people the capacity to acquire the relevant

knowledge and interpret values that will help them to adjust with the

changing environment such as tolerance in human rights, the diversity

of culture, respect for others and for the environment etc. It should

create the right balance among the concern of societies and the integrity



of individuals.

5. Education should produces an increased quantity of scientifically and

technically trained persons, as the emerging economy is based on

knowledge as a key factor which demands highly trained person in

science and technology.

6. In a global society education should aim at providing students the ability

of working together. Education should be the catalyst for the desire to

live together. At the heart of the same society and in the same ‘global

village’ through universal values such as tolerance and human rights,

the diversity of culture, respect for others and for the environment etc.

maintaining balance between the concerns society and integrity of

individuals. Working in teams requires students to develop skills in-

group dynamics, adjustment, persuasion, organisation, and leadership

and management skills.

7. Education should enable students to think independently to exercise

appropriate judgment and to collaborate with others in order to make

sense of new situations. Education should assist people in criticising

events from global perspectives.

8. Education should help to develop the skill of multi-sided thinking by

enaling individuals to gain the cultural sensitivity and experience, to

develop the language and skills of harmony at work in different cultures.

9. Education should aim at playing an increasingly vital role in resolving

and treating the social contradictions and strains carried by

globalisation.

10. Education should aim at equipping people with the new knowledge

and skills required for the global economy. In such a global context,

education should aim at preparing children to compete in the global

labour force.

11. Education should develop feelings of world citizenship to acquaint the

student with new and current or latest areas of knowledge and to

develop international understanding.

12. In a global world, education should aim at producing better educated



citizens though the four pillar of education highlighted by the Delores

Commission (‘learning to be, to know, to do, and to live together’)

In short, with the concept of globalisation, new attitudes and values

are coming into force. People need to learn new concepts and have to adopt

themselves new ways of life. In the present borderless information society,

education needs to respond to the demands of a rapidly globalising world.

This can be done by raising awareness of environment, peace, cultural and

social diversity, increased competitiveness, and the concept of a global

village. Education should aim at creating global citizens who are aware of

the wider world and bear a sense of his or her own role as a citizen of the

world.

2.10 LET US SUM UP

l As conscious effort education has definite aims and objectives. Aims

give direction to our educational efforts. Educational aims are changing

according to the specific needs and ideals of the individual as well as,

the society. In ancient times educational aims were determined by the

idealistic conceptions of life. In Sparta, education was socialistic . While

the aims of Athenian education was individualistic. Socrates, Plato

and Aristotle, the Greek idealists, discarded extremely individualistic

aims of education. The aim of Roman education was to produce a

worthy citizen of the Roman state with materialistic outlook. During

the middle ages, education was wholly a priestly affair with religious

outlook. Realistic movement advocated spread of universal and

integrated knowledge and integrated development of child. According

to naturalism, the aim of education should be spontaneous and natural

self-development of the child’s nature in close contact with nature.

l Pestalozzi had introduced the child-centric movement in education.

On the other hand, twentieth century saw the emergence of the concept

of Pragmatism which had emphasised that education should be useful



and purposeful is order to may contribute to human welfare and

progress. Hence, we can conclude by saying that aims of education

are not fixed and static but subject to constant change and are dynamic

in nature.

l Our constitution provides the guiding principles and social values within

which we locate our educational aims. These values are commitment

to democracy and the values of equality, justice, freedom, concern for

others’ well-being, secularism, respect for human rights and dignity.

Education should aim to build a commitment to these values, which

include aims like development of democratic citizenship and

values, training in skilful living, development of vocational Skill,

development of social, moral and spiritual values, promoting

national consciousness, development of physical resources and

development of human resources.

l NPE-1986 had emphasised on all-round material and spiritual

development as aims of education. Education develops manpower

for different levels of the economy. Education has an acculturating

role. It refines sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national

cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit.

Education is desirable towards achieving the goal of socialism,

secularism and democracy enshrined in our constitution.

l NCF 2005 derives its objective of student learning and development

from the values enshrined in the Constitution and contemporary

concerns for strengthening unity and national identity in a multicultural

context and enabling the nation to face future challenges.

Now, educational scenario is rapidly changing because of globalisation.

In the 21st century, education systems face the dual challenge of equipping

students with the new knowledge, skills and values needed to be competitive

in a global market while at the same time producing good citizens who are

responsible adults and good citizens both of their country and of the world.

The challenge for education, therefore, is to reform, create and develop

systems that prepare the individual to work in a borderless economy and



live in a global society that moulds individuals into global citizens.

2.11 FURTHER READING

1) Aggarwal J.C. (2002). Theory and Principles of Education. New Delhi:

Vikash Publishing House (P) Ltd.

2) Aggarwal, J.C. (2004). Development of Education in India. Delhi: Shipra

Publications.

3) Ayodhya P. and Dash B.N. (2013). Foundation of Education .

Hyderabad: Neelkamal Publication Pvt. Ltd.

4) Bhatia K and Bhatia, B.D. (2001). Theory and Principles of Education.

New Delhi: Daba House.

2.12ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR

PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: Aims of education are the general direction to the educational

process. These aims are correlated to ideals life.

Ans to Q No 2: i) Educational aims differ in nature and orientation. Some

are permanent, definite and unchangeable whereas others are flexible,

adjustable and changeable.

ii) Educational aims are related to the multiple needs of the individual

as well as, of the society.

Ans to Q No 3: In ancient Sparta, education was not individualistic but

socialistic. Each man was born not for himself, but for the state. The

state itself was a school where the entire educational endeavour was

regulated by the state. The immediate aim of this state-controlled

system of education was to train the youths for military services away



from home.

Ans to Q No 4: John Locke

Ans to Q No 5: Development of child’s individuality, his powers and interests

are the main aims advocated by realism.

Ans to Q No 6: Some aims which reflects our constitutional commitments

are as follows-

i. Development of Democratic Citizenship and values in the people

ii. Training in skilful living

iii. Development of Social, Moral and Spiritual Values

iv. Promoting National Consciousness

Ans to Q No 7: Two aims of education that are emphasised in NPE-1986

are as follows-

i. To foster all round material and spiritual development of the

individual, as well as, the society as a whole.

ii. To promote values such as India’s common cultural heritage,

egalitarianism, democracy, socialism and secularism, equality

of the sexes, national cohesion, removal of social barriers etc.

Ans to Q No 8: The basic aims which form the basis of NCF-205 are-

i. Lifelong Learning

ii. Democratic Values

iii. Meaningful work leading to Social Transformation

iv. Development of Creativity

v. Development of Life Skills

vi. Independence of Thought and Action

vii. Holistic Development of Children



Q 1: What was the aim of education in ancient India?

Q 2: Who had introduced child centric movement in education?

Q 3: Name of the main exponent of Pragmatism.



Q 4: A democratic Constitution was adopted in India (True/False)

Q 5: Articles…….and ……of Indian Constitution gives fundamental rights

to every Indian with regarded to education and cultural development.

Q 6: Which apex body is expected to reform the NCF?


Q 1: What should be the aim of education according to pragmatism?

Q 2: What should be the aim of education according to naturalism?

Q 3: Write briefly on NPE 1986 and Aims of Education.

Q 4: What do you mean by development of democratic citizenship and

values in the people?


Q 1: Trace the historical evolution of Aims of Education.

Q 2: Discuss the influence of the Indian Constitution on the aims of education

in India.

Q 3: Discuss the aims of Education which are emphasised in our education

system.

Q 4: Explain the changing aims of education in the context of globalisation

with examples.

