Perspectives on education

Changing perspectives on education in India

There are several definitions on education.This(which Chiropractice people have given) is only one among them.We will consider here three terms they used in the definition.
1 Growth.Education is a powerful tool in growth and progress of a person and through him/her the society/nation/world is important.Growth is not the physical growth alone,but mental,intellectual,spiritual –a total personality development for human resource development of entire humanity.The total healthydevelopment of such an individual gives a dynamics to entire world.All facets of life of person and society are enriched by the overall development and growth-that is intra and interpersonal successful relationships,bonds,alone with success in professional,sociopolitical,economical,artistic,scientific fields of entire humanity happen through the contribution of a welleducated developed mature human being.Such a person is an ornament to society and to world.(I can quote Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as a jewel of India in this context).
The question is does our present day curriculum provide such a development to people? Does it allow total personality growth or just remain something for getting a job,and making money by the easiest methods?And does all the educated people come out as committed citizens of society and of humanity? If not,the aim of education is not yet fulfilled and one has to find out alternatives for achievement of this goal of education.

Growth is definitely a goal of education.But it should not be uncontrolled growth of one cell(person) or a clone of cells over others(pathological) but a physiological natural growth of all cells according to needs of the entire body (physiological) and this similie from medical language distinguishes normal and abnormal growths .The growth of one person should assist in growth of entire society,nation,world and only then the growth is natural and valuable and perfect .Education envisages such growth.

2.The term formal.Formal means as an adjective correct,serious,and conforming to accepted conventions.Or an official ,publicly currently recognized method.(which need not be correct or may be correct-either ways can happen).As an adverb formally means a legally approved,or official ,prescribed procedure through regular formal chaanels like schools,colleges,universities etc.This is decided by a Governmental agency in power .

But human education is not only formal but informal training and growth is a process ,due to informal education (or partially due to it)is an accepted fact by all educators,teachers,parents,and students (by all people alike).Therefore that term is slowly being replaced by educationists for a better definition.Most of them now include both formal and informal learning in education.
3 The term empirical.Developed as philosophy of Roger Bacon mingled with St Augustinian tradition ,by about 13th century in Oxford .But in 13th century the Oxford teachers came for education to Bologna and Paris ,the important centers of Christendom ,and return to Oxford and taught the spirit and idea of Paris papal court.And even those who never went to Paris ,and who learned in Oxford were under the influence of this Parisian influence .This intellectual supremacy and authority of a single orthodox tradition over international intellectualism is personified in Empiricism.
Indian educationists (Changing perspectives in Education Ed Denis Coelho .Indian Social institute of New Delhi 1995) noticed that every one is trying to define education on subjective objectives/aims and spelt out that the true education has some aims which allow both individuals as well as nations to which they belong,and through them the emtire world has to become strong and mature and self-reliant .

The value-based education has to be a human-oriented,universally acceptable one for progress of human race as a whole and on a eco-friendly basis .For this an integrated curriculum –oriented formal as well informal awareness is needed .This is the Grand unification of entire cosmos ,sciences,arts,humanity and other life forms,nature in its ecological multidiversity .This is the value based education for entire human race .
In the introduction to the above mentioned book it is rightly said that Education goes beyond ,academic excellance ,cognitive growth and aims at human growth which calls for involvement of the whole person ,mind,heart,and will in learning process .HRD aptly sums up higher aims of education.It should initiate a social change for betterment of humanity and nations.Brazilien Paulo Friere said learning is to critically analyse and deepen self-perception leading to conscience building.Mode of learning is a dialogue,in which love,humility,hope,and faith prevail.This is called the process of liberation by Freire.We are in this world ,to transform,rather than to adapt ourselves to it.For Gandhi also the education was not just a system nmaintainance but system change.Whole life and practice is needed for that type of valuebased,valuebuilding education.Education is that which allow a person to manage entire life ,survive problems and crisis,and in that experience and problem solving and survival,be productive and helpful to entire nation and humanity and nature.There is no limitations for such an education and ability to respond to whole of life and nature in a positive way.It is an integral life partnership with environment in which we are placed as dynamic organisms.The eco-friendly education alone can save the world .Thus total literacy is not just reading and writing ability,but it includes the ability and growth to decide sociopolitically what we need and how we can achieve it.To prepare for such a education ,the formal ,empericist ,authoritative and moneymaking- oriented ,job and degree oriented education alone is not enough .This understanding has lead to the discourses of alternative methods like integrated curriculums,value-based education etc.
I had been a teacher for medical students (undergraduates/postgraduates)and have seen the problems of education that lead to social evils .And how to diminish them and give a positive impetus to my profession (Medical science)and the Medical teaching curriculum ,and thus improve the human life had lead to the value-based education I am advocating.
This does not negate the formal studies.But supplement it with informal value-based integrated learning so that each human being is useful to him/herself,to family,society,nation and world .This is a goal which I have devised from my own experiences in life,personal and professional and as a social and philosophical thinker .This is not a theoretical discussion .But a practical method which if implementd would lead to a visible positive change in society.But ,as said earlier,only if one has political powers and decision-making powers one can implement such plans in a formal curriculum .

