Contributions of Mahatma Gandhi in Elementary Education

Contributions of Mahatma Gandhi in Elementary Education

Mahatma Gandhi explained the concept of Basic Education through a series of articles in his Harijan magazine in 1937. 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.

(i) Free and compulsory education should be given to all children for a period of seven years.

(ii) The medium of instruction should be the mother tongue,

(iii) The process of education should be centred round some form of manual production work in the shape of a craft.

(iv) This education should be self-supporting to some extent.

The Central Advisory Board of Education set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of Sri B. G. Kher to suggest measures for implementing these resolutions. Then another Committee was appointed under the same Chairman to recommend action coordinating the Basic Education with higher education.

The recommendations of both these Committees were approved by the CABE and included in the Report on Post-war Educational Development in India. In 1944, although Govts, both at the national and state levels accepted Basic Education as the national pattern, progress in its implementation was not satisfactory.

Merits of Basic Education

(1) Work as a central place:

Since work occupies a central place in life, it had an important place in Basic Education. Dignity of labour was emphasized by him and work was made an integral part of this education.

(2) A new method of teaching:

Through Basic Education Gandhiji introduced a new method of teaching. This method is to teach all subjects through crafts and taken as activity-centred meant to free children from tyranny of words and cramming.

(3) Self-supporting education:

As a corollary to craft-centred education, it was visualized by Gandhiji that schools need be self- supporting. The carfts organized scientifically would result in more production and the sale-proceeds must fetch a good income.

(4) Socially sound system of education:

Basic education was sound sociologically. The then class-labour and chasm between mental and physical labour and the spirit of dependence on others were required to be removed from the society. In short, Basic education was intended to eradicate many ills of the society.

(5) Training for Citizenship:

Basic education was providing for training students in democratic living and practices. It was aiming at forming positive attitudes, creating interests and appreciation, developing understanding and imparting skills in citizenship.

Drawbacks in Basic Education

(1) Selection of Crafts:

Since craft was occupying an important place in Basic school curriculum, selection of a suitable craft was determining the success and efficiency of Basic Education. But most of the schools followed the trodden path or stereotyped process without bothering for the local conditions and needs. For example, in the areas where cotton was not grown and had to be brought from a long distance, weaving was introduced as a craft even in those areas.

(2) The Principles of Correlation:

In Basic schools every subject was being taught through a craft. The principle of correlation was tried to be adopted in all subjects, but in real situation it was done as a ritual without any sincerity or seriousness. In fact, correlation was a slogan and fiction.

(3) The Idealism of self-sufficiency:

It was complained that the schools cannot be made self-sufficient with the production by children. The concept of self-sufficiency was thought to be idealism and was not emphasized by most of the teachers and inspecting officers. Products by unskilled hands were not selling well and fetching adequate income. Rather Basic Schools were more expensive than traditional schools.

(4) The Principles of Equality:

Although Basic Education was visualized to be socially sound for removing the existing disparities, it was rather aggravating the situation. It was tending to be meant for the children of poor labourers and farmers only and children of high class families were not going to these schools. The gulf between poor and rich classes rather widened due to Basic Education.

(5) Proper Orientation and Understanding:

Basic schools called for highly qualified and well-equipped teachers for properly teaching subjects through correlation and organizing crafts with efficiency. But in fact many teachers employed in such schools were lacking proper understanding of the Basic Education principles and desired orientation with the idealism or values impregnated in the system.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Important Principles or Tenets:

The important tenets of his educational philosophy are as follows:

(i) Free and Compulsory Primary Education:

Gandhiji envisaged seven years free, compulsory and universal primary education up to matriculation minus English. In other words, he wanted to combine the present primary and secondary education into one—called the English-less matriculation. It should be free because India is a poor country and all the parents cannot afford the cost of education

 (ii) Craft-centred Education:

Craft-centred education is not education plus crafts but it is education through craft. Craft is the nucleus of education. It is the centre of the entire teaching-learning process. Education in a sense should be centred around some productive craft. It is this education through which all-round development of the child can be possible.

He outlined the following factors as regards to the selection of craft:

(a) It should be the centre around which the different subjects can be clubbed,

(b) It should find natural point? of correlation with important activities and interests,

(c) It must be according to the natural and social environment

(d) It should be tied with the life of the children,

(e) It should meet the vocational needs of the child in the changing social order.

(iii) Self-Sufficiency:

It implies that the child should be able to cover some part of his educational expenses by engaging himself in some productive works which would give him earning along with learning. It also enables the child to earn a living after completing his course of education—preparing the child for future life.

(iv) Emphasis on Mother-tongue:

He realized that the greatest handicap of the prevailing system of education was that learning was being imparted through the medium of English. This affected the development of understanding, precision of thought and clarity of ideas. Mother tongue, on the contrary, would enable the children to understand clearly the rich heritage of people’s ideas, emotions and aspirations, to express freely, clearly and lucidly in speaking and writing, to use the list of contents and the indices, and to consult dictionaries and reference books.

(v) Correlation as a Method of Teachings:

It was envisaged that correlation should be the guiding principle of teaching all subjects. Different subjects are to be taught making craft as the focal point of teaching-learning process. Gandhiji wanted an effective and natural correlation between the craft and other subjects and the .co-ordination of various subjects.

(vi) Creed of Non-violence:

A very outstanding feature of his educational philosophy was the application of the law of Ahimsa in the training of the child as a prospective world citizen. He thought that non-violence was the panacea for all evils..