Q 5: Discuss the basic aims of education emphasised in NCF 2005.

*** ***** ***


Education, Politics and SocietyUnit 3

UNIT 3: EDUCATION, POLITICS AND SOCIETY

UNIT STRUCTURE


3.2 Introduction

3.3 Elementary Education in Assam during British Period

3.4 Elementary Education in Assam Post Independence Period

3.5 Politics and Education

3.6 Let us Sum up

3.7 Further Reading


3.9 Model Questions


After going through this unit you will be able to:

l trace the development of elementary education system in Assam

during British period;

l discuss the development of elementary education in Assam post

Independence;

l discuss the political nature of education.

3.2 INTRODUCTION

As you know, education is a pre-requisite for the acquisition of

knowledge, enhancement of skills, development of attitudes and values.

As human beings, we need education because it provides us with

knowledge and skills to lead a meaningful life. During the British period,

education was made available to some selected people who were engaged

in service of the colonial rule. Their main aim was to ensure smooth

administration and business profit by giving education to some Indian elites.

But after independence, India being a democratic country, a good

deal of attention and importance was given to all forms of education for

promoting the welfare of the citizens of the country. There has been a


Education, Politics and Society Unit 3

realization of an urgent need to make education as accessible as possible

to all the citizens of the country. Keeping this importance and value of

education in mind, the Government of India has made education a

fundamental right and it has become a birth right for every one living in the

country. In this unit, we are going to discuss in detail the elementary

educational system during the time of the British rule. We will outline the

elementary education system of Assam during the British rule. We shall

also focus and discuss on the status of elementary education in post

independence period of India with special reference to its development

again in the state of Assam. Finally the relationship between politics and

education shall also be discussed. This unit will interest you as it looks into

the past and will enable you to appreciate the growth and development of

the education system of Assam.

3.3 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN ASSAM DURING

BRITISH PERIOD

Assam came under the control of East India Company after the

“Treaty of Yandabu” in 1826. The first Agent of the East India Company

David Scott came to Assam in 1826. After arrival of the East India Company

the process of education had started in Assam.

Soon after his arrival David Scott took interest in the promotion of

indigenous system of education in Assam. To win over the confidence of

Assamese people he started eleven schools, in Assam. He also opened a

school in Garo Hills for the expansion of elementary education among the

hill tribes. Students passing out of these schools were offered jobs under

the Government. As per the recommendations of Wood’s Despatch the

grant-in aid system was introduced and it helped in the expansion of

elementary education. After the revolt of 1857, the power of administration

was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown. Change in

administration had its impact in the system of education. In 1882, Hunter

Commission entrusted the responsibility of primary education to the local

boards. The commission also recommended the system of Payment by

Result. The provincial government had to grant only one third of the total



expenditure of the local boards. These policies adversely affected the growth

of elementary education in Assam. Again during the early period part of 20th

century elementary education received great impetus and made considerable

progress due to the liberal policy of Lord Curzon. The untiring efforts made

by Gopal Krishna Gokhale for introduction of compulsory primary education

during 1910-1912 made the provincial governments conscious about the

necessity of universal education and they passed Compulsory Primary

Education Act during 1918-1920.The Government of India passed its

Resolution of Education policy in 1913. But these policies had little impact

in Assam.

In Assam the first Compulsory Primary Education Act was passed

in 1926.



Ø If any local authority fails to submit a scheme, the Government

may call upon to do so.

Ø The Government may by notification make rules regarding the

education cess, the manner in which the education funds shall

be maintained.

Ø No fees shall be charged from any students.

Ø Poor children will be provided books and other writing materials

if education committee recommended.

The local authority and the education committee concerned shall be

responsible for enforcement of the provisions of the Act.

Besides, the beginning of modern education and the promotion of

language and literature in Assam can be attributed to the efforts of the

Christian Missionaries. The Christian Missionaries rendered unique service

towards the promotion of vernacular and for the upliftment of the tribal areas

of Assam. The American Baptist Missionaries under Reveran Nathan Brown

and Oliver Cutter came to Assam and they went into the interior places of

the hills and plains and established schools in Garo Hills, Khasi Jaintia Hills,

Nagaland, Darang, Nowgaon, Guwahati etc. They wrote several books in

Assamese language. Another American Baptist Missionary, Miles Bronson

edited the first Assamese Dictionary “Dictionary in Assamese and English”

in 1867.

However, elementary education made slow progress in Assam during

this period. The wrong policy of the Government in giving grants-in-aid, the

inefficiency of the local boards to control elementary education and indifferent

attitude of the people contributed to its slow progress.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: Give correct answer:

a. Assam came under the control of the East

India Company in .................................

(1926/1826)

b. The first agent of East India Company to Assam was Mr. David



Scott. (True/False)

c. The first compulsory primary education Act of Assam was passed

in 1918. (True/False)

d. Grant-in-aid system was introduced by Woods Despatch of 1854

(True/False)

3.4 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN ASSAM POST

INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

On the 15th August, 1947, India attained independence from the

British rule. The expansion of education at all stages became one of the

major responsibilities of the State. Keeping these aims in mind various

provisions have been made in the Constitution of India from time to time.

Let us discuss these stages in detail.

After getting independence the expansion of elementary education

became a prime responsibility of the state. In terms of elementary education

the basic motto of the Government was to make education accessible to

all irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion etc.

With this aim, the following provision was made in the Constitution

of India (that came into force on 26th January, 1950) for

elementaryeducation.

l Article 45 : “The state shall endeavour to provide within a period of ten

years, from the commencement of the Constitution, for free and compulsory

education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.”

The main features of this article are –

Ø Education in the primary stage shall be free and compulsory

for all children.

Ø Education up to the age of 14 years shall be provided by the

state.

Ø The target will be achieved within a period of 10 years i.e. within

1960.

But after the Eighty Sixth Amendment, 2002 (Article 21 A) of the

Indian Constitution, education as a subject became one of the Fundamental

Rights in PART-III of the Indian Constitution from the Directive Principles



of State Policy which is dealt with in PART IV of the Constitution. Thus

education turns into a birth right for each and every citizen of the country. In

our country the Right to Education Act came into effect from 1st April 2010.

The right to education is now a fundamental right for all children in the age

group of 6 to 14 years. Thus, the government is responsible for providing

education to every child up to the eight standard, free of cost, irrespective of

class and gender. It has paved the way for building a pool of strong, literate

and empowered youth of this country.

The Assam Basic Education Act 1954, The Assam Elementary

Education Act, 1962, National Policy on Education in 1968 and 1986, District

primary Education programme (DPED), Sarva Shikksha Abhiyan, National

programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level, Thrust for Female

Literacy, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, National Programme of Mid

Day Meals in Schools etc. are some approaches through which attempts

are being made to ensure universalization of elementary education in India.

Let us now discuss the various legislative provisions and approaches on

Elementary education in Assam.

l The Assam Basic Education Act, 1954:

After Independence Basic Education was accepted as the national

pattern of education at the elementary level. The Government of Assam

also accepted Basic education as its future pattern of elementary education

and passed the Assam Basic Education Act 1954.

The Act provided for: -

l The Constitution of a state Board for Basic education to advise the

Government on matters such as making grants to schools, control

and management, recruitment and service condition of teachers,

selection of text books, training of teachers etc.

l The State Advisory Board will maintain a fund of which the D.P.I. will

be in charge.

l Following types of schools shall be recognized as basic school under

this Act.

