degrees fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population. (italics added)
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In this section we have discussed that educational goals are universal as well as country specific. The two types of goals have to be complementary to each other in any society.
While the universal goals are common for all the countries, the country-specific goals are different for each country.
Above all, the educational goals are not static as these have to change from time to time.
learning check 3
1. Why is it necessary to supplement universal goals of education by country-specific goals?
2. What will be the consequences if the educational goals are not re-formulated in accordance with the changing social realities?
3. Compare the visions about an educated person in a democratic and a totalitarian society.
G
oalS ofE
dUCaTIon InI
ndIaIn the previous sections, you have studied that goals of education in a society are based on its present and future aspirations, on the one hand, and its vision about an educated person, on the other. Some of the goals are universal while others are country-specific but they have to be periodically reviewed in the light of changing realities and aspirations of the society. This section describes India’s thinking about the goals which have guided her educational system in the past and the goals which should guide reconstruction of the system in the future. But before discussing the goals of education, it seems appropriate to briefly reflect on the aspirations of the Indian society and its vision about an educated person.
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SociEtal aSpirationS
The vision and ideal of the Indian people are emphasised in the Preamble to our Constitution:
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
The resolve of the founding fathers of our constitution mandates adoption of the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy as the bases of all aspects of national endeavour including education. The values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity must be the guiding forces for the organisation of various social, political and economic systems including education. The unity and integrity of the Nation has to be the overriding goal of education as it is the pre-requisite to achieve breakthrough in any other aspect of national life.
The vision of the founding fathers has been elaborated and interpreted at regular intervals through a large number of policy resolutions, statements and legislations. In the 21st Century, the country has a vision to develop as political and economic super power, on the one hand, and to ensure inclusive and balanced development across regions and communities in the country, on the other. In the field of education, the country aspires to achieve excellence with
activity 4
Invite teachers and students to participate in a seminar on the topic “Preamble to Indian Constitution”.
Request each one of them to pick one basic principle of the Constitution and address the gathering on the same, with particular focus on education.
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equality, that is, to strive for producing human resource of exceptional calibre while ensuring equality in opportunities for all citizens of the country.
QualitiES of an EDucatED pErSon
In ancient India, an educated person was expected to follow four fundamental goals of human life; Dharma (righteousness or moral-ethical value), Artha (economic pursuit), Kama (worldly pleasures) and Moksha (deliverance). It was recommended that the human beings may acquire worldly possessions and pursue worldly pleasures during life but it should be done following the path of dharma. However, the supreme goal of human life is to strive for Moksha, that is, liberation from the shackles of limitless desires and evils like Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Mada (intoxication), Lobha (greed), and Moha (attachment). Education was perceived as a means of liberation or deliverance (sa vidya vimuktya – education is the one that liberates), and therefore, an educated person was one who had risen above all types of bondages of desires and negative feelings emanating from them.
The relevance of the vision about an educated person based on the fundamental goals of human life has not diminished in the contemporary Indian society and, therefore, it has to be incorporated in its vision of an educated person.
The qualities of an educated person required in the contemporary time, as construed from the Constitutional goals and values, reports of Commissions on education, policy resolutions, etc, have been summarised below:
• Being a true democrat, he/she practises democratic values in all aspects of life, specially appreciates and accommodates divergent viewpoints;
• Believes in secularism and, therefore, possesses uniform feelings for all religions (sarva dharma sambhav);
• Being a votary of social justice, he/she supports promotion of disadvantaged sections of the society;
• Takes pride in his/her Indian identity and, therefore, is not swayed by divisive forces based on religion, language, caste, region, etc.;
• Being a rationalist, he/she engages with personal and social problems with scientific bent of mind;
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• Being a seeker of knowledge, he/she also contributes in the generation of new knowledge on the basis of his/
her own observations, experimentation and analysis of existing situations; and
• Observes instinctively fundamental duties of citizens enunciated in Article 51 of the Constitution of India in letter and spirit.
activity 5
According to you, what should be the qualities of an educated person? Give the particular behaviour associated with a quality in a context.
DocumEntS in inDia
In the earlier section, we have discussed the aspirations of the contemporary Indian society and also its vision of an educated person. The discussion may appear to be sufficient for the formulation of educational goals for the 21st century.
However, before attempting this, it would be worthwhile to briefly reflect on the goals of education enunciated in the reports of various Commissions on education and important policy statements.
The University Education Commission (1948-49)
The Commission, set up immediately after independence under the chairmanship of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, deliberated on the aims of university education in the context of new political changes in the country and expectations from the universities as organs of civilisation. The Commission visualised education as a means of building new India by undertaking the following steps.
(i) Strengthening Democracy: The Commission emphasised that education should aim at the development of body, mind and spirit of each individual. Therefore, each individual in a democratic society needs to be recognised as a valuable asset and should be enabled to develop his/her potentialities in all dimensions and get adjusted to the society.
(ii) promotion of Social Justice: Promotion of social justice is an important pre-requisite for the success of a democracy. In the absence of equitable development of
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all sections of the society it will be difficult to strengthen democratic traditions in the country.
(iii) Valuing liberty: The autonomy of each individual needs to be respected and protected. The individuals must learn to protect their own liberty in thought and expressions but at the same time should be ready to allow freedom to others.
(iv) promoting Equality: In order to ensure democratic way of life, it is essential to provide equality of opportunities to all individuals for which economic barriers shall have to be dismantled by providing assistance to backward communities.
(v) promoting fraternity—national: In order to build a strong new India, it is imperative to promote fraternal bonds between different segments of the society and between different regions of the country. It needs to the emphasised that, inspite of diversities, there is cultural unity in the country.
(vi) india’s cultural heritage and past history: The Indian culture has continuously evolved since the period of Indus civilisation and is still evolving. As a result of interactions among several cultural streams, a composite Indian culture has evolved in the country.
There is need to study the past history of the country.
(vii) promoting fraternity—international: There is a need to strike a balance between world mindedness and national sentiments. By broadening the spirit of patriotism, we need to move towards the concept of positive peace and world citizenship.
The above discussion on aims of education makes it clear that we cannot preserve real freedom unless we preserve the values of democracy, justice, liberty, equality and freedom.
learning check 3
1. What is meant by development of body, mind, and spirit?
2. What position did the Chairman of the University Education Commission finally occupied in India?
3. What is the difference between promoting fraternity at the national and international levels?
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Our educational system must find its guiding principles in the aims of social order for which it prepares and in the nature of the civilisation it hopes to build.
Secondary Education Commission (1952–53)
The Secondary Education Commission, with Dr A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar in chair, emphasised the need for formulating the aims of education with special reference to the needs and ideals of our country. The Commission identified the following as educational needs of democratic India.
(i) Developing Democratic citizenship: Democracy is based on faith in the dignity and worth of every single individual and human being. But every individual must acquire many sided art of living in the community and qualities like discipline, cooperation, social sensitiveness and tolerance.
(ii) Improving Vocational Efficiency: Improvement in vocational efficiency of individuals is necessary to raise the productivity of the individuals and of the country as a whole. There is a need to introduce vocational and technical courses in educational institutions to improve the vocational efficiency of individuals.
(iii) Development of personality: In order to release the sources of creative energy in the students, courses in arts, crafts, music, drama, etc. must be introduced.
(iv) Education for leadership: Since the Commission specifically dealt with secondary education, it emphasised that secondary education, in its ideology and approach, should grow from the education that is being given at the mass level and should consequently be closely integrated with basic education. The secondary education should aim at developing leadership at intermediate level as everyone cannot join higher education, Secondary schools should train persons who will be able to assume the responsibility of leadership in their own small groups of community or locality.
It is evident that the Commission has attempted to strike a balance between aims of individual and social development. The needs of a democratic India are sought to be met by developing personality of individuals and raising their vocational efficiency.
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Education Commission (1964–66)
The Report of the Education Commission (1964-66), under the chairmanship of Dr D.S. Kothari, was titled as ‘Education and National Development’. The title of the report is indicative of the Commission’s thinking about the potential of education. The Commission perceived education as the great enterprise of national reconstruction whose principal objective was to raise the standard of living of people which necessitates development of human resources. The country needs educational revolution which necessarily means relating education to life needs and aspirations of the people, which certainly shall go a long way in making it a powerful instrument of social, cultural and economic transformation necessary for the realisation of our national goals. The Commission suggested that in order to realise the national goals, the following should be the goals of education:
(i) Enhancing productivity: Education must aim at enhancing the level of productivity of individual learners in diverse fields and thereby enhancing the productivity of the entire nation. Science, mathematics and work experiences as compulsory areas of school curriculum and advanced level research in science and technology are some of the means to raise the level of productivity of the manpower. However, enhancing productivity does not mean increasing production. Instead, it means raising the level of efficiency and work output of workers in any field of human activity.
(ii) promoting Social and national integration: In view of the strains and tensions among diverse communities and regions, the Commission felt that there was urgent need to promote social and national integration in the country. The development of ‘national consciousness’, no doubt, is the pre-requisite for national development.
(iii) accelerating modernisation: Education must be geared to accelerate the pace of modernisation in the country, which is an indicator of social and national progress. The advancements in science and technology, development of infrastructure and increasing use of technology in different aspects of life are important manifestations of modernisation. But more important is the modernisation of attitudes and perceptions, i.e., developing scientific and liberal attitudes.
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(iv) character formulation based on Social, moral and Spiritual Values: National development does not mean only development of infrastructure and advancements in science and technology. It also means preparation of citizens of strong character possessing and practising social, moral and spiritual values. They need to strike balance between secularism and religion, on the one hand, and between science and spirituality, on the other, and adopting open mindedness, tolerance and objectivity as guiding principles of life.
learning check 4
Find out the similarities and differences in the recommendations of Secondary Education Commission and Education Commission.
National Commission on Teachers (1983-85)
The National Commission on Teachers (1983-85), also known as Chattopadhyaya Commission, enunciated four national goals in its report titled ‘The Teacher and Society’.
The Commission further recognised education to be the most important instrument for the attainment of these goals. The goals are described below.
(i) a united Secular india: During the tenure of the Commission, the country witnessed strong stresses and tensions in the name of caste and religion. The mixing of politics with religion and caste had further complicated the situation. The Commission noted with great concern that ‘Indians’ had become the smallest minority in the country, while people owing allegiance to caste, religion, language or region-based groups were in majority and relished their separate identity at the cost of their identity as ‘Indian’. In view of the strong divisive forces, the Commission concluded that the most urgent need of the hour was to develop a national spirit and a national identity.
(ii) a modern nation: Modernisation does not merely mean development of world class infrastructure and the increasing use of latest technologies. The Commission opined that it essentially means giving primacy to reason, an openness and flexibility of mind, and an ability to
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fashion life and environment, and not to surrender to unknown forces. The scientific temper and spirit must permeate the life of all our people. Science has indeed revolutionised all aspects of human life. It has discovered new areas of knowledge, and, therefore, the emerging society will need highly skilled and qualified manpower in the new areas of knowledge. The modernising of India is possible only if such manpower is available for which the education system shall require expansion and diversification.
(iii) a productive people: In order to accelerate the pace of modernisation, the country needs hard working and disciplined people, who ought to be conscious of quality in their work. They shall have to develop and observe work ethics in their respective spheres of activity. Through education, we shall have to raise the productivity of our people by undertaking programmes of skill upgradation along with inculcation of values of hard work and discipline.
(iv) a humane and caring Society: Today’s world is, by and large, governed by the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’. The richer and powerful individuals and nations endeavour to utilise maximum resources for their personal ends leaving very little for the majority of weaker individuals and nations. However, there has been a strong current of empathy and fellow feeling in many civilisations. Our Constitution has also a vision of rendering social, political and economic justice to all citizens of the country. The policy of reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the weaker sections of the society is a step towards the establishment of a caring society. However, the constitutional provisions need to be reinforced by refining the sensitivities of people through the mechanism of education.
National Policy on Education (NPE-1986)
As per the NPE-1986, the following ideas constitute the essence and role of education:
(i) Education is fundamental to our all-round development – material and spiritual.
(ii) Education has an acculturating role. It refines sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national
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cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit – thus furthering the goals of socialism, secularism and democracy.
(iii) Education develops manpower for different levels of economy. It is also the substrate on which research and development flourish, being the ultimate guarantee of national self reliance.
(iv) Education is a unique investment in the present and the future.
The above mentioned statements in the NPE-1986, emphasise the following as goals of education:
• All round development of learners – both physical and spiritual.
• Furthering the goals of socialism, secularism and democracy by attempting modification in the mindset and value systems of individuals.
• Attaining national self-reliance by developing skilled manpower for different levels of economy.
In sum, the NPE-1986 reiterates that for the attainment of national goals, the total development of learners, and that too in the appropriate direction, must be ensured.
National Curriculum Framework–2005
The Position Paper of National Focus Group on ‘Aims of Education’ made an attempt to seek answer to the question.
‘What ought to be the aims of education’? The following are the aims of education as per NCF– 2005.
(i) The school must help the creation of vital links between children’s experiences at home and in the community and what the school offers them.
(ii) Self knowledge should be the aim of education, which can be achieved through continuous process of self discovery, of learning the truth about oneself.
(iii) The child or the adolescent must be convinced of the superiority of a life of virtues to a life of vice and wickedness. The virtues must incorporate morality, comprising truth and love, or ahimsa. Truth means freedom from self deception.
(iv) Education should aim at promotion of respect for cultural diversity in the country, that is, a child must learn to respect and do justice to the cultures of other communities.