Professional Documents
Culture Documents
factors, and forces which influence the kind, quantity and quality of
enter the classroom. They are to be reflected into the reading, the
instruction and the activities of the pupils under the guidance and
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In the earlier chapter we have talked about the meaning of
angles. It started from the time when Greek civilization had its full
sciences, 1
Casero called it ‘the mother of all arts’, and ‘the true
2
medicine of mind’ Philosophy has also been defined as an attempt
has got the chief aim of life and action, taken them as a systematic
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attitude of a philosopher is to take the universe as a systematic
form we can say that philosophy means mature reflection about any
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Every man who searches into the reason and nature of things, who
anything in the whole realm of reality which lies beyond the domain
to attain some goal and bring order and consistency in his attempts,
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is ultimately influenced by the educator’s philosophical outlook.
goals.
through education and practiced in life. This is why we find that all
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been correctly described as the dynamic side of philosophy.
direction of moral guidance that the teacher gives but also affects the
education’8.
people not merely to live but to live squarely and adequately. There
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Philosophy assists education in understanding man, his life, his
and education reveals that philosophy looks at the end and purposes
of life in the light of the ultimate reality. It also throws light on the
means and methods for the realization of the aims of life. On the
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education is a practical philosophy and touches life at many points.
- Idealistic
- Naturalistic
- Pragmatistic
emphasis on curriculum.
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3.1 Idealism
human life and education, in some form or other, down the ages.
fundamental propositions:
iii) What the mind projects into the world is the only reality.
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v) Knowledge and values are universal and eternal.
Thus the idealists believe that the true or the good is universal
- Religious Idealism
- Cultural Idealism
activities of man, including his education and culture. It has cast its
determine the way of living and achieving the goal leading to the
realization of the inner self. Thus educational aim under the influence
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modern India also we find the same expression of the thought in the
aim of life and education was at that time, directed towards the
earthly attachment.
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potentialities of man, enabling each one to be his highest, truest
transmit the cultural heritage which reflects the truth as it has been
school under idealism revolves round that are called worthy ideas.
Worthy ideas are drawn from the past and are recorded in books with
children in order to give them the best of their culture. The idealist’s
school curriculum. Anyway, all the activities which are the grand
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construction. Plato believed that the highest ideal of life was the
attainment of the highest good or God and for this he has suggested
that the curriculum should aim at the inculcation of the three spiritual
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ii) Plato spoke of spiritual values which enable the
school.
Education
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Physical activities include the care of the health and fitness of
the body and the bodily skills are represented by such subjects as
Indian life and the educational heritage rooted in it. He states that
powers that are already in man. Education should provide the child
ample scope for his free growth according to his nature. The child
should develop positive ideas, deep self confidence and the spirit of
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is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s feet”.11 In order to
class, caste, sex, age and all other differences. Along with Sanskrit
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intellectual aspect of education, physical training and edification of
education.
growth.
Man’s nature is molded by his soul’s past, his heredity and his
liberty for the child. Like all other areas of human life Sri
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curriculum also. He includes specific areas of studies in the
curriculum
• Academic subjects
• Vocational training
with all the opportunities for free expression of latent powers and
all the activities which are the grand expressions of human spirit. At
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3.2 Naturalism
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phenomenal nature and tries to fit man who is nothing more
natural self-development.
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the child are allowed to develop freely with minimum interference.
Considered from this point of view, the educator is only a guide. All
essentially naturalistic.
led to the direct study of the child himself. Psychology may not set
goal for education but it can ascertain whether a set goal is realizable
particular curricular pattern. Every child will choose his curricula from
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naturalists, is the sum total of the activities and experiences of the
scientific naturalism, lays stress on human being with all his innate
his psycho-physical nature, to bring out and nourish the powers with
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natural phenomenon presented in the natural order before the child.
the child’s own nature. The curriculum is to unfold the natural powers
to the child in order to meet his natural needs. Hence the curriculum
will include those activities which spring naturally from the needs of
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education is to be based on that nature. The stress on child’s nature
takes place when the needs, abilities, interests of the child are
materials which are open to all individuals and they are equally free
1. Education of nature.
Rousseau has divided education into four stages. In the first stage
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with fruits and flowers. The second stage of childhood (five to
social. In the earlier stages, the boy was an individual working for
and occupations and not through mere lectures on ethics. History will
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be utilized as a means of moral instruction. Travel is recommended
drawing the child expands his mental horizon and reveals his innate
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children and love them. Children are no more passive learners. He
early years. Froebel believes that play is the highest phase of self-
emphasis on the need for the study of the nature of the child, his
instincts and impulses. Froebel did introduce gifts for the training of
the senses of children. With the help of these gifts he wanted to give
the idea of shape, form, colour, size and number. In every modern
modern times. The Kindergarten as his original creation did not end
with him but spread as an institution all over the world. His more
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Another great exponent of naturalism is Herbert Spencer. He
This includes the sciences and arts which help securing food,
teacher must learn how to develop the child properly. Fourth comes
the knowledge of social and political life which will make one an
intelligent neighbor and citizen. Last in the priority order, comes the
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moral and physical development. According to Spencer true concrete
rests upon the idea that man has to prepare for the future adjustment
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Madam Maria Montessori’s contribution in the field education is
remarkable, specially, for young one’s her innovative ideas are still
method based upon the child’s actual living conditions and his
believes that the child is a body which grows and a soul which
develops. The teacher should care for the child in a manner so that
holds that freedom is the right of every child and every human being
individually, not only his mental development, but the child’s physical
should progress at his own rate and gain self-education through the
provided for the individual child. She has provided practical exercises
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cleanliness and order. The students learn the lesson of dignity of
school.
that a child can develop his powers and possibilities. All these
daily lives of the children. Activity is the central point in this system of
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patience and mental preparation, whereas writing can be easily
was a realist. He also deserves credit for having attempted for the
pointed out the great significance of the school atmosphere in the life
is one that communicates freely with the life of nature. The child
learns and develops through it with a healthy body and mind Nature
nurses the child like a mother and develops him as a teacher. The
sight, sounds, music and rhythm in the life of nature stimulate and
inspire him every moment of his life. Nature’s education forms the
to the child’s nature. The child should have a free access to the world
world and its laws. The principle of joy and creativity is a must for
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According to Tagore, a child’s potentialities and powers find their
curriculum evolving out of the child’s life itself, the life that the child
his life outside, all the activities he participated in, and the ever
supplemented it. Open air free movements, games and sports, dance
– all came within its scope. Nature study and appreciation of the
inspiration for the child. From the above, it transpires that Tagore’s
philosophy of naturalism.
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interest in and readiness to learn a topic should be assigned due
etc.
preservation.
education.
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3.3 Pragmatism
purposes and develops his life is true. And Pragmatism does not
means to attain certain ends. There are no final and fixed values.
They are evolved and are not true for all times and for all situations.
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Pragmatism has cast its tremendous influence upon modern
constant and that in his early years of development the child is the
individual life and also the constituents of social life which occupy no
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Through the unending process of reconstruction of experiences an
place in curriculum.
construction. Utility is the first criterion for this purpose. This school
must provide learning and experiences that are useful to the child;
and various types of skills which the child needs in his present as
boys, as well as many useful crafts and skills are included in the
the school.
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The curriculum is to be governed by the child’s natural interests
school, or even going out into the community. If these activities are
discipline.
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The principle of integration and correlated activities should
activities.
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values or ultimate moral principles which are static and
Thus the different activities of the real life will determine the
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educating so many children at so many educational levels with such
and interest. According to Dewey social life cannot be cut into pieces
answer to social needs. Dewey notes that the child’s interests are
real and concrete life activities that are carried on in the outer world
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problems. To get over them, the children must exercise their
intellectual abilities. Thus not only will they acquire skills and habits
of doing things but also necessary ideas and training of their own
mental powers. They will also acquire a social sense of their own
life and school, between theory and practice, between interest and
effort. He has saved the children from the tyranny of purely abstract
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coupled with the logic of experimental method, has been very
grateful to Dewey for his great service in challenging the old static
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Our philosopher educator Mahatma Gandhi preaches the same
drawing out of the best in the child and man – body, mind and
sons and other children. The children had to devote eight hours a
day for vocational training and only two hours for book learning. The
(iii) The farmer, the labor or any other individual who is doing
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Thus education cannot be confined to childhood and youth – it
has to take into account the whole life of a man. So education will not
be complete till one realizes the self. Education is through life and for
life. Education must take care of the whole child, the human
that it can grow to its highest stature and serve the society at its best.
child should learn from the real experiments of life. The project
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Gandhi, education should be closely related to life. Wardha scheme
profit–yielding vocation. This will enable the pupil to pay for his tuition
through the products of his labor. At the same time his whole
powers.
