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author: Rina Avinash Pitale Puradkar


Urgency of the research. Education must aim at the integral development of personality and that we need to have complete education for the complete human being. An educational system which did not help to inculcate nationalism is useless. A real educational system should able to inject a sense of pride in the nation’s history, culture and its ancestors. The colonialism had an internal psychological construct and paid less attention to the externally superimposed domination of the foreign power. It is essential to review the educational policies under the British rule to understand the present and visualize the future.

Target setting. Development of education system during the British period was determined by the needs of the colonial powers. If we analyze the development during British period, we will find that the colonial interests have always shaped the then educational policies of India. Sri Aurobindo says, patriotism is the pure love and devotion for the motherland. He dreamed of a nationalism which moved towards universal humanism. He believed that the educational system should be capable of infusing nationalism among the new generation.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Macaulayan system of education of pre-colonial period grew, and it has become so hardened that in spite of great efforts at the recovery of Indian pedagogy, we find it extremely difficult to develop and establish in India the real soul of the Indian pedagogy and its new progressive forms in post-colonial era. Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, K. M. Munshi and other nationalist upheld the concept that the national education should be part of the struggle for freedom.

The research objective. The main objective is to find the possible answers to the above mention problem and its impact. The greatness of the Indian system of education and the aim of national education is to imparted educational curricula rooted in national values in all over the country.

The statement of basic material. The greatest educationalist, those who played important roles in designing education systems have, in their quest to develop ideal processes and structure of education. The new pedagogy of national education impels a further realization of the potentialities of the child and its soul, a realisation that was explicitly stated in the writings of the nationalist leaders who inspired and led the movement of national education in India. In this paper I have tried to revisit the philosophy of education of Sri Aurobindo who tried to provide solution to the problem generated by Macaulayan education system in India during pre and post-colonial period.

Conclusion. Contemporary education system serves to popularize the culture of consumerism. This leads the society unavoidably to a situation of cut-throat competition. The reason for the present societal restlessness can be traced to this philosophy of ‘the survival of the fittest’. Sri Aurobindo agrees to this observation and states that, “Our goal is not mechanical. It is spiritual and based on the concept of ‘dharma’ (righteousness).

Keywords. Pre- and post- colonial India, British rule, Macaulayan education system, education crisis, Clerk making machine, Swaraj, Indian pedagogy, Indigenous education (Swadeshi), National education, Integral education, holistic education pattern.

 

References:

  1. Sharma, RN, Sharma, RK, 1996. ‘History of Education in India’, New Delhi : Atlantic publishers, P. 83.
  2. Mahatma, G., 1931. ‘Young India’, P. 19.
  3. Ministry of Human Resources Development, 1986. ‘National policy on Education’.
  4. UNESCO, 1973. ‘Learning to be’, New Delhi : Sterling, P. 156.
  5. Parameswaran, P., 1977. ‘Bhaviyude Darshanikan Sri Aravindan’, Kozhikode : Jayabharath Publications, P. 94.