An Introduction to Education

AN INTRODUCTION

TO EDUCATION

Dr. Sarah Mathew

&

Ms. Ansari Munnazza Afreen

AuthorHouse™

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© 2012 Dr. Sarah Mathew & Ms. Ansari Munnazza Afreen. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/08/13

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0448-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0447-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012908827

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Contents

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Education

Chapter 2 Contribution of Great Indian Thinkers to Education

Chapter 3 Contribution of Great Western Thinkers to Education

Chapter 4: Role of Education for Socio-Economic and Political Development of Society

Chapter 5 Role and Responsibilities of Education in the Empowerment of Women

Chapter 6 Role of Agencies of Education

Chapter 7 Role of State, National and International Agencies of Education

Chapter 8 Current Educational System in India

Chapter 9 Right to Education (RTE Act 2010)

Chapter 10 Education for National Integration

Chapter 11 Education and International Understanding

Chapter 12 Peace Education in India

Chapter 13 Value Education

About the Authors

Chapter 1

An Introduction to Education

(Definition, Meaning, Nature and Scope of Education)

There are generally two aspects of human life - one is the biological aspect and the other is social or cultural or spiritual aspect. The biological existence of man is secured through food, shelter and reproduction. The cultural or social aspect of human life is glorified through education and it signifies man’s supreme position. Education transforms a man from an animal being into a human being.

Etymologically, the word ‘Education’ is derived from Latin. Some trace the origin to the Latin word ‘Educare’ meaning ‘to nourish’, ‘to bring up’ or ‘to raise’. Thus education means to bring up or to nourish a child according to certain aims or ends. Others feel that ‘Education’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Educere’ meaning to ‘bring forth’, ‘to lead out’ or ‘to draw out’. Then Education implies ‘drawing out’ or ‘leading out’ what is there inside the child. Still others feel that ‘Education’ is derived from the term ‘educatum’ meaning ‘the act or teaching and training’. Yet others feel that it is derived from the word ‘Educo’ wherein ‘E’ means ‘out of’ and ‘duco’ means ‘to lead out’. According to the first, the third and the fourth views, Education is an external phenomenon - something imposed from outside. According to the second view, Education implies growth from within. Then Education involves leading out the inborn powers of the child through knowledge and experience.

By education, we mean the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers by drawing out the best in his body, mind and spirit so as to produce an individual who is culturally refined, emotionally stable, ethically sound, mentally alert, morally upright, physically strong, socially efficient, spiritually enlightened, vocationally self-sufficient and internationally liberal. This can be represented pictorially as:

There are a number of synonyms of the term ‘Education’-

a)   Pedagogy - is the science of instruction for the purpose of ‘leading’ the pupils.

b)   Shiksha - implying ‘to discipline’, ‘to control’, ‘to instruct’ or ‘to teach’.

c)   Vidya - refers to knowledge. All these imply disciplining the mind and imparting knowledge.

Indian education in its wider perspective is more inclined towards spiritual development, gaining knowledge and disciplining the mind. In the Rig Veda, Education is defined as that which makes a man self-reliant and selfless. According to the Upanishads, ‘Education is that whose end product is salvation’.

According to Tagore, ‘Education is that which makes man’s life in harmony with all existence.’ Gandhiji said, ‘By Education, I mean, drawing out of the best in child and man - in body, mind and spirit’.

The University Education Commission(1948-49) Report wrote, Education, according to the Indian tradition, is not merely a means to earn a living nor is it a nursery of thought or a school for citizenship. It is an initiation into a life of spirit, a training of the human soul to pursue truth and practice virtue. It is a ‘second birth’.

Aristotle defines Education as ‘creation of a sound mind in a sound body’. According to Pestalozzi, Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s inborn powers. According to John Dewey, Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual, which will enable him to control his environment and fulfill his possibilities. T.Raymont, defines Education as a process of development from infancy to maturity, the process by which he adopts himself gradually to various ways of his physical and spiritual environment. John Adams defines Education as a conscious and deliberate process in which one personality acts upon another to modify the development of that other by communication and manipulation of knowledge. Redden, defines Education as the deliberate and systematic influence exerted by the mature person upon the immature, through inspection, discipline and harmonious development of physical, intellectual, aesthetic, social, and spiritual powers of the human being, according to individual and social needs.

Broader and Narrower Meaning of Education: In the broader sense, Education is a lifelong process. It starts with conception and ends with death. It is from ‘the womb to the tomb.’ It includes all influences, which act upon the individual throughout his life. Education is then not limited to schooling, institution or training. It is not confined to classroom teaching alone. It is the sum total of life experiences. Then Education is life and life is education. It is preparation for life through various experiences. Whatever broadens our horizon, deepens our insight, refines our reactions and stimulates thought and feelings, educates us.

