“The ancient aphorism, ‘Education
is that which liberates’ is as true today as it was before. Education here does
not mean mere spiritual knowledge, nor does liberation signify only spiritual
liberation after death. Knowledge includes all training that is useful for the
service of mankind and liberation means freedom from all manners of servitude
even in the present life. Servitude is of two kinds: slavery to domination from
outside and one’s own artificial needs. The knowledge acquired in the pursuit
of this ideal alone constitutes true study.”
–MK Gandhi
The above statement of Mahatma Gandhi categorically reveals what he
expected out of education. For the Mahatma, as is evident from the above,
education [Shiksha in Indian term] is
the pathway to liberation, i.e.: Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye. It is a
process that leads to all-round development of one’s personality, to take her
or him to a desired goal. Hence, it is meant for making life worthy and
meaningful. It is, therefore, an endless imagination, a radical concept and an
enormous process to make the life full of joy and prosperity.
The process of education continues lifelong. It ends with one’s last
breath. Mahatma Gandhi fully subscribed to this reality of education, i.e. it being a lifelong process. Through
this process a human being learns till her or his last breath, acquiring
knowledge and developing skill. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi himself, “Education
is an unending process.” Moreover, “Education…helps mould and shape human body,
mind and character in such a manner that they act as means to achieve joy and
efficiency.” [Gandhi in Current Perspective, page 84]
“This”,
Mahatma Gandhi says further, “works for the all-round development of man
right from the beginning till the end. Its ultimate aim is to turn human knowledge
into his ability. It is for the purpose of making his life worthy and
meaningful…” [Essays on Gandhism and Peace, page 10]
This is a process, the Mahatma states, “of all-round drawing out of the
best in child and man –in body, mind and spirit.” [Harijan, July 31,
1937]
From the above statements of the Gandhi, everything becomes clear
about his viewpoint pertaining to meaning and purpose of education. We can,
however, draw following conclusions from these statements:
·
Education is a lifelong
process;
·
Education brings out whatever
already exists within;
·
Education, on the basis of
virtues, paves the way for all-round development of one’s personality; and
·
Education helps one to make the
life worthy and purposeful –to achieve the expected goal.
Undoubtedly, this is one of the finest explanations and estimations
of education. From this, the importance of the Gandhian view of education could
be well understood, observed and evaluated.
Further, the worth and importance of the Gandhian view of education increases
tremendously when it is assessed from value education viewpoint and that too in
current perspective, in the Twenty-First Century, a time space that is rapidly
converting earth into a global village. Moreover, a Century that is calling one
and all to a nest of togetherness; to
come forward to work with the sole spirit of co-ordination and co-operation at
all levels and in all walks of life. The Gandhian view of value education
predominantly consists of the following two aspects:
·
Duty and responsibility-bound
morality [commitment of pursuing the good
–welfaristic to one and all] and ethics [choosing
the right –following the truth in
life, personal and public]; and
·
Learning or knowledge centred on
self-sufficiency.
Along with this, the value education of the Gandhian view is
dedicated to the welfare of one and all. It is, in fact, not only a message or
the sermon of making value education real as per its literal meaning as well as
the spirit in the root of it, but it is also an effort at translating it into
action.
The moral and ethical learning is the process of infusing one with
the commitment to duties and responsibilities right from the beginning. This
process calls upon man to imbibe virtues and make them integral part of his
practices. Thus, it is the way of character-building alongside the natural
growth of body and mind, so that one becomes one’s own candle and is enabled,
as Mahatma Gandhi pointed out, “to identify with the whole mankind.”
[Harijan, December 24, 1938] Only on the strength of this learning and
knowledge can one proceed towards an all-round development of personality and
achieve her/his set goals in life. That is why; in Gandhian view, morality and
ethics are the first and foremost aspects of value education as well as the
acid test of how deft one is in discharging one’s duties and responsibilities.
Doubtless, self-sufficiency of woman and man is the second vital
aspect of value education of Gandhian view. The learning should be such that
after completing education one is not left worried about her or his future.
Rather, she or he is so enabled that on the basis of her or his learning and
knowledge she or he continues moving forward on the pathway to progress and
achieve the desired goal. Mahatma Gandhi, during his lifetime, proposed it as Buniyadi [basic] education. However, it
is always a subject open to refinement and modification as per the demands of
time and space, and also as per the available resources at local and national
levels.
For this, Mahatma Gandhi specifically urged for preparing a suitable
ground by way of such schemes and plans for education that could pave way for
all-round development of personality in prevailing situations of time and space,
and without compromising with values and their blending with the process of
education. This could be well observed from the following two short statements
of Mahatma Gandhi, “Education must be of new type for the sake of the creation of a new
world.” [Harijan, September 8, 1946] And, “It is not literacy or learning,
which makes a man, but education for real life.” [Harijan, February 2,
1947]
A critical and unbiased analysis of above two worthy statements of
Mahatma Gandhi can suffice to prove adaptability and significance of the
Gandhian view of value education. Mahatma Gandhi remained cogently committed to
progress and newer avenues, but without giving up on values. He never embraced
centuries old dogmatic beliefs, traditions, or superstitions. He desired the
same from fellow beings –general and elite, that they overcome fallacies and
make their life meaningful.
Mahatma Gandhi’s views on value education and his works thereof
should be assessed, examined and monitored sans prejudice, keeping
above-mentioned facts in mind. From this, the adaptability and significance of
the Gandhian viewpoint of value education in current perspective –in the
Twenty-First Century, would automatically become clear.
*****