Ø All Government M.V.(Middle Vernacular) school

Ø All M.V. (Middle Vernacular) schools managed by private bodies



Ø All Primary schools

Ø All Basic schools

Ø Any private elementary schools

l The State Government may impose an educational tax in any area

for the purpose of this Act and can make rules regarding the age of a

child, the curriculum, duration and standard etc.

This Act introduced certain changes in the administration by

entrusting more power on the Govt. In spite of all these measures the

system of Basic Education failed in Assam as in other parts of the country.

It was considered to be impractical and insufficient to meet the demands

of the modern society.

l The Assam Elementary Education Act, 1962:

Till now we have come to know about the basic education in Assam

and why failed to achieve its purpose. Following this failure another Act

the Assam Elementary Education Act, 1962 was passed to make provisions

for the management and control of elementary education and to provide

for free and compulsory education in Assam in gradual stages.

The major provisions of the Act were as follows:

Ø It extends to the whole of Assam with exception to the

autonomous districts, provided the Governor may, with the

consent of the District council concerned, extend all or any of

the provisions of the Act to all or any of the Autonomous districts

on such date may be notified on his behalf.

Ø Constitution of a State Board for elementary education was

made to advise the Government for the development,

expansion, management and control of elementary education

in the state with the Minister of Education as its Chairman and

other members. The members of the Board will hold office for

five years.

Ø The State Board will lay down principle on the allocation of grants

to local authorities for the purpose of this Act, lay down

procedure for recruitment of teachers and the conditions of their

service, lay down condition for recognition, expansion,



amalgamation and opening of new schools.

Ø The State Government may make rules for carrying out the

purpose of this Act.

This Act is an improvement on the earlier Acts as it makes the State

Government responsible on certain matters relating to elementary

education. This Act entrusted the responsibilities for management of

elementary education on the local authorities of the area concerned.

l National Policy on Education, 1968

The Education Commission (1964 – 66) had recommended that

the Government of India should issue a statement on the National Policy

of education which should provide guidance to the State Governments

and local authorities in preparing and implementing educational plans.

Accordingly, the Government of India issued a Resolution on National Policy

on Education in 1968. The NPE (1968) observes that “Strenuous efforts

should be made for the early fulfilment of the Directive Principle under

Article 45 of the Constitution seeking to provide free and compulsory

education for all children up to the age of 14. Suitable programmes should

be developed to reduce the prevailing wastage and stagnation in schools

and to ensure that every child who is enrolled in schools successfully

completes the prescribed course”

l National Policy on Education, 1986

A variety of new challenges and social needs make it imperative

for the Government of India to formulate and implement a new education

policy for the country in 1986.The New Education Policy in 1986 emphasises

on -

Ø Universal enrolment and universal retention of children up to

14 years of age.

Ø Substantial improvement in the quality of education.

Ø Systematic efforts to provide non-formal education to educate

school dropouts, children from areas without school, working

children who are unable to attend the school during daytime.

Ø Implementing “Operation Black Board” scheme to provide

essential facilities in the school.



l District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)

To evaluate the effectiveness of the New Education Policy 1986, a

committee was appointed by the Govt. of India in 1990. A review of NPE,

1986 was conducted during 1990 – 1992. The Programme of Action, 1992

stressed the need of development of education in backward districts.

Accordingly, the Government of India formulated the “District Primary

Education Programe” (DPEP) scheme in 1993. DPEP is an effort to

decentralise educational planning at the district level. It is planned in such

a way that it suits the educational needs and demands of the district

concerned. Initially district projects were prepared in 44 districts in eight

states: Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa,

Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Gradually it was followed in 273 districts spreading

over 18 states.

l Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Its Attempt

Education for children of the age group of 6-14 years has become

a fundamental right after the 86th Constitutional Amendment in 2002. The

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan has been designed by the Government of India as

a scheme to provide elementary education to all the children of the age

group 6-14 years. Now after being acquainted with the concept of

universalisation of elementary education, our attentions are going to focus

on the Government’s efforts to achieve the universal retention. Sarva

Shiksha Abhiyan is one of the comprehensive approaches or missions of

the government which was introduced in India 2001. As a holistic and

convergent approach, SSA covers all the States and Districts of our country,

where the main attempt is to provide an opportunity to all the children in

the age group of 6-14 irrespective of caste, creed, sex and religion by

2010, for improving their capabilities through the provision of community-

owned quality education. The basic motto of SSA is to reduce dropout,

capture all the students of the target group with the aim of providing

improved scholastic and co-scholastic environment. SSA also aims at

setting the umbrella for children for turning them into respectable citizens

capable of constructive contribution towards a better society in the field of

science, technology, literature, administration and so on. It has also some



efforts to decentralize the whole process of curriculum development from

the grass root level to the District and the State level. Child-centred and

activity-based learning has been attempted. Learning by doing, learning

by observation, work experience, art, music, sports and value education

have been made an integral part of the learning process. Appropriate

changes have been made in the evaluation system, where the performance

of children has to be constantly monitored in consultation with parents.

Today, like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the Department of School

Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Human Resource Development

(MHRD), the Government of India has also made an attempt in the process

of launching Rastriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) with an aim

to achieve Universal Access and Quality Secondary Education.

National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level

It is being implemented in educationally backward blocks, where

the percentage of enrolment of girls are comparatively poor than the national

average and the gender gap is more than the national average. About

3286 educationally backward blocks are covered under the scheme in 25

states.



National Programme of Mid Day Meals in School

The programme provides a mid day meal of 450 calories and 12

grams of protein to children at the primary stage and later it is extended to

the elementary level. During 2009-10, about 11 crore children were

benefitted by the scheme.

Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalaya

It was launched in July 2004 for setting up residential school at

upper level for girls belonging predominately to SC, ST, OBC and other

minority communities.

Thrust for Female Literacy (Saakshar Bharat)

The National Literacy Mission has been launched recently as

Saakshar Bharat in which at least 7 crore non-literates will be made literate

to achieve 80% literacy and to reduce gender disparity in literacy from

21% to 10%. 365 districts in the country, with adult female literacy rate of

50% or less, have been identified for the implementation of Saakshar

Bharat.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 2: Fill in the blanks :

a) In the year ................ of the ..............

Amondment of the India Constitution education became a

fundamental right to the citizens.

b) In India ‘The Right to Education Act’ came into effect from

................

c) The Government of India formulated the ‘District Primary

Education Programme’ scheme in ..................

d) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is one of the comprehensive

approaches or missions of the government which was

intraduced in India .....................

3.5 POLITICS AND EDUCATION

Although education is expected to be free from politics, yet many

times the educational policies followed by a government may be influenced



by political ideology. You know that India was under the British rule for two

hundred years. Modern education system in India was largely a contribution

of the British rulers. But due to the long term of their colonial rule and the

pressure of various political groups since then have influenced the

educational policies in India from time to time. For example, the Macaulay

policy in introducing English language as medium of instruction in India in

1835 was a conscious effort of popularizing English and to use it for colonial

purposes in India. In this sense, an educational policy could be seen to be

influenced by political consideration. After Independence, the National

Government continued to follow the education system left behind by the

British rulers. However, the form of the Government contributed to expand

the base of education. Thus access, equity and reservation form the basis

of the Government policies. The Constitutional framework and various

provisions are the steps in that direction and the various Acts and provisions

for education have been implemented accordingly. We have already

discussed the Constitutional provisions like Article 45 under the Directive

principle, Article 21A through which Education became a Right, 93rd

Amendment of the Constitution where policy was adopted to provide for

reservations for OBCs in all “educational institutions” including private,

whether aided or unaided, excepting minority educational institutions.

Though it does not reflect the particular ideology of political party, political

considerations to improve the educational standard of the people of all

sections is inherent in this policy. This can be cited as an example of political

nature of education.

Being a democratic country India aims to establish equity in

accessing education by all the people of the country but even after 60

years of independence, there are various disparities like rural-urban

disparity, gender disparity, occupational disparity etc. in the educational

sector in India. Regarding the policy of reservation in educational institutions

there are a lot of differences of opinion among the various sections of the

people. Even these opinions are sometimes coloured by political factors.

The policy of reservation has brought about significant changes to the

lives of the weaker sections. Yet research should be conducted from time



to time to assess the utilisation of the reservation policy and whether it should

be continued or not.

Besides, in the recruitment of teachers in educational institutions

the political influences cannot be ruled out. Very often, due to political

pressure and favouritism in the appointment of a teacher in an educational

institution, the right candidate may not always be selected. This type of

political interference in selection of teachers has a negative impact in the

academic administration of an educational institution. Thus such kind of

political nepotism should be avoided for ensuring quality education in our

country.

In preparing a budget in general the political will of a particular

party or its ideology plays a significant role. Budget is another important

aspect in the functioning of education system. The bureaucrats, pressure

groups and other forms of advocacy groups play the role in allocating the

funds in each developmental sector of the country. But there is an

asymmetry in allocation of funds within the stages of education in which

politics may have a part to play. For example, in primary or elementary

education the Government has given more focus whereas in higher stage

of education the fund allocation is proportionately rather low. Therefore,

equity in financing is another big issue of concern in education system in

India as a whole.

Apart from these, whenever we talk about politics in education we

must also consider the political influence in framing the syllabus and

curriculum. Many times a particular political ideology is sought to be

popularized through the apparently apolitical nature of the syllabus. But a

syllabus should be designed on academic consideration in such a way

that it can cater to the needs of the learners and make the learners nationally

as well as internationally aware of various political systems of the world

because politics and education can not be separated. But the learners

should not be influenced for or against any particular political system or

belief. Rather they should be made politically conscious. This should be

the role of politics in education



3.6 LET US SUM UP

After going through the discussion and explanation on the educational

system of British period and in the post independence period, the

following are the basic ideas that we have formed this unit.

l Assam came under the control of East India Company after the “Treaty

of Yandabu” in 1826.

l In Assam the first Compulsory Primary Education Act was passed in

1926.

l On the 15th August, 1947, India attained independence from the

British rule.

l After independence, in terms of primary education the basic motto of

the Government is to make education accessible to all irrespective

of caste, creed, sex, religion etc.

l Article 45 of the Indian Constitution under Directive Principle was

amended for making free and compulsory education to the children

from the age group of 6-14.

l But after the Eighty Sixth Amendment, 2002 (Article 21 A) of the

Indian Constitution, education as a subject became one of the

Fundamental Rights in PART III of the Indian Constitution from the

Directive Principles of State Policy which is dealt with in PART IV of

the Constitution.

l The Assam Basic Education Act 1954, The Assam Elementary

Education Act, 1962, National Policy on Education in 1968 and 1986,

District Primary Education Programme (DPED), Sarva Shikksha

Abhiyan, National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary

Level, Thrust for Female Literacy, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya,

National Programme of Mid Day Meals in Schools etc are some

approaches through which attempts are made to ensure

universalization of elementary education in India.



l Political nature of education means the influence of politics, political

parties and their ideology, pressure of bureaucrats or people in power

in formulating the various policies of education, recruitment of

teachers, allocation of budget, framing syllabus/curriculum etc.

l The access, equity and reservation are the three things through which

the political nature in education can be assessed.

3.7 FURTHER READING

1) Barua, J. (2009). Bharatar Siksha-Itihasar Adhyayan. Guwahati: Lay-

ers Book Stall.

2) Das, L. (2008). Sampurna Siksha. Guwahati: AmitraPrakashan.

3) Deka, B. (2012). Bharatar SikshaItihas. Guwahati: Ashok Book Stall.

4) Deka. B.(2012). History of Indian Education. Guwahati: Arun

Prakashan.


PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (a) 1826, (b) True, (c) False, (d) True

Ans to Q No 2: (a) 2002, 86th, (b) 1st April 2010, (c) 1993, (d) 2001.

3.9 MODEL QUESTIONS


Q 1: Why is education important?

Q 2: In which year was the Compulsory Primary Education Act passed in



Assam? List some provisions under the Act.

Q 3: What is the basic principle of the Article 45 of the Indian Constitution?

Q 4: Write the three conditions through which the political nature in

education can be assessed.

B) Short Questions(Answer in about 150 words)

Q 1: What are the objectives of SSA?

Q 2: What were the provisions of the Assam Elementary Education Act,

1962 in Assam?

Q 3: What were the provisions of National Policy of Education in 1986?

Q 4: What do you mean by political nature of education?


Q 1: Why educational provisionsin the Indian Constitution are considered

important in the context of education in the country? How has

education become a fundamental right for the citizens of the country?

Q 2: Discuss briefly the development of primary education in Assam before

Independence?

Q 3: State the major principles in the National policy on Education, 1986

for universalisation of elementary education.

*** ***** ***


Teacher and SocietyUnit 4

UNIT 4: TEACHER AND SOCIETY

UNIT STRUCTURE


4.2 Introduction

4.3 Concept of Teaching

4.3.1 Definitions of Teaching

4.3.2 Characteristics of Teaching

4.3.3 Relation of Teaching with Learning

4.4 Changing Role of Teachers in Society

4.5 Need for Professional Development of Teachers in the context

of Assam

4.6 Teaching as a Profession, its autonomy and accountability

4.7 Let us Sum up

4.8 Further Reading




After going through this unit you will be able to –

l define Teaching

l list the characteristics of Teaching

l interpret the relation of Teaching and Learning

l discuss the changing role of teachers in society with special

reference to Assam

l explain the need for professional development for the teachers in

Assam

l analyze teaching as a profession, its autonomy and accountability

l describe the Code of Professional Ethics for school teachers.

4.2 INTRODUCTION

We have discussed in detail the concept of education in units 1

and 2. There we have learned that ‘education’ is a very broad term. We


Teacher and Society Unit 4

can say that education is the ‘mother’ which has given birth to the concepts

like teaching, training, etc. Teaching is an important part of the process of

education. Being a teacher, your professional engagement with teaching

is the most important activity in your life. But when it comes to defining

teaching, you may find it difficult to use the exact words. So, we shall start

this unit with a discussion on the meaning and characteristics of teaching.

The two terms, teaching and learning are intimately related to each

other. Here we shall highlight the relationship of teaching with learning.

Teaching is a social phenomenon. In earlier times, society used to accord

a very high place to teachers. But the nature of society is changing with

time and so the role of teacher in society has also been changing. We

shall discuss in detail the changing role of teacher in society.

This diploma course which you are undergoing is a course designed

for your professional development. We shall discuss in detail why you

need to go through this course and why it is necessary for you to develop

yourself professionally by undergoing such type of training programmes.

This will require us to analyze teaching as a profession as well as the

question of autonomy and accountability involved with teaching.

4.3 CONCEPT OF TEACHING

As a teacher the first and foremost thing you must know is what

does teaching actually mean? Is it just simple ‘telling and testing’? No,

teaching is much more than that. It is the complex art of guiding students

through a variety of selected experiences or activities towards the attainment

of appropriate teaching-learning goal. Let us try to understand the concept

of teaching by relating it to the term ‘education’ which we have already

discussed under units 1 and 2. The three focal points in education are –

the teacher, the student and the subject matter. Teaching is a relationship

which is established among these three focal points in education. It is the

process through which the teacher brings the student and the subject-

matter together. Different educationists have defined teaching in different

ways. Let us now have a look on some of the definitions and characteristics

of teaching in the following sub-sections.



4.3.1 Definitions of Teaching

There are many definitions of teaching each of which is valid

and pertinent from its own point of view. The following are some of

the definitions of teaching that demand our attention.

l According to Burton, “Teaching is the stimulation, guidance,

direction and encouragement of learning.”

l H.C. Morrison (1934) said, “Teaching is an intimate contact

between a more mature personality and less mature one which

is designed to further the education of the latter.”

l In the words of Clarke (1970), “Teaching refers to activities

that are designed and performed to produce change in

students (pupil) behavior.”

l According to Thomas F. Green (1971), “Teaching is the task

of teacher which is performed for the development of a child”.

4.3.2 Characteristics of Teaching

Some of the characteristics of Teaching are discussed

below:

1. Teaching is a social phenomenon: Teaching is influenced

by social and human factors. But human and social factors

are dynamic i.e. they are continuously changing and evolving

and so teaching is also dynamic.

2. Teaching is causing to learn: Teaching is a task that teacher

does with his students for causing the latter to learn something.

3. Teaching is an interactive process: It is carried out for the

attainment of some specific purposes and objectives.

4. Teaching is both art as well as science: It is the name of

giving scientific form to art of skills by using suitable methods

and strategies.

5. Teaching is both formal and informal: Teaching is conducted

both inside the classroom and outside the classroom.

6. Teaching is a tri-polar process: The three poles in Teaching



are students, teacher and subject matter.

7. Teaching is professional activity: The teachers are

professionals and they use their professional skills on their

pupils in a planned manner.

8. Teaching is basically a communication process.

9. Teaching provides guidance, direction and encouragement

to the learners.

10. Teaching can be observed, analyzed and evaluated.

4.3.3 Relation of Teaching with Learning

We have learned that teaching is the interaction between

the teacher and the learner, under the teacher’s responsibility in

order to bring about desirable change in learner’s behaviour. Now

you may ask me, what is learning? In short, we can say that learning

is the process of bringing desirable and stable changes in the

behaviour of students. Learning occupies a dominant place in the

field of education. Learning is the focal point at which all the activities

and processes of education converge. Now let us a look on the

relation of teaching with learning. In this connection we can mention

Robertson, an educationist, who has defined the relation between

teaching and learning in the following words -

“Teaching is a generic term which denotes actions

undertaken with the intention of bringing about learning in another.”

So, we can say that teaching is effective only when it results

into learning. Teaching would be worthless and meaningless if

learning is not produced.

According to another educationist Cage,

“The process of teaching and learning must be adapted to

each other so as to make whatever combination of procedures pay

off best.”

Therefore, where teaching must make a central concern of

the process of education, the leaning, in turn, should be make a

central theme and goal for every kind of teaching.



As such, as teachers you have to generate appropriate

teaching conditions and select appropriate teaching aids so that

your students may be able to learn effectively. Your teaching will be

effective only when it results into maximum learning in your students.

As you go though this course, you will be able to discover how to

design appropriate teaching activities for creating favorable learning

conditions for your students so as to bring about desirable changes

in them.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: Write whether the following statements are

true or false.

i) Teaching is a very complex activity. (True/False)

ii) Teaching is a relationship. (True/False)

iii) Teaching takes place only in a formal setup. (True/False)

iv) Learning occupies a focal point in the process of education.

(True/False)

Q 2: What are the three focal points in education? How does the

teacher bring the student and the subject matter together?

Write your answer in around 25 to 30 words.

................................................................................................

................................................................................................

................................................................................................

................................................................................................

4.4 CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHERS IN SOCIETY

l The Teacher is a maker of man and history.

l Both teacher and God are standing before me, but I don’t know,

whom to bow first. I will bow to you my teacher, who has guided me

to God.

l Teachers are literally the arbiters of a nation’s destiny – Dr. Zakir

Hussain



Your attention is drawn to the above notable quotes and from those

quoted views it is clear that a teacher can play an important role in the

progress and welfare of a society. The teacher is considered the yardstick

which measures the achievement and aspiration of the nation.

In the ancient days, teachers enjoyed a very high position of respect

and honor in our society. In the Vedic and post-Vedic periods the place of

the teachers was second to that of God. They were kept on the pedestal

as Gurus. Even the kings used to sit at their feet. The teacher or guru was

regarded as the guide who used to bring light whenever there was darkness.

The teachers also considered their work as a very honorable activity. They

worked with a sense of self-fulfillment and self-realization. They were

expected to lead a life of self-denial, free of worldly things.

Even though the teachers no longer enjoy the same position of

being second to God as they did in ancient days, still it cannot be denied

that in the emerging Indian society also they have been playing a very

pivotal role in the social reconstitution and in the transmission of wisdom,

knowledge and experience from one generation to another. Regarding

the role of teachers in society, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has aptly

remarked,

“The teacher’s place of society is of vital importance, he acts as the

point for the transmission of intellectual tradition and technical skill from

generation to generation and helps to keep the lamp of civilization burning.”

Children are the potential wealth of a nation. Since classrooms are

controlled by class teachers, therefore the children are always exposed to

the influence of the teacher. Hence, the teacher seems to play the most

dominant role in moulding and shaping the attitudes, habits, manners and

above all, the character and personality of the young students. Thus, we

can say that the progress of the nation and of mankind depends to a large

on the teachers. The teachers occupy an important place in the society as

an architect of our future generation. In this connection, the Kothari

Education Commission (1964-66) has also stated,

“The destiny of India is now being shaped in her classrooms”.

In our Assamese society also the teachers are looked upon by the



society as the wisest men in the community. They are regarded as the

backbone of the society. Whenever there arises a conflicting situation in

the society or in a family, particularly in the villages of Assam, everyone,

whether educated or not, turns to the local school teachers for advice. The

teachers by using their wisdom help to solve various problems of the

villages, and thus they play the role of a social reformer. Therefore, in our

society the teachers have to play multifarious roles according to the demand

of the situation, such as, social leader, decision maker, peace setter, adviser,

etc.

The National Policy in Education, 1986 thus comments on the role

of teacher in the society as follows:

“The status of the teachers reflects the socio-cultural ethos of a

society: it is said that no people can rise above the level of its teachers.”

Moreover our modern society of 21st century is characterized by

explosions in various areas such as explosion of knowledge, explosion of

technology, explosion of expectations, explosion of population, etc. As a

result, there have been fast changes in socio-economic life of people.

These changes make a heavy demand on the knowledge a child possesses

and the role, he/she is going to play in the future. As the child grows older

he/she will be called upon to face and solve more and more complex

problems. Changes in society’s life demand corresponding changes in

education and as a consequence the role of teacher undergoes changes.

It is, therefore necessary for you to realize that you as a classroom

teacher can help the society in achieving an all-round development by

acting as a powerful agency in transmitting the cherished values of our

culture to the future generation. As a teacher, your duty is not limited inside

the classroom only. You owe a duty to the society and the nation. You have

to play the role of a custodian of the national values and also an architect

of new values. You are the one who can help our country in the social

reconstruction. So, you must recognize your role as one of the most

influential persons in the society. You must keep your knowledge up-to

date to understand the problems of the country and also must make a

sincere effort to create such a climate in which our society can move forward.