Dr Malcolm S.Adiseshiah has given the following headings to his chapter on Philosophy of education :-
1.Education is holistic
2.Education is learning
3.Education is work
4.Education is a dialogue
5.Education is service
6.Education is character building.
And in fact education is all these and beyond.
Thomas V.Kunnunkal is concerned with education as nation building.He mentions four goals –all interlinked as a composite goal.
1.Education for Integral personal development
2.For national development
3.For community
4.For culture and values.Kothari commission(National commission on Education 1964-66)had introduced social dimension to objective of education.The title of its report itself is Education and national development.1986 National education policy envisages education that promote national cohesion,scientific temper,independence of mind and spirit,goals of socialism,secularism and democracy –fundamental to allround development ,material and spiritual.National selfreliance can only be attained by such growth.
The question again is have we reached that ?If not,why?Have we become a highly productive,selfsufficient nation,humane,caring for others, a modern nation,a united India ?If not ,is our formal classroom education satisfactory?Have our formal education failed to infuse the enlightened citizenship ideals and values in our people ?If so is it not necessary to change the definitions and the methods?And what alternative suggestions ,we as educated and experienced citizens of this land and of this earth(as members of human race)can contribute for that ?It is this constant reflection and experiences and experiments that had given rise to these ideas of mine.
For transformation of mindsets ,our Governments started decentralization programmes as part of NEP .But ,each decentralized part is showing separatist tendencies and showing that they are not yet mature enough to be responsible citizens of a democratic nation .Only if this state level decentralization is successfully undertaken,the second and third levels(district/local Panchayath levels) can be successful.But a simultaneous decentralization from local Panjayath levels will be better undertaken with the state decentralization so that the low and high levels can meet at middle levels.This majr area of action also has been slowly being implemented.
What should be included in a value based curriculum?Can any one say that what he/she thinks as value is acceptable to all?No.But there are universal values .Justice,equality,freedom,fraternity ,unity beyond all differences of caste/creed/sex/sociopolitical class etc,truth and nonviolence,honesty .
This modern,Indian,Humane values are also the most ancient ,global and ecological values .This if any institution/person accepts and puts to practice one can accept.Otherwise not.

Human resource development involves Relationship of a person to oneself and to society.Whether I am an asset or liability to myself and to society depends upon the development of my skills ,abilities,my ideas,my virtues,values and my practical life.Without such values a nation cannot build up its valuable HR .Therefore ,it is not mere reading and writing ability but ability to analyse and cognize the present situations,ability to change them for betterment of entire humanity which distinguishes a person from others.For this knowledge of past is needed.History is for that purpose.If education(formal) has failed in this respect,we have to seriously think of its causes and make a change for the betterment of our society.Without values ,if we produce moneymaking luxury loving machines with academic titles of doctors and engineers and IT professionals ,does our nation improve?If we produce them with all the academic excellence +values would not that be ideal for us ?
In the integral pedagogical paradigm Louis Xavier regards PROCESS of education as a cultural TRANSMISSION from generation to generation.It is accumulated wisdom transmitted through ages by humanity.The academic excellance is replaced by human excellance in valuebased approach (which also includes academic excellance).Academic excellance do not include human excellance,but humanexcellance includes academic excellance as well.In the pedagogical framework are 5 steps.Context,Experience,Reflection,Action,Evaluation.
1.Context of learner.The life situation from which the learner comes.How they have affected /influenced him/her
2.Experience.Beyond the intellectual grasp education ,has ability of using imagination ,feelings etc .
3.Reflection:- Thoughtful reconsideration of a subject matter ,experience ,idea,purpose of spontaneous reaction to grasp its significance fully .Memory,imagination,feelings,cognition are used in this step by us.
4.Action
That which makes the learner decide that this is my point of reference on which I wil act .The interiorized choices become externally manifested in our actions .Our actions show our convictions .Practical use of our values are manifested only when we act in a certain manner.
5.Evaluation.Effective feedback make us explore further ,and find out alternative methods/solutions for the accepted /formal current ones .Every teacher/learner/educationisthave experience of all these steps in their process of education.
The evaluation and further growth ,by reexamination of whatever had happened ,and reflection on it leading to improved actions has an effective cyclical pattern .

