Mahatma Gandhi and his lesson on education

On October, 1869, at Porbandar in Gujarath. In his childhood, when he went to school he could not make a drastic change in his student life. He remained a mediocre student with sluggishness and memory raw. His school was not his teacher, it is learnt from his biography that the primary school education was far from satisfactory. He learnt multiplication tables may be from his peer.

In his twelfth year his company was with the subject books. For Gandhi, there was no chance to study the social practices prevailed in Indian society. His stay in South Africa led him to understand the practices of Indian society. This was reported in My Experiments with truth. He did not learnt alphabet, algebra, arithmetic from his mother or father but learnt honesty, values, and few other values from his wife Kasturba. After his primary education he moved to higher education, there teachers liked him but whether he liked any teacher or not – is yet to be discovered.

His contribution to Education:

“By Education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man – body mind and soul.

This is the famous, unique, definition of Gandhi- a universal one ; has no flaw, written by him to reflect his own aspirations, as a learner thorough out his life –from ancient to modern times and from British education to indigenous education system.

The Wardha scheme of Education:Why he became Mahatma; the greatest Indian ; bapu and etc only by his actions and ahimsa. Ahimsa in his talk, ahimsa in his conversations to all walks of life was the weapon often used to lead big rallies like Non – cooperation movement , satyagraha, fast unto death; salt satyagraha etc. and finally helped him to bring freedom to India.

His opinion on highest scheme of education in primary stage:

Scientific learning and handicrafts helps children to mould their minds towards understanding and respecting skills and training. The mother tongue medium of instruction was the corner stone of his scheme of education which was very much placed on record in all the education policies implemented by our Govt after we got independence.

Education a bipolar process“ teachers teaching about philosophy of Gandhi to all levels of learners or students would definitely benefit the both – the teacher and the taught.

(The author is the Head of Department (HoD), WDECi/c, Dr B R Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU))