- Education and its values have a significant place in the Constitution of India.
- The Constitution sets out the economic and social order for which the country's youth should be educated.
- The Preamble reflects national ideals and the aims of national policy.
- Every constitution contains a philosophy that embodies the hopes, ideals and aspirations of its people.
- Therefore, education must occupy an important place in the Constitution.
- This fact emphasises the vital role of education in national development.
- The values shown in the Preamble are also stated as objectives of the Constitution.
- Sovereignty, socialism, secularism, democracy, the republican character of the Indian state, justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, human dignity, and unity and integrity of the nation.
Socialism
- The word 'Socialism' is used in relation to economic planning.
- It implies a major role for the state in the economy.
- It also means a commitment to ideals such as removing inequalities, providing basic necessities to all, and equal pay for equal work.
- Socialism is a socio-economic and political doctrine that developed as a reaction to capitalism in Europe.
- Karl Marx and Lenin in Russia, and Mao in China, were the main architects of socialism.
- Socialism aims to establish a classless society with the state's total supremacy and the individual's submission to the state.
Aims of Socialism
- Establish a classless society.
- Ensure social justice, equality, and the state's complete supremacy.
- Abolish the capitalist system.
- Encourage active participation of individuals in the society's productive processes.
- It tends to ignore spiritual values.
Socialism and Aims of Education
- Develop a democratic outlook.
- Foster socialist values.
- Promote secular values.
- Provide equal opportunities for all-round development and welfare.
- Rapidly expand educational facilities in all areas.
- Encourage values like dharma, dignity of labour, non-violence, unselfishness and selfless service.
Socialism and Curriculum and Methods of Teaching
- Teach topics such as democracy, citizens' duties, equality, freedom, rights, secularism, socialism, social reform movements, and non-violence.
- Organise group activities like debates, discussions, social service camps, social surveys and shramadhan.
- Make socially useful productive work a key part of the social curriculum.
- Place emphasis on polytechnic, vocational and professional courses.
- Introduce information technology to help students succeed in the modern age.
- Use group methods such as team teaching, seminars and projects.
- Encourage the self-discovery method of learning.
Secularism
- Regarding secularism in India, it is said that "India is neither religious nor irreligious nor antireligious".
- This means there will be no state religion, so the state will not fund any particular religion.
- It has two aspects: every individual is free to follow any religion, and the state will not discriminate by religion.
Characteristics of Secular Education
- A moral outlook.
- A wider vision.
- A pluralistic outlook.
- Cultural development.
- Democratic values.
- A synthesis of spiritual and material perspectives.
- Humanitarianism.
Education for Secularism in India
- India's education system promotes secular attitudes and values through broad aims, curriculum, enlightened teachers and suitable activities.
- It also emphasises progressivism, rationality, freedom from bigotry and equal respect for all religions.
The following traits characterise education for secularism in India:
- Secular aims.
- Democratic organisation of educational institutions.
- Multiple curricula.
- Science teaching.
- Enlightened teachers.
- The current Indian education system seeks to create a social climate that promotes secular values effectively and enthusiastically.
Reason for Imparting Secular Education
- It cultivates a moral outlook.
- It helps develop liberal attitudes and values.
- It broadens one's vision.
- It builds an appreciation and understanding of other viewpoints.
- It fosters democratic values and a humanistic outlook.
- It reconciles materialism and spiritualism.
- It acts as an antidote to religious fanaticism and hatred.
Educational Implications
- Many positive steps have been taken to promote secularism in the country.
- The Constitution allows religious minorities to establish educational institutions and receive grants.
- Secularism forms the basis of moral education.
- Secular behaviour in schools grows from teachers' conduct and school life as a whole.
- All school activities must aim to instil values of love, truth and tolerance.
Democracy
- Democracy denotes both a political system and a political ideal.
- It describes not only a form of government but a general way of life.
- Democracy includes ethical, political, social and economic dimensions.
- It is a government form where supreme power lies with the people and is exercised directly or through representatives.
Education for Democracy
- For democracy to succeed, each person must accept responsibilities consciously.
- This requires high understanding and good character in individuals.
- Society must prepare individuals intellectually, morally and physically to fulfil their civic duties.
- This preparation helps society remain prosperous and content.
- Education has two main features: transmit social and cultural heritage, and create students' adjustment to their environment.
- Schools should develop qualities in children that are desirable for good citizenship.
These include:
- Self-realisation.
- Human relationships.
- Economic efficiency.
- Civic responsibility.
- True education for democracy helps people learn to distinguish facts from prejudice and decide sensibly.
Responsibility of Formal and Informal Agencies
- A person learns the first principles of democratic life at home.
- Family life and social experiences teach the best methods of socialisation.
- The school is a formal agency where proper arrangements can be made to teach democracy.
- Through personal efforts and group activities, people can learn the responsibilities of future citizens.
- The state must ensure universal free primary education is available.
- Informal agencies also help develop public consciousness.
- Education continues beyond school and is a lifelong process.
- Informal agencies teach individuals about rights and duties after formal schooling ends.
- Democracy succeeds only if citizens are intellectually advanced and educated.
- In a democracy, public opinion shapes governmental policies.
Relationship Between Democracy and Aims of Education
- In democracies, the main aim of education is the harmonious development of each citizen.
- Education should enable people to understand social, economic and political problems effectively.
- It should encourage creative thinking.
- Education must support both individual and social development.
- Education should also promote socialism in people's thoughts and actions.
- The Secondary Education Commission (1952-53) identified three aims suitable for democracy.
- Form character so students can take part creatively as citizens in a democratic social order.
- Improve practical and vocational efficiency so students can help build the country's economic prosperity.
Curriculum and Democracy
- To realise democratic ideals, the curriculum must be carefully planned.
Role of curriculum in creating democratic ideals are as follows:
- Include varied activities such as play, school lessons and co-curricular programmes.
- Allow ample individual freedom and keep the curriculum flexible.
- Consider students' intelligence, capabilities and needs when selecting courses.
- Give importance to local needs.
- Encourage efficient use of leisure time.
- Take vocational needs into account when framing the curriculum.
Role of School in Democracy
- Schools exist in society to serve the people's welfare.
- In a democracy, schools should promote democratic ideals.
Some important democratic ideals of schools are:
- Help students become capable of living in a democracy.
- Promote secularism and religious neutrality.
- Allow teachers freedom to choose methods and textbooks.
- Instil democratic feelings in teachers.
- Create an environment that fosters friendly relations among teachers, principals and inspectors.
- Emphasise cooperation, sympathy and love.
Teacher and Democracy
- In a democracy, teachers should have high status so they can bring positive social changes.
- They must receive proper training and be able to develop democratic feelings in children.
- Teachers should recognise each child's potential and foster good citizenship.
- They should be people of high character.
Teaching Methods and Democracy
- Teaching methods can shape the development of democratic setups in any nation.
The teaching methods must follow the given facts:
- They must be flexible.
- They must be dynamic and progressive.
- They must be activity-centred.
- Provide individual freedom using methods like Dalton's plan, project method and Montessori.
- Emphasise both intellectual and social development of the child.
- Self-discipline is important in democracy and should be encouraged.
- Children should be given opportunities for self-governance.
- Remember, democracy succeeds only when its members approach it responsibly.
- Alexander Meikeljohn said, Alexander Meikeljohn, "The art of democracy is the art of thinking independently, together."
Justice
- Justice is the concept of basic rights and it holds an important place for individuals and society.
- It focuses on good relations between people and the state.
It is divided into the following three sections:
- Social justice: It means equality in society and ensures everyone a proper place to overcome difficulties.
- Economic justice: It ensures that everyone has the right to property.
- Political justice: It states that any Indian citizen aged 18 or over should have the right to vote.
- Educational inequality in schools illustrates issues of social justice and liberty.
- Such inequality exists worldwide and prevents deserving students from realising their potential.
- Affluent students may gain advantage through resources, leaving brighter but poorer students behind.
- Schools can promote social justice by training teachers and changing policies to follow social justice principles.
Equality
- 'Equality of educational opportunity' has varied meanings.
- It represents the principle of distributive justice applied to education.
- At the primary level, it means free, compulsory education of adequate duration and content for all without discrimination.
- At the secondary level, it means offering diversified curricula to meet differing needs and interests.
- At the higher education level, it means providing opportunities to those who have the ability to benefit and contribute socially.
- Despite large expansion of education since independence, stark inequalities remain between the poor and rich, SCs, STs and other backward classes, and forward groups.
- Gaps also exist between boys and girls.
- While universal education is still distant, expansion benefits at secondary and higher levels mostly favour the relatively affluent.
Universal Education
- In a society where around 70% are illiterate, higher-level equality matters only if education for children aged 6 to 14 is universalised.
- High dropout rates and wastage have hindered national efforts to achieve this goal.
- To reduce wastage and move toward universal education, several recent programmes prioritise primary education funding.
- They also allow multiple entry points and use part-time or locally available non-professional teachers where needed for non-formal education.
Liberty
- Education gives tools for thinking and learning, while liberty gives the ability to seek truth.
- Liberty means freedom from restraint, not the freedom to act irresponsibly or deny basic morals.
- Education depends on liberty for two main reasons.
- First, without liberty you are taught what to think instead of how to think; that is indoctrination, not true education.
- If taught only what to think, the mind is programmed rather than enlightened.
- Second, without liberty you cannot truly learn and expand your knowledge and abilities.
- Likewise, liberty depends on education, since without education one's knowledge remains limited.
