Mahatma Gandhi's Contribution to Education

Brief Life Sketch

Born	October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, Kathiawar Agency
Died	January 30, 1948 in Delhi, India  (assassination)
Birth Name	Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Nicknames	Bapu,Gandhiji The Father of the (Indian) Nation

Mahatma Gandhi was an extremely open-minded seeker of truth. This quality gives him a unique dimension which can attract the new generation. Education is for life, life in its entire and then education through life. Gandhiji’s philosophy of non-violence has great relevance in current scenario. Such philosophy of life helped him in developing his philosophy of Education which can be the true source of inspiration for the present system of education.

His philosophy of education is a harmonious blending of Idealism, Naturalism and Pragmatism. Idealism is the base of Gandhiji's philosophy whereas Naturalism and Pragmatism are the helpers in translating that philosophy into practice. Therefore he is known as practical- idealist. His notion was "…education for life, education through life, and education throughout life." This definition of Mahatma Gandhi would comprise everything that can be conceived under education.

His philosophy of life has four elements namely-

(1) Truth,

(2) Non-Violence

(3) Fearlessness and

(4) Satyagraha

Gandhi’s Publications on Education 

1. Basic education.

2.Medium of instruction

3.Task before India.

4.Tasks before Indian students.

5. To the students.

6. Towards new education.

7. True education Gandhi wrote extensively on education in ‘Harijan’

Gandhi's Educational Thoughts

Gandhiji's Basic Education was the practical embodiment of his philosophy of education. His basic education takes up the challenging task of preparing the young learners to become morally sound, individually independents, socially constructive, economically productive and responsible future citizens which can prove helpful in solving the problem of unemployment by making youth self-employed by giving them skill training.

Gandhiji believed that education should develop all the capacities of the child so that he becomes a complete human being. In this way, fully and harmoniously developed personality is able to realize the ultimate aim of life which is Truth or God.

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

 

1. From seven to fourteen years of age, education of each child should be free, compulsory and universal.

2. The medium of instruction should be mother-tongue.

3. Mere literacy cannot be equated with education. Education should employ some craft as a medium of education so that the child gains economic self-reliance for his life.

4. Education should develop human values in the child.

5. Education should create useful, responsible and dynamic citizens. By education all the hidden powers of child should develop according to the community of which he is an integral part.

6. Education should achieve the harmonious development of child's body, mind, heart and soul.

7. All education should be imparted through some productive craft or industry and a useful correlation should be established with that industry. The industry should be such that the child is able to achieve gainful work experience through practical work.

8. Education should be made self-supporting through some productive work. Education should lead to economic independence and self-reliance for livelihood.

Thus, in Gandhiji's educational thoughts the development of the personality of child is more important than mere literacy or knowledge of different subjects. In other words he believed in life-centered as well as child-centered education. Besides learning of three R's Reading, Writing and Arithmetic in school, he insisted on development of these H's Hand, Heart and Head. Thus, the aim of Education should be of developing the integrated personality of the child.

 Aims of Education

Gandhiji has divided educational aims into two categories as under: 

        i.                   1. Immediate aims of education. 

                 2. Ultimate aims of education.

Immediate Aims of Gandhian Education

1.      a. Vocational aim: Gandhiji wished that each child should, through his education, be able to learn a productive craft to meet his future needs of life by adopting some industry or business. Hence, he advocated education for self-reliance and capacity to earn one’s livelihood as the main aim of education. In his words, “Education ought to be for them (children) a kind of insurance against unemployment.

 b. Cultural aim: He advocated that vocational education and cultural advancement should go side by side. He considered the cultural aspect of education as more essential than its academic aspect. Culture is the main foundation and an essential part of education. In the words of Gandhiji “I attach more importance to cultural factor of education than its literacy factor. Culture is primary and basic thing which the girls should receive from school.

 c. Character building aim: Like Herbart, Gandhiji also believed that one of the essential aims of education is the moral development or character development. According to Gandhiji, the end of all knowledge should be the building up of character. Character building implies cultivation of moral values such as courage, strength of mind, righteousness, self restraint and service of humanity. He believes that education will automatically develop an ability in the child to distinguish between good and bad.

