“Education must also train one for quick,

   Chandigarh4dec/As commonly understood the purpose of education is learning of facts and acquisition of understanding from the multitude domains of knowledge as well as to develop common social values which help in building better relationships with other people. Underlying this is the presumption that the combinations of knowledge and skills as well as the common values will enable people in becoming more responsible and productive citizens. Education has been performing two-fold function in the life of man and in society: one is utility and the other is preservation of moral fiber of culture. It enables humans to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of  life and equip them with moral and ethical values resulting in the development of a more civilised society.

According to Martin L. King Jr. “Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Education should teach us how to think, rather than telling us what to think- to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, equip us to discover new, innovative ideas. The purpose of education is to produce learning individuals and not necessarily learned ones. Bishop Creighton, states that education should aim at creating people who continually ask questions. By this he means to say that education should nurture the inquisitiveness and curiosity in individuals.
The real object of education is to prepare youngsters to question the basic facts of life so as to have better understanding, striving to know more and more, seeking answers to ultimate questions.

These are the assumptions /expectations from the present system of education. How far the existing system of education is responding to these expectations is for us to find out.

With universilaisation of education it seems that the sole purpose of education has become limited to educate masses and develop skills in them so as to provide means to succeed in life.  Education being a cultural process is expected to respond to the demands of people, places and circumstances. While refining sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, scientific temperament, and independent thinking, education is expected to further the goals of socialism, secularism and democracy.

UGC (2003) in its paper on “Higher education in India-Issues, concerns and new directions expressed that, “Today the world economy is experiencing an unprecedented change. New developments in science and technology, media revaluation and globalization of education and the ever expanding competitive environment are changing the education scene. A paradigm shift has been noticed in higher education now days, from ‘one time education for a few’ to ‘lifelong education for all’, from ‘teacher- centric education’ to ‘learner centric education’. These changes make new demands and pose fresh challenges to the established education systems and practices in the country. Indian higher education system has a new role and a challenge to provide to the nation and the world at large, skilled human power at all levels, having breadth of knowledge and confidence to effectively confront the social and economic realities.” National policies have from time to time voiced the societal aspirations and expectations but the implementations of the same have not taken place in the same spirit. In these circumstances education fails to deliver the purpose for which it is meant. It neither promotes individual development nor does it contribute to the societal progress.                    

Let us deliberate on the reasons for this state of affairs. It is important for us to realize that education for development of man should not be confused with the acquisition of mechanical skills or intellect formation. According to Swami Vivekananda we must have education that builds character, liberates mind and by which integrated intelligence of an individual is awakened. This awakened intelligence will develop the power to identify and solve human problems through purposive thinking and social feeling and leading to social action. The product of such training is personality-energy and character-efficiency. It is this energy that is capable of mobilizing all types of physical and social energy resources and investing them in the social field and to make society grow in health and vigour.

Present education, instead of awakening the integrated intelligence of the individual, is encouraging him to conform to a pattern and so is hindering his comprehension of himself as a total process. If we look around we will find that in our colleges and universities, we are turning out as if through a mould, a type of individual whose chief interest is to find economic & social security, to become somebody important, or to enjoy life, with as little thought or effort as possible. Conventional education has curtailed independent thinking and most of us conform to the set trends and hardly question them. We prefer not to be different from others or resist environment or challenge prevalent ideas, as long as these contribute to our success. The urge to be successful, which is the pursuit of reward whether in the material or in the spiritual sphere, the search for inward or outward security, the desire for comfort – this whole process smothers discontent puts an end to spontaneity and breeds fear; and fear blocks the intelligent understanding of life.

J.  Krishnamurti says that in seeking comfort, we generally find a quiet corner in life where there is minimum conflict, and then we are afraid to step out of that seclusion. This fear of life, this fear of struggle and of new experience, kills in us the spirit of adventure. Our whole upbringing and education have made us afraid to be different from others, afraid to think contrary to the established pattern of society, falsely respectful of authority and tradition. Fortunately, there are a few who are in earnest, who are willing to examine human problems without any prejudices, but in the vast majority of us, there is no real spirit of discontent, of revolt. When we yield uncomprehendingly to environment, any spirit of revolt that we may have had dies down, and our responsibilities soon put on end to it.

He further remarks that revolt is of two kinds. There is violent revolt, which is mere reaction, without understanding, against the existing order; and there is the deep psychological revolt of intelligence. There are many who revolt against the established orthodoxies only to fall into new orthodoxies, further illusions and concealed self-indulgences. What generally happens is that we break away from one group or set of ideals to join another group, take up other ideals, thus creating a new pattern of thought against which we would again have to revolt. Reaction only breeds opposition, and reform needs further reform. But there is another revolt which is not reaction, and which comes with self-knowledge through the awareness of one’s own thought and feeling. It is only when we face experience as it comes and do not avoid disturbance that we keep intelligence highly awakened; and intelligence highly awakened is intuition, which is the only true guide in life.