In the narrower sense, Education is confined to school instruction. Then education starts when a child enters school and is over when he completes a course of studies. Education then refers to schooling, instruction or training. School, then, is a specialized agency to provide education. Such education is given in a formal way, under set and controlled conditions and environment. It is pre-planned and given by teachers in the classroom. It is formal.

Education must include knowledge and skills along with factors necessary for modification of child’s behavior and development of his personality. So for Education to be complete, it must be humane, and must include not only training of the intellect but also refinement of the heart and discipline of the spirit.

Thus Education is a dynamic and lifelong process. Every individual has certain inborn talents. Education aims at developing these talents, the development of different aspects of personality should take place in a balanced way. It must be all-round, wholesome and integrated.

According to John Adams, Education is a bi-polar process in which 2 persons - the Educator (the Teacher) and the Educant (the Student) are involved. Education then is a conscious and deliberate process in which one personality acts upon another to modify the development of the other through communication and manipulation of knowledge.

Educator (the Teacher) Educant(the Student)

According to the modern concept propagated by John Dewey, Education is a three dimensional or tri-polar process. All education takes place in a social setting. The teacher consciously designs and plans educational experience in the light of the social environment. Education should cater to individual needs as well as social needs. The child’s instincts, urges, impulses and tendencies have to be directed towards socially desirable channels. This is possible when there is interaction between him and his environment. So the process involves 3 factors - the teacher, the taught and his environment. The teacher is fully aware of the social factors that influence the child’s personality. Society provides directions, channels, goals and material to educational activities. In return, it expects teachers and students to contribute to its progressive development. Then society becomes an active participant in the process of education.

Nature of Education:

According to John Dewey, ‘Education is the process of living through continuous reconstruction of experiences’. Then the nature of education is as follows:

1)   Education is a complex process.

2)   Education is often equated with acquiring knowledge, information, skills, attitudes and values.

3)   It is modification of behavior towards socially desirable directions.

4)   Education is a life-long process.

5)   Education is need-based - providing manpower for national development.

6)   It elevates the quality of life.

7)   Education is not synonymous to mere schooling, training or information-gathering. It goes far beyond these.

8)   Education is both a process and a product.

9)   Education enables an individual to acquire cognitive and non-cognitive competencies.

10)   Education is not co-terminus with institutional education.

11)   Education brings about integrated development of the individual.

12)   Education is a transmitter and preserver of culture.

13)   Education brings about integrated development of the individual.

Scope of education: is very vast. It includes the philosophy of education, educational psychology, educational sociology, the history of education, the economics of education, educational guidance, vocational guidance, comparative education, environmental education, educational administration and management, population education, methodology of education, special education, audio visual education, educational technology, art and aesthetic education and so on.

Education is a wide and vast subject with its roots in many disciplines and extending widely to cover and contributes to many fields. So the scope of education is multifaceted and multidisciplinary blending into one enterprise to achieve the individual and national development.

The facets of the Scope of Education are as follows:

i)   Relation with other disciplines

ii)   Areas of Education

iii)   Types of Education

Relation with other disciplines:

Education is both a ‘Science’ and an ‘Art’. Education and other disciplines are closely interwoven into the educational system. The disciplines with which education is linked are:

a)   Philosophy: Philosophy is an integral part of our life. Philosophy provides the fundamental principles. Education implements these principles.

b)   Psychology: Psychology is a study of human behavior in relation to his environment. Education uses the principles and theories of psychology to make the educational process learner centered.

c)   Sociology: School is a miniature society. The teacher is a social engineer who attempts to bring about social change through her students and their parents with whom she has constant relationship and interaction.

d)   Biology: The fundamental biological laws of rest and fatigue are the basic principles of planning a good educational program. The principles of genetic engineering enable teachers and educationists to identify biological problems in children and adopt appropriate remedial measures.

e)   Political system: Political systems have influenced the theory and practice of education from the very beginning. The influence of Politics has been instrumental in educating the people to fight against exploitation, injustice and to protect their human rights as an individual and as a consumer.

Areas of Education: The following areas of education have been discussed earlier.

a)   Educational Philosophy

b)   Educational Psychology

c)   Educational Sociology

d)   Economics of Education

e)   Politics of Education

The other Areas of Education are:

f)   History of Education: It records the stages in the development of education in relation with different aspects.

g)   Comparative Education: It is the study of the educational systems of various countries for comparing the structure, operation, aims, and methods practices of different countries.

h)   Educational Management: This is one of the major areas which determine the effectiveness of the entire educational system. The quality of education depends on the fundamental principles and the dynamic nature of its components, human resource management/development, monitoring and evaluation of the organizational climate.

i)   Educational Technology: It is the pivot of the cost effectiveness of education. The process of teaching opens a number of avenues for diversity of learning experience, effective stimulus variation, teaching learning strategies, use of appropriate audio-visual aids , effective use of hardware and software, systems approach, interactivity, connectivity and creativity of innovative techniques in education.