 d. Total development aim: Gandhiji once wrote, “The real education is that which fully develops the body, mind and soul of children.” He further observed, “Man is neither mere intellect, nor the gross animals’ body, nor heart or soul alone. A proper and harmonious contribution of all the three is required for the making of the whole man and constitutes the true economics of education.

 e. Liberation aim: According to Gandhiji education should liberate body, mind and soul. By liberation he meant two kinds of liberation. One was the liberation all kinds of economic, social, political and mental slavery. The second was, the liberation of the soul from worldly pursuits and devote itself to higher forms of spiritual living. Education should provide this spiritual freedom for self-growth and realization of the self.

 f. Dignity of labour: Gandhiji wanted that education should develop students in such a manner that they become self-dependent. Gandhiji says that after seven years of education from the seven years of age to fourteen years, the child should be able to earn and should not hesitate to do manual works. The students must learn the dignity of labour. They should not feel shy while doing some work with their hands.

 g. Training for leadership: Gandhiji believed that for successful democracy, good leaders are needed. Education should develop leadership qualities in students. That way only the students will be able to shoulder the responsibilities in a satisfactory manner.

 h. Social and individual aim: Aims of education, as advocated by Gandhiji, have been both social and individual. Gandhiji rightly believed that the individual and society are dependent upon each other, because one affects the other in all situations of life. He says that the problem of the individual is very important and he is afraid to give complete control of education in the hands of the state, because it may crush the individual’s propensities towards advancement.

Ultimate Aim of Education

According to Gandhiji, the ultimate aim of education is to realize God. All other aims are subservient to this supreme aim. It is the same aim of self-realization which is coming down since the very early times of Indian wisdom and which constitutes the essence of Indian philosophy. According to Gandhiji, “development of the moral character, development of the whole- all were directed towards the realization of the ultimate reality- the merger of the finite being into the infinite.” It is realizing Godliness in his self.

 1.      Self-realization aim: Mahatma Gandhi stressed self-restraint, self-realization, self-insight and self-analysis. The highest aim of education is self-realization. He says “I had realized that the training of the spirit was a thing by itself. To develop the spirit is to build character and to enable one to work towards the knowledge of God and self-realization.” He wishes every child to grow into a divine human being by realizing godliness in his self.

2.       2. Individual and Social aim: The aim of education for Gandhiji is both social and individual, that is he emphasized equally on social and individual aims of education at different times. He wants individual perfection and a new social order based on “Truth and Non-Violence”. 

1. Gandhi’s Views on Education

1.   1. Objectives of education: The ultimate objective of the new education is not only a balanced and harmonious individual but also a balanced and harmonious society – a just social order in which there is no unnatural dividing line between the haves and have-nots and everybody is assured of a living wage and the right to freedom.

 2. Education through craft: The uniqueness of this scheme is that education is to be given through village crafts. The need for a machine-less society, Gandhi developed his ideas on education. The core of his proposal was the introduction of productive handicrafts in the school curriculum. The idea was not simply to introduce handicrafts as a compulsory school subject, but to make the learning of a craft the centre piece of the entire teaching programme. Knowledge of the production processes involved in crafts, such as spinning, weaving, leather-work, pottery, metal-work, basket-making and bookbinding had been the monopoly of specific caste groups in the lowest stratum of the traditional social hierarchy.

 3. Curriculum: Curriculum in Gandhi’s scheme is activity centered and craft centered. As M.S Patel has put it in style; “Craft occupies the position of the sun in the vast solar system of human life” satisfying our material needs in perfect harmony with the higher values of life. The subject in the curriculum includes in the following:

a.       Basic craft – Agriculture, Spinning, Weaving etc.

b.      Mother – tongue.

c.       Mathematics – useful for craft and community life.

d.      Social studies – social and economic life of the community, culture the community, history of craft etc.

e.       General science – nature study, zoology, physiology, hygiene, physical culture, anatomy etc.

f.       Drawing and music.