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In a very precise way we can enumerate them in the following:
• Mother tongue.
• Arithmetic.
• Social studies.
• Art work.
• Music.
of correlation. Gandhi thinks that only the right type of teachers can
that the child can make intellectual progress only through activity
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which is purposive and productive. Pedagogically, too, Gandhiji’s
Patel, is that “he in his educational philosophy, gives due place to the
fuse into a unity, give rise to a theory of education which would suit
the needs of the day and satisfy the loftiest aspirations of the human
soul.”20
in its setting, idealistic in its aim and pragmatic in its method and
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programme of work. All these tendencies are not separate in his
philosophy.”21
are as follows:
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Experience and experiments remains as the basis of learning.
concrete terms.
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Conclusion
lower stage is very large. Unless this huge wastage is eliminated and
ways to minimize the wastage and stagnation level. For this reason I
have started the discussion with the basic concepts of education like
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seems to me that of late people are more worried about the future
that education has its root in our past. We cannot neglect our past
because our rich culture will help the present generation to hold its
picture of past, present and future. The concept of life long education
the capacity of each pupil to learn and grow. Again learning and
children are developing, acquiring and preserving right values for the
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Educative Process
(6)
How to
Educate
(Methods of
Teaching)
philosophical aspects.
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discussed the meaning of education, because before establishing the
from various angles and its close relation with philosophical thoughts.
will mean a deep sense of thought. I have studied the meaning from
various angles, especially what the general mass of people think and
children and not merely on strict rules. While analyzing the broader
the views from philosophical ground. This is because all the great
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round drawing of the best in the child.Education is not only guidance
perspective, I have felt that from Ancient period, all the great
guided by his philosophy of life. It shows clearly that our great Indian
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concept, a man is superior to other animals as he is educable. Great
children.
in the case of children we find that most of their time they spend with
their family. So only formal education will not give positive result. A
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within the family that he gets his first experience and enters into
relationship with other human beings. It has been observed that both
regularly and such like. On the other side child labour, early
all these problems we should try to abolish the barriers between the
when required, e.g. both full time and part time, formal schools and
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should be made the criteria of the primary stage in any form of
education.
can achieve some specific goals in his future life. This trend now-a-
and another is world of work. These two worlds are not separated but
related with each other. One should not forget that through general
should always have as its aim that the young man leaves the school
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education will be the most suitable one for them, as they need a
strong foundation.
the importance of the learner, the teacher, the curriculum and the
with other. I have tried to establish their role from philosophical point
curriculum and its relation with education, I find that in every step
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Curriculum reform in recent years has grown out of attempts to bring
experiences and have emphasized that the curriculum must take into
basis. Earlier, I have discussed that today’s present children are our
Idealism, pragmatism and naturalism are the three schools which will
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In curriculum construction the modern approach assumes the
should diagnose the need and then we will formulate the objective for
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objectives of educational effort can be implemented through a
reflected into the reading, the instruction and the activities of the
pupils under the guidance and direction of the teacher. It shows that
stage, we should keep enough space for the children so that they
can play with their own curiosity and instinct. We should focus on the
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he or she will have no problem in selecting any specific field in later
various aspects of child development and not with any single specific
skills and attitudes of the child which will enable him to take his place
human being. These are the social, cultural and moral aspects of a
man. Education is the only way and philosophy is the only base
school. Education and philosophy are closely related with each other.
Philosophy looks at the ends and purposes of life in the light of the
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ultimate reality; on the other side, education signifies self
trainings. It shows that he was not only a naturalist but had a strong
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Vivekananda, education is self revelation. Both of them gave
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While discussing the three schools of philosophy, I have tried to
ensure the point that, we should accept all the positive sides of the
accept this school of philosophy from this point of view. For fixing the
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Pragmatism is the theory which emphasizes practice or action.
We should accept this view because here we are dealing with young
activities are essential for every young child. These should reflect the
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