Types of Education:

•   Formal Education

•   Non-formal Education

•   Informal Education

Functions of education: Education has to perform a three-fold function – towards the individual, towards the society and towards the nation.

Education should bring about an integrated growth of an individual. It should be a preparation for adult life, to make an individual capable of independent thinking and accountable for his actions.

Education maintains continuity of life in society. It conserves culture, enriches it and transmits it to each new generation thus bringing about progress of civilization. It meets the needs of the individual and society. It provides self- sufficiency and material prosperity to individuals leading to better social life. It inculcates social competencies and civic responsibilities. It cultivates social values and virtues. It socializes an individual through concrete life experiences. It molds and modifies the environment for better living in society. It accelerates the process of modernization. It fosters co-operation between the individual and society. It brings about social change and social control through peaceful means.

Education plays a role in the life of a nation too. It inculcates civic and social values, gives training for leadership, social and national service and aims at bringing about emotional integration of the people.

Chapter 2

Contribution of Great Indian Thinkers to Education

2.1 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

(2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948)

"All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul." -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

An Introduction to his early life:

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town which was then part of the Bombay Presidency, British India. His father, Karamchand Gandhi (1822–1885), who belonged to the Hindu Modh community, served as the diwan (a high official) of Porbander State, a small princely state in the Kathiawar Agency of British India. His grandfather was Uttamchand Gandhi, fondly called Utta Gandhi. His mother, Putlibai, came from the Hindu Pranami Vaishnava community.

In May 1883, the 13-year old Mohandas was married to 14-year old Kasturbai Makhanji. In 1885, when Gandhi was 15, the couple’s first child was born, but survived only a few days; Gandhi’s father, Karamchand Gandhi, had died earlier that year. Mohandas and Kasturba had four more children, all sons: Harilal, born in 1888; Manilal, born in 1892; Ramdas, born in 1897; and Devdas, born in 1900

Gandhiji matriculated in 1887 and in the same year he was sent to London for the study of Law. After studying law for 4 years, he returned back home in 1891 and started practice in Bombay. In 1893 he was invited by an Indian firm to fight a legal battle in South Africa. After completing the case, he stayed in South Africa for 20 years. It was in South Africa that Gandhiji experienced a series of insulting events disgracing Indians and his political feelings were awakened.

The massacre at the Jallianwala Bagh (1919) was turning point in his life. He started non-violent, non-cooperation movement in 1920. In 1930 Gandhiji started the Civil Disobedience Movement. In 1942, he started the ‘Quit India Movement’. In 1946 the fires of communal frenzy broke out and Gandhiji did his best for communal peace and unity. On 15 August, 1947 India became independent with the partition of India into two nations. On 30 January, 1948 he was assassinated.

Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of life:

1)   Super natural power: Gandhiji had firm belief in the existence of God. He believed that there is only one God having different names. He gave the example of the sun which rises from one place but spreads its lights everywhere, similarly there is only one God but he is everywhere.

2)   Soul is eternal: Gandhiji believed that the physical body of the human being will get destroyed; but it is the soul which is eternal.

3)   Truth: As Gandhiji said, ‘I have no God to serve but truth in all our personal and social beings’. He believed one should personally, socially and culturally observe truth. There are many ways to self-realization but the best way to realize is to be ‘truthful to one self.’

4)   Non-violence: One must not follow the path of truth violently, but must follow the path of truth non-violently. Non-violence is a weapon to conquer violence and hatred. Non-violence teaches us tolerance, perseverance, positive attitude and patience. It is not a weak point but is a strong point.

5)   Love: Gandhiji believed that the concept of love is universal in nature. One’s enemy should not be hatred but they should be conquered by love. Love is the epitome of life.

6)   Fearlessness : Man speaks lies because he fears loss of status, loss of someone close, he fears punishment etc. To follow the path of truth, a person needs to be fearless. Once he is fearless about materialistic/worldly things – he can follow the path of truth.

7)   Universal Brotherhood: Gandhiji believed that all human beings are created by one God. We have created discrimination based on caste, religion, race and other social barriers. We should break these barriers and respect each other.

8)   Satyagraha: Satyagraha means holding ‘Satya’ (truth) firmly.

9)   Dignity of labor: Ruskin influenced Gandhiji’s thoughts about dignity of labor. He said, ‘Dignity of labor has to be valued - a lawyer’s work and a barber’s work - both are dignified as the ends of both are to earn livelihood’. Gandhiji believed that anyone doing physical work should be appreciated and honored.

10)   Equality: There should be equality of man in all aspects i.e. social, political and economic.

11)   Character: To build a good character, one must have a pure heart; to have