Technological development in society is shaping our present values. Modern man is lost in the crowd. He accepts what society and its organs of expression, that is, the mass media put into circulation and as a consequence intellectual integrity is imperiled and truth suffers. The purpose of education is to cultivate right relationship, not only between individuals, but also between the individual and society; and that is why it is essential that education should, above all, help the individual to understand his own psychological process. Intelligence lies in understanding one-self and going above and beyond oneself. But this cannot happen till we develop critical thinking, rise above our petty self interests and pursue worthwhile goals. Fear perverts intelligence and is one of the causes of self-centered action, it dominates our attitudes and judgments and creates great many problems. To be without fear is the beginning of wisdom, and only the right kind of education can bring about the freedom from fear in which alone lies deep and creative intelligence. To understand the significance of life with its conflicts and pain, we must think independently of any authority.

In Sanskrit we say, ‘Sarva Sastra prayojanam atma darsanam’. That means, the end of all, the purpose of all scientific pursuits, of all scientific endeavor is to know our own self. In other words, it is the self of man that sits in judgment on the objects of nature it is able to tackle; it does not take anything for granted. It assumes nothing. It has no prejudices. It takes you wherever it leads you. The typical western scholar who typified this was Socrates. He said, ‘Go wherever your argument leads you’. And he also said, on his death-bed, ‘I am not an Athenian, I am a citizen of the world.’ Intellectual integrity and universal compassion, citizenship of the whole world that is what we should aim at.

Today, we have separated intellect from feeling and have developed intellect at the expense of feeling. Intelligence is much greater than intellect for it is the integration of reason and love. To be an integrated human being is to understand the entire process of one’s own consciousness, both the hidden and the open. This is not possible if we give undue emphasis to the intellect. We attach great importance to the cultivation of the mind, but inwardly we are insufficient, poor and confused.

Upnishads, talk about the cosmic evolution and put down five steps in the cosmic ladder. 1^st of all there is the inorganic or the physical, that is annamaya. Then there is biological, pranmaya, concerning vital breath and nervous system. Then the psychological or the manomaya, concerning the mind. Next is the logical or vigyanmaya concerning higher level of knowledge or the conceptual mind which dwells in abstractions and finally, the spiritual or anandmaya concerning happiness and bliss. The vigyanmaya has to transcend into anandmaya and that should be the endeavor of education.     If education is to achieve its purpose of fostering the abilities of students to create value towards the well being of all of society as well as themselves, it must diversify its efforts into three methodological areas: the nurturing of virtue, of benefit, and of beauty. Each constitutes   but one side of the complete human personality; none is sufficient of itself. If there is to be full development of the human personality, this kind of threefold education is a necessity.

As teachers it is our responsibility to see how far these expectations are met. What kind of education are we providing to the youngsters? How far it enables them to become more knowledable, more enlightened and socially responsible citizens. Does it develop in them social consciousness and creates a better, more civilized society. If not, then there is a need to look within and find out where lies the problem.

Teachers need to create channels for mutual exchange of ideas, dialogue and deliberation and provide opportunities to students to reflect on them. Class rooms have to become laboratories where these ideas are churned and given shape. Everyday environment in and outside the classroom should be such that it facilitates free flow of ideas. Informal discussion forums encouraging them to voice their opinion on various social issues should be encouraged. We need to offer courses, that provide academic theory and character development in a rich hands on learning environment, equip them with such knowledge and skills which enhance their decision making abilities and prepare them to confront the unforeseen challenges which confront them.

            Teaching faculty and the students need to understand the core values like respect, liberty, fairness and integrity and internalize the same through classroom experiences. Educating students to make informed and responsible choices and take personal responsibility would reduce the dichotomy between their professed and lived values. According to Mahatma Gandhi, “Education should be intimately related with human experience. What better book can be there than the book of humanity.” The convergence of ideas and action was the keynote of his approach. He stressed that the educational system must be one in which the highest development of mind and soul is possible and which instills courage and self-reliance in the individual, while at the same time, helping him to cultivate the highest intellectual, scientific, moral and ethical accomplishments. The purpose of education is to develop a ‘socially conscious man’ dedicated to truth and non-violence. The right kind of education, while encouraging knowledge and efficiency should accomplish something which is of far greater importance; it should help man to experience the integrated process of life. It is this experiencing that will put capacity and technique in their right place. Education is a regulation of the process of coming to share in the social consciousness; and that the adjustment of individual activity on the basis of this social consciousness is the only sure method of social reconstruction. 

Youngsters need to be associated with social causes and contribute in a meaningful way to the society.  We need to shift our focus from teaching to learning and create classrooms that are conducive to holistic learning, until we do that, we would be walking into half empty classrooms with inattentive, half hearted students who nurture un informed world view and half baked ideas.