Education these days is becoming more and more “of life, by life and for life”. As the role of education is gaining paramount importance, it can never be divorced from life. There exists a vital relationship between education and society. Education must take into account the dynamic nature of the society. This view has found an honoured place in many reports on education. To quote Hadow Report: “The purpose of education is the development of the full potentialities of child in accordance with the good of the community”. The University Grants Commission report reads: “Our educational system must find its guiding principle in the aim of the social order for which it prepares, in the nature of the civilization it hopes to build”. The aim of education should be to serve the interest of all and at the same time the well-being of the individual.
Educational theories in democratic countries have never failed to emphasise the inseparable relationship between the school and society. Therefore, our education must function in the wider context of the socio-economic forces of the country. It must never be dragged out of life currents. It must form part and parcel of the whole social evolution and meet the requirements of the society at all times. In this context, it is worth mentioning that social changes that have been taking place in India, over shadow and even control all others that have been taking place since independence.
September 8 is a memorable day in the annals of Indian history. On that day the troops of the Republic of China first penetrated into our territory and began a massive invasion. With unflinching determination India accepted the challenge posed by the Chinese on our sacred soil. To this effect the Prime Minister made a declaration in Parliament and the President proclaimed a National Emergency in the country. So it became the bounden duty of every citizen in India to realize the rights and responsibilities at this time of national crisis and to act accordingly; of the social and administrative agencies to fulfil their functions; and of the government to attune itself to the new situation. The government had to mobilize the nation’s efforts and resource, both men and material. It had to prepare the whole nation physically, psychologically and emotionally to face the unabashed aggression by the Chinese forces. The government had to build up the national morale rapidly to a high pitch and sustain that for over a long period.
Social problems as a result of the crisis are not the concern of the politician and industrialists alone but of the educationists also. Every educationist in this country at the time of crisis must see that education given in our institution is not ‘navigating in the untroubled waters’ of peace time. Students should be taught to understand the situation and their significance for the cause of peace, progress and prosperity, and for the preservation of the mankind at large. Opportunity should be provided to the students to participate in national activities. They must be trained for a crusade in the cause of the nation. If these are to become the immediate aim of education, radical changes have to be brought about in the curriculum, methods and techniques of instruction and educational organisation. In the words of Dewey, “It is radical conditions which have changed, and only an equally radical change in education suffices”.
Science education must be developed at all cost and significant place must be given to Science in the curriculum. A good percentage of students must be admitted to science courses. Output of science teachers must be stepped up. This however does not mean that pupils must be indiscriminately admitted to such courses. If pupils with little attitude for science are admitted the nation would incur loss at two ends. In the first place, pupils with no taste for learning science will fail to be benefitted by the course. This is a loss to the pupils as well as a national wastage. Secondly, opportunity to undergo that course is being denied to those who would have been benefitted by that. So those students who will become an asset to the nation by learning science must be admitted to science courses. Universities and colleges must organise short-term courses and training programmes in the light of the needs indicated by the defence authorities. Their resources of science laboratories and manpower must be provided for executing projects connected with the defence needs as may be indicated by defence authorities.
Pupils must be trained to think objectively and to sift truth from falsehood. The art of thinking is the “hardest task in the world” observes Emerson. To quote Mudaliar Commission Report “A democracy of people who can think only confusedly can neither make progress , nor even maintain itself, because it will always be open to the risk of being misled and exploited by demagogues who have within their reach today unprecedentedly powerful media of mass communication and propaganda. To be effective, a democratic citizen should have the understanding and the intellectual integrity to sift truth from falsehood, facts from propaganda and to reject the dangerous appeal of fanaticism and prejudice. He must develop a scientific attitude of mind to think objectively and base his conclusions on tested data”.
Pupils must be trained to analyse their own experiences, to test the validity and to arrive at conclusions. In other words, pupils must be trained to think independently and to take decisions on critical situations in life. This is very important in a democracy, especially at the time of national crisis. Here the ordinary methods of teaching will not be effective. Methods of instruction and techniques of teaching must be adopted to develop scientific attitude in students. Moreover, the success of our development depends on the facilities for technical education, which must be developed at a very rapid rate. People see two means to this end.
In the first place, vocational training may be given at the secondary stage. But educationists differ in this view. It is considered that technical training in the early stages of education is sound neither physically, psychologically nor educationally. At the same time, secondary education could be given with a vocational bias. This has been emphasised in the Mudaliar Report also. It remarks that secondary education must aim at the improvement of vocational and practical efficiency. To this end, the report has formulated a curriculum comprising diversified courses. Practical activities play a vital role in improving the vocational efficiency of pupils and educational institutions must also participate in productive work. By introducing practical activities in educational institutions the nation will be better prepared to meet the challenges of the crisis. Pupils must imbibe the inspired gospel of Carlyle, “All true work is sacred”.
Secondly, the number of pupils undergoing training in technical schools must be increased. At present many pupils flock together at the portals of universities because of lack of facilities for training in technical schools. However this does not mean that huge investment should be made on new technical schools at the critical juncture. There are two ways by which the demand can be met with.
- Maximum utilization of existing resources. For example each school can have two or three shifts.
- Increase the facilities with the available resources.
But we cannot stop the educational process or slow down the pace because that itself is essential for the effort, not only for the effort today but for tomorrow. In this context, another important fact that should be taken care of is that pupils with taste for technical education must be selected for the course. Career Information Services organized in all institutions with the cooperation of the educational and vocational guidance units in the State may go a long way in canalising pupils for various courses. It will also serve the purpose of securing suitable people with ability and aptitude for different offices of the defence services.
The sterling value of human personality at the time of crisis depends on physical fitness. Therefore people must be made physically strong so that they may successfully face any crisis. Hence, physical training must be made compulsory at all stages of education, with particular emphasis on physical strength, fitness, sense of discipline and efficiency. Senior and junior wings of the N.C.C, rifle training and field tactics must be made compulsory for all senior students. Strength of the National Discipline Scheme must be expanded with the object of making it universal at the secondary stage. Further, the importance of physical education for mental development is accepted by all educationists. The concept of ‘Psycho-physical’ unity of human organism is not new “Mens sana incorpore sano– a sound mind in a sound body” is an old dictum.
The sentiment of love for the country and the spirit of dedication for the national cause must be developed in pupils. Robert Browning wrote:
“Here and here did England help me;
How can I help England?”
Pupils must be trained to acquire the spirit behind these words. To quote John Dewey, “If democracy has a moral and ideal meaning, it is that a social return be demanded of all and that opportunity for development of distinctive capacities be afforded to all”.
Success of democracy depends on the co-operative activities of the people. Therefore, it is important to develop the spirit of co-operation and tolerance in pupils. After all school is only “a miniature community, an embryonic society.
Schools must become a vital source to disseminate reliable information. It is better to incorporate it with instruction in academic subjects like History, Civics and Geography etc. Teachers must analyse the information gathered by pupils and show their significance as well as their accuracy. Discussions and debates are very useful for this purpose. A modern school is considered to be a centre of ‘community mobilisation’. So she has the responsibility to inform the public about its duties and civic responsibilities in this crucial moment.
Thus, students should be made to realize that sacrifice during crisis period is not just imparting a few thousands of money alone, but the real sacrifice comprises voluntary surrendering of personal comforts. One must assume the willingness to embrace a life of Spartan austerity so long as the crisis continues. All these could be done only if efforts of the educational service, the largest social agency in the country, are mobilised along these lines. Burke once remarked, “An educated citizen is a grater defence to a democratic country than a vast standing army”. This is a poignant truth.