Gandhiji advocated uniform education for boys and girls up to the fifth grade and diversified education there after - general science to be replaced by domestic science for girls along with craft for both. He laid special stress on development of good handwriting. The technique of correlation is another characteristic of the scheme. This will encourage self - activity rather than role memory. In his scheme of education Gandhiji proposed a life centred and activity centred curriculum where knowledge and skills are imparted through self supporting productive craft.

 4. Methods of teaching: Gandhiji’s aims of education were different from those prevalent during his days. Current education was subject centred. Gandhiji disapproved that educational method considering as defective and emphasized to make crafts and vocations as means of education. He wished that some local craft should be made as medium of education for children so that they develop their body, mind and soul in a harmonious way and also meets the ends and needs to their future life. In this way, Gandhiji’s method of teaching was therefore, different from the current one. He emphasized the importance of the following principles in his method of teaching –

 

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

                  ii.            Reading should precede the teaching of writing.

                iii.            Before teaching of alphabets, art training should be given.

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

                  v.            Encouragement should be given to learning by experience.

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

              vii.            Mother tongue to be the medium of instruction.

            viii.            Productive craft as the basic of all education.

                ix.            Teaching through creative and productive activities.

                  x.            Teaching through creative and productive activities.

                xi.            Learning by living, service and participation, self – experience.

              xii.            Lecture, questioning and discussion method.

            xiii.            Oral instruction to personal study.

            xiv.            All syllabi should be woven around vocational training. 

 5. Role of teacher: He wanted the teacher to be a model of behavior an image of society a compendium of virtues. He wanted teachers to teach by example than by precept. He opposed corporal punishment. How can an apostle of non – violence advocated anything like that? Teacher must be well trained, proficient, man of knowledge, faith action and devotion. Teachers are responsible for carving the statues of their students. A teacher should be the epicene of character, a symbol of values, well disciplined, a unique personality, cultured and having a good mentality. His serenity and magnanimity should be outstanding and shining. He should be polite, pious, and having sea of knowledge. He should be a psychologist, a philosopher, a historian, a technologist in the matters of knowledge and seduction. He should be a guide, mentor, and guru for imparting knowledge to the students – the valuable pearls.

 6. Concept of discipline: His concept of discipline is based on self - control. Self-control refers to inner discipline which leads to self - discipline. His concept of discipline was, however in tune with social discipline. He emphasized the value of self - discipline in life. He assists that every individual is a productive citizen, a worker and a parent. Education is to be recognized as a potent means for generating then us - feeling among the individuals to make them, useful and responsible citizen of their country.

Gandhiji’s Contributions to Education

 Gandhiji’s contribution to education is unique. He was the first Indian who advocated a scheme of education based upon the essential values of Indian culture and civilization. His important contributions to education are the following: 

     a. Gandhiji put forth a very comprehensive and practical system of education suited to genius of our country. It is a constructive and human system integrated with needs and ideals of national life. 

 b. Gandhiji was the first educationist to advocate the large scale use of handicraft, not only as a productive work but as a pivot round which the teaching of different subjects should be undertaken. 

 c. He presented a practical scheme of education based on the principles of equity, social justice, non – violence, human dignity, economic well being and cultural self respect. 

 d. Gandhiji gave a very broad - based concept of education describing it as all round development of human personality. 

 e. He recommended immediate and ultimate aims of education which are in accordance with the Indian socio political, economic, cultural and social aim of education.

 f.  He suggested a very practical and broad based curriculum. It is needed an integrated curriculum which is psychologically sound. 

 g. The method of teaching suggested by Gandhiji is highly pragmatic and pedagogically sound. 

 h. Gandhiji’s educational model was not only holistic and practical; it was highly decentralized and integrated, with a demonstrated capacity to motivate the entire community and place responsibility and accountability at the community level versus the state. 

 i. Gandhiji’s educational scheme revived India’s economic, social and cultural life through the instrumentality of a handicraft. 

 j. The basic scheme of education was a practical solution for rural unemployment. Gandhiji succeeded in presenting a type of education which can provide the necessary economic self sufficiency and self reliance.