With the changing time, you must be able to act as a change agent for

modernization and development of the society. You must develop your

capability to work as a social worker by organizing programmes in non-

formal and adult education, awareness programmes in health and hygiene,

population issues, environmental challenges, etc. Also, in order to equip the

child to face the challenges of a changing society, you must keep on upgrading

your knowledge and competencies throughout your professional career by

attending conferences, refresher courses, orientation courses, seminars,

workshops and through extensive study, traveling and developing a capacity

for independent thinking, etc. In this connection, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in

his book India 2020 – A Vision of the New Millennium has rightly remarked,

“If you are a teacher in whatever capacity, you have a very special

role to play because more than anybody else it is you who are shaping the

future generation.”

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 3: Fill in the gap in the following sentences:

i. The teacher or guru was regarded as the

................... who used to bring

................... whenever there was ........................

ii. The .................. of India is now being shaped in her

....................

Q 4: What are the various kinds of roles which the teacher has

to play in our society? Write your answers in around 20 to

25 words.

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................



ACTIVITY 4.1

As a teacher what are your contributions to your

society? Write from your own experience.

...................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

4.5 NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF

TEACHERS IN THE CONTEXT OF ASSAM

You must be wondering why it is essential for you to undergo this

two years diploma course. What is the need of a professional development

course for a teacher? You will get your answer after you go through this

section. In the above section we have learned about how teachers occupy

a central position in any nation as they are engaged in the noble task of

preparing the citizens of tomorrow. Since the progress of a nation depends

on the quality of the school education which in turn depends on the quality

of its teachers, therefore, it is very necessary that our teachers are well

trained, competent and dedicated enough to carry out this responsibility of

shaping the future of our country and also to act as a change agent in the

society. It is believed that elementary level education serves as the

foundation stage for future academic and social lives of children and thereby

also serves as the foundation for building the bright national future of the

nation.

Now let us come to the elementary education scenario of our state,

Assam. It has been found that the quality of elementary education in Assam

is quite low in that of comparison to that of some of the developed states

of India. As per preliminary report of Census 2011 the literacy rate of Assam

is 73.18% which is below the national average of 74.04%. It has also

been found that many of the children drop out of school before completing

class VIII. There are various reasons for dropping out of children from

schools, such as poverty, early marriage, physical health of students,

uninspiring school environment, etc. Out of the many contributing factors



for unattractive school environment, the major factors are found to be

inefficient teaching, physical and mental punishment given to the children

and highly irregular attendance of the teachers themselves. In Assam, most

of the school students are found to be the victims of corporal punishment.

One of the main reasons for this sorry state of affairs of our schools,

particularly the government-run schools is found to be the lack of adequate

professional training on the part of majority of our teachers. We have

mentioned above that the elementary education is the foundation on which

the super structure of the entire educational system is built and the

responsibility of laying that foundation lies on the shoulders of classroom

teachers. Therefore, to improve the standard of our elementary level

education, there is an urgent need that our teachers develop themselves

professionally by undergoing a rigorous professional training course.

Moreover, one of the salient features of the Right to Education

(RTE) Act-2009, which came in to force on April-2010, is that every school

teacher must obtain an adequate professional degree in teaching within

a period of five years from the date of commencement of the Act so

that along with the free and compulsory education, the children will

also get quality education. In Assam, the State Cabinet approved the

RTE Act on July 5, 2011 thereby making Assam the 19th state to implement

this act. With the implementation of the RTE Act in Assam, it has become

compulsory to obtain a diploma in elementary education for all the teachers

of Assam both in-service and pre service to teach at the elementary level

schools.

So, it must be clear to you by now why there is a need for you to

undergo a training course to develop yourself professionally. Now let us

discuss in brief how this course will help you in your professional growth

and make you a better teacher. It is however not meant to say that lack of

training will necessarily make you a very bad teacher and that training, by

itself, is sure to make you a very good teacher. To be an effective teacher,

along with the professional training you need to have some personal

qualities such as honesty, punctuality, cleanliness, dedication, affection,



impartiality, etc. Still, professionally trained teachers can be more effective

than untrained teachers, since the training course itself tries to imbibe these

personal qualities in the teachers.

Now let us proceed to examine the various professional qualities

which are required to become an effective teacher and how this professional

training in particular can help you to acquire those qualities. These are

discussed more elaborately below.

i. Professional Training enables teachers to have a better

understanding of the students

Since the aim of teaching is an all-round development of the

personality of a student, as a teacher you must have a thorough

knowledge of child psychology and principles of pedagogy. This

training will enable you to understand the child better and will help

you to deal with your students / children scientifically so as to bring

about their all-round development.

ii. Professional Training boost teachers’ confidence

Teacher training is essential to build confidence in the teacher. As a

trained teacher, with the scientific knowledge of class management,

you will be able to tackle any odd or problematic situations in the

classroom with confidence.

iii. Professional Training is important to have mastery over teaching

skills

A thorough knowledge of the subject matter on which you teach is a

must for you to be able to face your students confidently. But as a

teacher, along with the knowledge of the subject, you also require

various skills to communicate the knowledge effectively to your

students. Some of the skills are: skills of planning and preparing

classroom instruction, classroom management, guiding pupils,

teaching techniques, evaluating the progress of the students, contact

with parents, etc. This training will help you to master these skills.

iv. Professional Training is needed to understand the methodology

of teaching

As a teacher, you should be able to contrive and use a number of



suitable teaching methods and devices. This course will make you

familiar with the various methodologies of teaching and thereby will

help you to choose suitable methods and devices according to the

demand of the subject as well as the interest or need of the students.

v. Professional Training develops organization capacity of teacher

A teacher should be able to organize, supervise and participate in

co-curricular activities of the school. This training course will help

you to develop these qualities.

vi. Professional Training is a must for teaching in a democratic

country

A teacher in a democratic country should be able to teach with zeal

and zest and strengthen the democratic setup of the country. This

training will help you not only to become a good teacher but also a

good citizen.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 5: What are the major factors responsible for

unattractive school environment?

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

Q 6: Which Act has made ‘an adequate professional degree in

teaching’ compulsory for the elementary school teachers?

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

Q 7: To be an effective teacher you only need to have a complete

mastery on the subject matter which you teach. (True/False)

...............................................................................................



ACTIVITY 4.2

Do you think that you are already a good teacher even

without undergoing any professional development

course? Is this course on professional development necessary for

you to become an effective teacher? Write down your personal

opinion on this course.

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

4.6 TEACHING AS A PROFESSION, ITS AUTONOMY

AND ACCOUNTABILITY

(a) Teaching as a Profession:

The teacher offers the beacon light of knowledge to the new

generation for leading a good and useful life in the society. As a teacher,

your main duty is to teach. You know what you are teaching. But you must

also know the purpose of teaching. You are teaching for the individual

growth, social progress, national development, etc. We have already

discussed in section 4.4 how the teachers have to play a very vital role in

any society or community. Because of their role in individual and social

uplift, the teachers are referred to as professionals and teaching as a

profession.

Profession generally means an occupation which requires

specialized knowledge or advanced learning. A professional is one who is

able to acquire a fund of knowledge, range of skills in a particular area and

apply their knowledge and skills in the service of humanity. A teacher is

considered to be a professional because he/she is a person who needs to

be trained in teaching skills. In fact, teaching is regarded as one of the

noblest professions in the world because it helps in the all-round

development of an individual – in mind, spirit and body. The modern society



is full of professional persons such as doctors, engineers, weavers, cobblers,

tailors etc. A doctor’s profession is concerned with the physical side of man’s

personality and the engineer looks after the physical side of development

social aspects like building roads, bridges, dams, houses, devising new

methods and machines. He enriches national life and adds to the comfort

of common and convenience of the common man; similarly a weaver by

making clothes, a cobbler by making shoes, a tailor by stitching clothes

serve mankind by their own professions. Though their professions are useful

to the society, still they are limited to the physical side of human life. But the

highest service consists in the all-round development of an individual and

this is carried out by the teachers. The teacher is concerned with the

development of the whole child: intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually

and, to some degree, physically. That is why teaching has been accepted

as the noblest profession.

Every profession has its own professional ethics. The professional

ethics means certain code of conduct which should be followed by every

person belonging to a particular profession. Since teaching is a profession,

as a teacher, you should also follow certain code of ethics and maintain

high professional standard. The National Council for Teacher Education

(NCTE) has developed certain code of professional ethics for school

teachers. NCTE has prepared this document as an attempt to provide

direction and guidelines to the teachers in enhancing the dignity of this

very noble profession (NCTE, 2010).

The code provides a framework of principles that would guide

teachers in discharging their obligations towards students, parents,

colleagues and the community. Each of you as a teacher must try to

understand and adopt these as your professional ethics. These principles

developed by NCTE are described below in detail.

1) Obligation towards Students: It shall be our primary duty

l to treat all our students with love and affection

l to be just and impartial to all our students irrespective of their

caste, creed, religion, sex, economic status, disability, language

and place of birth



l to promote their physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and moral

development

l to respect the basic human dignity of the child in all aspects of

school life

l to make planned and systematic efforts so that the children

can actualize their potential and talent

l to transact the curriculum in conformity with the values enshrined

in the Constitution of India

l to adapt our teaching to the individual needs of students

l to maintain the confidentiality of the information concerning our

students and dispense such information only to those who are

legitimately entitled to it

l to refrain from subjecting any child to fear, trauma, anxiety,

physical punishment, sexual abuse, and mental or emotional

harassment

l to set before them a high standard of character, discipline and

personality

2) Obligation towards Parents, Community and Society: It shall be

our primary duty

l to establish a relationship of trust with parents or guardians in

the interest of all round development of students

l to resist from doing anything which is derogatory to the respect

of the children or their parents/guardians

l to strive to develop respect for the composite culture of India

among students, to keep the country uppermost in mind, refrain

from taking part in such activities which may spread feelings of

hatred or enmity among different communities, religious or

linguistic groups

3) Obligation towards Profession and Colleagues: It shall be our

primary duty

l to strive for our continuous professional development

l to create a culture that encourages purposeful collaboration

and dialogue among colleagues and stakeholders



l to take pride in our profession and treat other members of the

profession with respect and dignity

l to refrain from engaging in private teaching activities

l to refrain from accepting any gift or favour that might impair or

appear to influence professional decisions or actions

l to refrain from making unsubstantial allegations against

colleagues or higher authorities

l to avoid making derogatory statements about colleagues,

especially in the presence of pupils, other teachers, officials or

parents

l to respect the professional standing and opinions of our

colleagues, to maintain confidentiality of information concerning

colleagues and dispenses such information only when

authorized to do so.

(b) Teaching: Its Autonomy and Accountability

We have learned that the profession of teaching demands the

teachers to be idealist in thinking and to follow certain code of conduct.

Now, when we try to examine the autonomy of the teaching profession, we

find that under the current system of administration, the teachers have to

play a limited role while deciding the goals or objectives of school education,

in the construction or reformation of curriculum, examination procedures,

etc. Even though teachers’ representatives are included in various

educational committees and their opinions are sought, still actually they

have the same limited power like the students in running the administration

of a school. However, as a teacher, you can enjoy academic freedom while

dealing with your students inside the classroom. For example, if you want

to use a new method of teaching for your students, then you must have

the courage to try the method. Also, you must express your opinion without

any fear in matters concerning the well-being of your school or your

students. However, while doing so you must keep in mind that you are the

one who is ultimately responsible for what and how much your students

have learned. This means you are accountable for your action. So with

this we have come to the concept of accountability of teachers.



Accountability means that one is answerable for one’s conduct,

performance of duty, etc. The teachers’ accountability, therefore, means

their obligation to account for their actions. It is essentially a devotion to

the teaching profession and a commitment to impart knowledge and skills

to the students. It is an obligation to discharge one’s duty with sincerity

and dedication. Hence, to be accountable implies a sense of moral thinking

and an ethical consciousness. By and large, the teacher’s accountability

implies that a teacher is ultimately responsible to the students, to the

community or society, to the authorities and of course, to your own self.

As a teacher, you can show your accountability to your students by

giving them the best possible education and by guiding them towards

socially and morally acceptable behavior. In some cases there may be a

conflict between the two socially acceptable behaviour and the morally

sound action. For example, in case of some society drinking alcohol

permissible, but actually it is not a morally or physically sound action. In

such a situation, you have to apply your own judgment and accept the

viewpoint which is in the direction of the betterment of the society. You

must have a philosophy of your own and your judgment may depend on it.

Also, for being accountable to the students, you must yourself be a learned

person. You must have mastery over the subject matter which you teach.

You must have knowledge about the best methods and techniques of

teaching and above all, you must be a good communicator. How you

communicate with your students through spoken or written words, your

voice, the language you use and also your body language while you speak

- everything contributes to your effectiveness.

You are also answerable to the community or the society for your

actions. The society hands over their children to you so that you lead them

towards all round development and also develop in them good manners

and ideal behaviour patterns. If you do not carry out this duty of developing

good habits in your students and if you are not discharging your obligations

to the society, then the society has every right to condemn your behaviour.

Accountability to the authority is the most common form of

accountability. The service conditions of the teachers require them to obey



those who are in superior position to them. Your work is being evaluated

by your superiors. They may be the principals or school inspectors or other

supervisors. These persons rate your work and are supposed to guide you

for achieving efficiency and effectiveness in your work. On the basis of

this accountability you may be given increment, reward, etc.

Accountability to self implies that as a teacher, you yourself evaluate

your work and conduct. You must perform your duties to the best of your

abilities and not because of any outside pressure but because of your own

realization that this is right and virtuous. You should feel morally, socially

and emotionally attached to your profession and discharge your obligations

in keeping with the standard of the professional ethics.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 8: Why teaching is considered as the noblest

profession? Write your answer in around 35

words.

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

Q 9: Which body has developed the Code of Professional Ethics

for school teachers?

...............................................................................................

...............................................................................................

Q 10: Complete the following sentence:

Teacher accountability implies that a teacher is ultimately

responsible to

..........................................., ......................................................

........................................., and .............................................



ACTIVITY 4.3

As a teacher, you have been associated with the task

of teaching for quite a long time. So, from your own

experience write down how you use to create suitable teaching

conditions in your classroom to attract the attention of your students.

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

4.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have discussed the following matters:

l Teaching is a complex activity. It can also be regarded as a relationship

among the three focal points in education – the teacher, the student

and the subject matter. Teaching is said to be effective only when it

results into learning.

l The teachers were regarded as next to God in the ancient days. At

the present time also teachers are looked upon as the wisest men in

the community. According to the demand of the situation, the teachers

have to play multifarious roles in our society. Also, in order to equip

the child to face the challenges of changing society, there is a need

for the teachers to keep upgrading their knowledge and competencies

over the full length of their professional career.

l There is a very urgent need for the professional development of

elementary school teachers of Assam to improve the quality

elementary education which is the foundation stage on which the

entire educational structure is built.

l Teaching is regarded as a profession and teachers as professionals



because of their contribution to individual and social development. The

teachers as professionals should follow Code of Professional Ethics

to maintain the dignity of this very noble profession. The NCTE has

prepared certain Code of conducts for school teachers which would

guide them in discharging their obligations towards students, parents,

colleagues and community.

l The teachers can enjoy autonomy inside the classroom, but at the

same time they are obliged to account for their actions. The teacher’s

accountability implies that a teacher is ultimately responsible to the

students, to the community, to the authorities and to his/her own-self.