(vii) Ideal of citizenship:

Gandhiji wanted to make children right type of citizens endowed with civic sense, conscious of one’s own duties and rights, responsibilities and opportunities. This would be possible by his new indigenous system of education. Education should, therefore, be directed to conform to this standard of citizenship.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Aims of Education:

(i) All-round Development of Personality:

By all-round development, he means, development of body, mind and spirit. All-round development implies harmonious development of human personality in a balanced manner-hand, head and heart. This emphasizes 3 R’s instead of 3 R’s-Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Development of either two neglecting the one aspect of personality leads to lop-sided education or incomplete education.

(ii) The Utilitarian Aim:

He advocated self-supporting education taking into account the basic needs of man’s life which was meant in two different senses:

(i) Education that will help one to be self-supporting in later life which implies that the child of tomorrow’s adult would not be a drag on the society. This type of education will turn him into a self-sufficient entity and this education will be a kind of insurance against unemployment.

(ii) In the second, he wanted that teacher’s salaries should be met out of the productive work of the children provided that the state takes over the manufacture of the school.

As such, he introduced craft-centred education to meet the requirements of pupils and society.

(iii) Cultural Aim:

Gandhiji attached greater importance to the cultural aspect of education than to the literacy. Culture is a quality of mind which may be reflected in his daily conduct.

(iv) Character-Building:

He made character building as the central purpose of education. Character development, for him, implies the cultivation of such moral virtues as courage, strength of conviction, purity of heart and personal life, righteousness, self-restraint, inner discipline, subordination of one’s interest to the greater interest of society and service of mankind. This character is too built up in terms of universal love and non-violence.

(v) Preparation for Complete Living:

Like Herbert Spencer, he stressed preparation for complete living as one of the aims of education. Since life is very complex and beset with a plethora of problems and difficulties, education should aim at preparing the future citizens to face the problems of life here and there. A child was considered prepared for complete living if he could adjust himself to self, his occupation and his society.

(vi) Training for Citizenship:

He aimed at producing useful citizens for a democracy by means of education. The future citizens should understand their problems, rights and duties in proper perspectives and know the democratic institutions that work for the good of all. Education should aim at building citizens imbued with all cardinal qualities of good citizen.

 (vii) Individual and Social Aim:

He synthesized the individual and social aims of education. He wanted a society in which all individuals will have to play their part for the good of the whole without losing their individual characters and identities. He does not want to damp down the individuality. He strikes a balance between the ideals of social service and individual development.

Mahatma Gandhi’s View on Curriculum:

Gandhiji advocated complete overhauling of the curriculum. He suggested a broad-based and integrated curriculum for realising the objectives of education and developing the whole man.

He included the following aspects in his scheme of studies:

(i) Basic craft: Agriculture, spinning and weaving, cardboard, wood and metal work, tailoring, gardening, business practice, book-keeping etc.

(ii) Mother tongue as opposed to teaching of English and other foreign languages.

(iii) Mathematics concerning numerical and geometrical problems connected with craft and community life. Besides, learning of four basic rules by sincerely working out the problems arising out of craft work and gardening.

(iv) Social Studies: History, Civics and Geography.

(v) General Science: Nature study. Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Physiology, Hygiene.

(vi) Drawing and Music for development of artistic talents.

(vii) Compulsory physical training through musical drill for development of body.

(viii) Domestic science for girls after fifth grade in place of general science and craft.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Methods of Teaching:

(i) Correlation:

He advocated the principle of correlation in leaching different subjects. Craft is the pivot round which all other subjects should revolve. He wanted all subjects need to be correlated with craft. Craft should be the starting point of other subjects and a meeting point of both physical and social environment. Therefore, craft is the medium of instruction.

(ii) Learning by Doing:

He said that learning would be permanent if it is permeated by doing. It can be possible if children are given opportunities to undertake a host of productive activities. So, in his scheme, learning by doing was the important method of teaching.

(iii) Learning by Living:

Learning takes place by actually participation in community life and rendering self-less service to the cause of goodness of all. This makes learning social.

(iv) Lecture, Questioning and Discussion methods:

These methods were also followed in his scheme of education.

Mahatma Gandhi’s View on Discipline:

He was critical of free discipline and strongly favoured inner discipline through self-control and not by being free to follow stray impulses. He thought that freedom embedded in self-discipline or inner discipline that arises spontaneously from the inner springs of life rather than that which is clamped from without is called true freedom.

This self-discipline is voluntary discipline which emanates from the following-pure life, self-restraint, fearlessness, sacrifice, usefulness and practice of non-violent conduct.

Further, he favoured social discipline through some productive works based upon co-operation, initiative, accuracy and individual responsibility. This form of social discipline can emerge out of the living mutually in the society by cultivating ideals of citizenship necessary for a vibrant and living democracy.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Views on Teacher:

He thought that only the right type of teachers could help in achieving the objectives of education. He should be a lover of truth and non-violence and he should possess a sound base of knowledge, skill, enthusiasm, patriotism, dedication, love for children and labour, respect for the dignity of individuals and special training in the basic education.

He should be a man of action, not a man of slogan and should have a good moral character and a social bent of mind. He should lead a pure and simple life and be a man of ideals and a saga of examples.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Views on Religious and Moral Education:

According to Gandhiji, religion paves the way for development of personality and character. True religion means an abiding faith in the absolute values of Truth, Love, Ahimsa and Justice. He recommended instruction in the universal essentials of religion and a training in the fundamental virtues of truth and non-violence as the very basis of religious education.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Views on Women’s Education:

Gandhiji thought that education should be provided to mothers, for they could provide education to children effectively. He stressed upon the education of women, for the development of nation depends upon women.

He, therefore, advocated equal facilities of education for them like men and even special facilities, where necessary. Along with 3R’s, women must receive education in domestic affairs, up-bringing of children, nursing, cleanliness and hygiene.