The only problem in implementing this is when educational institutions adopt fragmented approaches ,narrow specializations, sidestep the central concern for the human person/personality development as a whole .When values are neglected and a child/person is subjected to education just for the sake of formal training to be a specialized professional (with no commitment to values/nation/world)this happen.We have witnessed this already .
A spiritual version of world over materialism
Concern for others over selfish egoisms
Simplicity in face of consumerism
Cause of justice in face of social injustice
These are the ideals /values which teachers and students of modern world need to inculcate in a valuebased education for positive change in society and world .
For this we need
1.A unifying vision .(A grand unification theory or Mahaa advaitha as I call it)
2.Enrichment of dynamics of pedagogy by insight gained from contemporary educational psychology (which one gains from practical experience as well as from books on the subjects and compare both)
3.Development of a wide range of course materials for implementing this pedagogy.These are to be viewed as models to facilitate a teaching-learning process.
4.Staff development programmes involving in-service traing .Training the trainers programmes .
5.Exchange of expertise and experience among people who practice this .This open exchange will develop and let the discipline grow .
Thus education(life long including informal and formal) leads to generation of a new society which believes in high values.This has not occurred with the current method of education we are following as Dr William Madtha points out in his article.He writes:-Lust for money ,awards and sex at the cost of values has become the fashion of the day ,even among academicians.The corruption and misuse of finances by administration is also pointed out by him as a result of this .He points out how the Nishkaamakarma (selfless service)can make individuals mature and capable of assuming their responsibilities.Only such a qualitative education which inculcate this can restructure society .
He mentions that core curriculum has to be designed so that it connects with life,viz,to promote national values such as Indian common cultural heritage ,egalitarianism,democracy,secularism ,equality of sexes,ecological sensitivity,freedom ,observance of family norms and scientific attitudes to life,that is spirit of enquiry,creativity,objectivity,courage to question,methodology and an aesthetic sensibility.National unity (Oneness )should be felt by all by such education.In restructuring institutions,in giving autonomy to institutions accompanied by their accountability and in selecting educators etc one has to exercise extreme care.
Educators with personal qualities,educational qualifications,and professional competence are needed .(pp 49 Education fro generating a new society).They will be assets to the institutions they work as well as to the nations they serve.Instead of that electing people who have educational qualifications but no values will do harm to institutions as well as nations.State incentives for accountability of teachers and educators will increase their performance .Sociopolitical awareness is needed in a democracy to succeed.Without allowing free expression of such ideals at local levels ,and without giving awareness of its importance at all levels no educational system is complete .that is why adult education and continuing education are important.
Jesudasan (a Gandhian studies expert)gives the importance of Gandhi as an educator .He observes that his analytical thinking was as radical as that of Marx but mor econstructive than Marx in search of solution for the whole problem.Both are social philosophers and activist reformers ,concerned with reconstruction of an ideal society.But methods were very dissimilar when it comes to gross alienation and violent reaction of labourer to exploitations(Marx)and subtle exploitation and method of nonviolent non-co-operation of the exploited.(Gandhi)As part of the social educational pedagogy to remedy the evil Gandhi tried to introduce at formal educational structural level ,productive and life-sustaining work experience as center of the whole learning process.Work is basic and central to education,not as an employment or money-generating activity ,but as sustaining life in the whole superstructure of society.This is more scientific than any other theories of education.But India did not experiment with this vision of our own educationist Gandhi ,but adopted the system of the Europian whitecollar job oriented system .Even with that we can start implementing te ideals of Gandhi-Simple living,high thinking,and equality of all and nishkaamakarma as service to all.

The importance of ecological education is not to be neglected.Nature is common property resource of us.Shared by all alike.Therefore it is heritage of all ,not only of humans but also of all living creatures.Therefore ,Think globally and act locally to conserve nature should be taught right from childhood to all human beings.And this cannot be done without awareness of our biodiversity,our traditional ways of conserving it and all these are learned from generations of oral tradition.Not from a formal classroom alone .Though each teacher can facilitate this way of learning by inculcating a desire to know more about our environment and how to protect it etc.Practice of a ecofriendly life right from beginning is inculcated in children by parents themselves and school teachers can augment it .Thus formal and informal education makes one grow and mature and become an asset to oneself,to ones family,society,nation and world .Though we have not visited all continents by thinking as a world citizen and acting at our own little sphere of activity(local environment)we can contribute and be a valuable citizen of world.This is the value-based education needed for every human being .
It integrates all the love,compassion,scientific temper and artistic talents ,cognition and imagination in one person for the sake of the entire living and nonliving world of existence.
This may seem a Utopian dream.But is not.It is a practical dream,for each one of us to internalize,enjoy ,practice in our life and be happy thereby making others also happy.