4.8 FURTHER READING

1) Aggarwal, J.C. (2007). Essentials of Educational Technology. New

Delhi: Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

2) Aggarwal, J.C. (2010). Principles, Methods and Practice of Teaching.

New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

3) Aggarwal, J.C. (2009). Teacher and Education in a Developing Society.


4) Das, B.C. (2004). Educational Technology. New Delhi: Kalyani

Publishers.

5) Dash, B.N. (2006). Teacher and Education in the Emerging Indian





PROGRESS

Ans to Q No 1: (a) True, (b) True, (c) False,(d) True.

Ans to Q No 2: The teacher, the student and the subject matter are the

three focal points in education. The teacher brings the student and the

subject matter together through the process of teaching.

Ans to Q No 3: (i) guide, light, darkness; (ii) destiny, classrooms

Ans to Q No 4: The various roles which the teacher has to play in a society

are those of a social worker, change agent or social reformer, leader,

peace setter, adviser, custodian of national values, social architect

etc.

Ans to Q No 5: The major factors for unattractive school environment are

– inefficient teaching, prevalence of mental and physical punishment

and irregular attendance of teachers.

Ans to Q No 6: Right to Education Act (RTE) – 2009

Ans to Q No 7: False

Ans to Q No 8: Teaching is considered the noblest profession because,

more than any other profession, teaching has the power to create a

healthy, just and progressive society by developing the future citizens

of the society in every aspects – intellectually, socially, spiritually and

also physically.

Ans to Q No 9: The National Council for Teacher Education

Ans to Q No 10: The students, the community, authorities and own-self.



Q 1: Define teaching. Write any one definition.

Q 2: What is meant by learning?

Q 3: As a teacher of 21st Century, how can you keep your knowledge up-to-



date?

Q 4: Mention the various reasons for dropping out of children from

elementary schools.

Q 5: Name some of the skills required for a teacher to communicate

knowledge effectively in the classrooms.

Q 6: On which date the RTE Act-2009 was implemented in Assam?

Q 7: Why is a teacher regarded as a professional?

Q 8: What is professional ethics?

Q 9: As a teacher, in what way can you enjoy academic freedom or

autonomy in your school?

Q 10: What is meant by teachers’ accountability?


Q 1: List the characteristics of teaching.

Q 2: Teaching is a generic term which denotes actions undertaken with

the intention of bringing about learning in another. On the basis of

this statement write down the relation between teaching and learning.

Q 3: The destiny of India is being shaped in its classroom – Explain how.

Q 4: Explain in what way a professional training course can help you to

become an effective teacher.

Q 5: But the highest service consists in all-round development of an

individual and this is carried out by the teachers. Elaborate the

statement.

Q 6: As a teacher how can you show your accountability towards your

students?


Q 1: Discuss the role of a teacher in the emerging Indian society.

Q 2: Explain the need of professional development for teachers in particular

reference to Assam.

Q 3: The National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) has developed

certain code of professional ethics for school teachers. Describe the

Code of Ethics as prepared by the NCTE.

Q 4: Write a short note on – ‘Teaching as an autonomy and accountability’.

*** ***** ***



REFERENCES

Unit-1

l Agarwal, J.C. (2008). Education in the Emerging Indian Society. Delhi:

Shipra Publications.

l Bhatia & Bhatia (2008). Philosophical and Sociological Foundations

of Education. New Delhi: ABH Publications.

l Dash, B.N. (2006).Teacher and Education in the Emerging Indian


l Deka, B. & Bhattacharya, S. (2004). A Text Book of Education. Gauhati:

Assam Book Depot.

l Gupta, S. (2011). Education in Emerging India Society. Delhi: Shipra

Publications.

l Froebel. In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on February

24, 2012 from http://www.wikipedia.com

l Kothari. In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on January


l Montessori. In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on January

22, 2012 from http://www.wikipedia.com.

l Radhakrishnan. In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on

January 25, 2012 from http://www.wikipedia.com

l Pachuri, G. (2010).Great Educationist. Meerut: R. Lall Book Depot.

l Pandey, R.S.(2007). Principles of Education. Agra: Ram Prasad &

Sons.

l Yash Pal. In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on January




Unit - 2

l Aggarwal J.C. (2002). Theory and Principles of Education. New Delhi:

Vikash Publishing House (P) Ltd.

l Aggarwal, J.C. (2004). Development of Education in India. Delhi: Shipra

Publications.

l Ayodhya P. and Dash B.N. (2013). Foundation of Education .

Hyderabad: Neelkamal Publication Pvt. Ltd.

l Bhatia K and Bhatia, B.D. (2001). Theory and Principles of Education.

New Delhi: Daba House.

l Burbules, N.C. and Torres, C.A. (2000). Globalization and Education,

New York: Routledge, pp: 3.

l Dhankar R., “Curriculum framework in search of a coherent

epistemology: A case study of Indian National Curriculum Frameworks”,

Presented in PESGB Conference, 2012, (p. 8)

l Goswami, M. (2014). Principles and Foundations of Education . New

Delhi : Lakshi Publication.

l NCERT, Report on National Policy on Education, New Delhi.

l NCERT, National Curriculum Frame Work-2005, New Delhi.

Unit - 3

l Barua, J. (2009). Bharatar Siksha-Itihasar Adhyayan. Guwahati: Layers

Book Stall.

l Das, L. (2008). Sampurna Siksha. Guwahati: AmitraPrakashan.

l Deka, B. (2012). Bharatar SikshaItihas. Guwahati: Ashok Book Stall.

l Deka. B.(2012). History of Indian Education. Guwahati: Arun

Prakashan.

l Handbook on Higher Education in Assam. (1992). Directorate of Higher

Education, Govt. of Assam.

l Handbook on Higher Education in Assam. (2010). Directorate of Higher

Education, Govt. of Assam.



Unit - 4

l Aggarwal, J.C. (2007). Essentials of Educational Technology. New

Delhi: Vikash Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

l Aggarwal, J.C. (2010). Principles, Methods and Practice of Teaching.


l Aggarwal, J.C. (2009). Teacher and Education in a Developing Society.


l Das, B.C. (2004). Educational Technology. New Delhi: Kalyani

Publishers.

l Dash, B.N. (2006). Teacher and Education in the Emerging Indian


l Goswami, H.N. (2011, March 2). “Akhamat Prathamic Siksha”. Amar

Akham, p. 2.

l Goswami, D. (2011) “Reforms in Education Sector.” The Assam

Tribune, p. 4.

l Mathur, S.S. (2002). Teacher and Secondary Education. Agra: Vinod

Pustak Mandir.

l NCTE. (2010). “Code of Professional Ethics for School Teachers”.

Accessed on December 28, 2011, from http://www.ncte-india.org.

l Siddiqui, N. & Gaur, P. (2004), Educational Technology And Teaching

Skills. New Delhi: Doaba House.

l Vaneja, M. (2004). Educational Technology. Hyderabad: Neelkamal

Publication Pvt. Ltd.

diploma in elementary education - wordpress.com · course introduction this course on “education,...

Documents