Gandhi's lessons for education

Mahatma Gandhi. 
Photo obtained from www.encyclopedia.com

It has been 67 years since Mohanchand Karamchand Gandhi (M.K. Gandhi) left us. As to many great leaders, this light was also extinguished untimely by an assassin. I worship Gandhi primarily as the father of my nation. Myriads of other reasons for the world to admire him - as an icon of peace, warrior of non-violence and a man of simplicity, a messiah of truth – only reinforce my emotional attachment to that great soul. 

Hardly a week before, during a rendezvous at his official residence in Addis Ababa, Dr. Girma Wolde Giorgis, former president of Ethiopia was gladly showing to me the autobiography of Gandhi and praising the ideals of peace, non-violence and truth for which Gandhi stood for. “I am a fan of Gandhi”, the former president quite often unravels his love for Gandhi. Being one among the thousands of Indians who are there to empower Ethiopia’s educational sector, I believe, Gandhi has left for us a set of educational wisdom that should inspire Ethiopia, too.   

Dr. Girma Wolde Giorgis, Former President of Ethiopia is a huge fan of Gandhi.
Photo: SIVAKUMAR K.P.

It was on the soil of South Africa that Gandhi made his first tryst with the tyrannical proportions of colonialism. Gandhi’s first role as an education provider was also in South Africa. He had to offer education for his two sons and a nephew who were there with him. At that time he was having his educational institution known as Tolstoy Farm. But he was unable to fund the teaching staff there. So Gandhi decided to educate his sons and nephew at his own. He trained them in such a way that the boys could successfully manage with almost entire chores of life from cooking to scavenging. 

When he reached back India in 1914, the educational scenario in the country was already rotten. The colonial administration has designed the education so as to generate a middle class who would be obedient followers of the oppressive rule. In fact they succeeded in creating a generation which would love English education for easily fetching privileged jobs.  This consequently led to the disintegration of traditional jobs. Carpentry, handicraft, blacksmith, and cobbler – the glory of all such trades that furthered Indian fame in commerce started waning. 

Gandhi, in order to regain the eroding native values, hence decided to launch an alternative education system called ‘Nai Talim’. It was a new system of education where native knowledge, technologies and traditional artisan and commercial crafts were given importance. He wanted to bring the downtrodden sections to the mainstream. Hence Gandhi’s educational system had enough space for vocations like spinning, weaving, handicraft, leather works, book binding and so on. At that time, it was his firm belief that English teaching would be unproductive for two main reasons: one, that the exchange of knowledge would not be sufficient; and two, it would make a divide between the ‘highly educated’ and the ‘under educated’. Later, time could prove that his vision was not any kind of xenophobia, but an astounding foresight about his country. 

Technology of the land

Not a simple acquaintance on literature, but a sincere inclination for manual labour could only bring in progressive results, he trusted. Education becomes meaningless when it is focused on material growth. Needed is hence a system of education that nurtures native wisdom, norms, culture and technologies.

Gandhi inspired millions to weave clothes using spinning wheels. To him, a child trained in spinning wheel should also be provided with the wisdom about its mechanism as well as cultural and economic value. This is necessary for making the person a master of his trade, able enough to solve any kind of problem that would arise. 

Gandhi’s acquaintance with great poet and educationist, Rabindranath Tagore furthered the former’s views on education. Tagore was running Santiniketan, a groundbreaking idea of offering education at open classrooms, closest to the pulsating natural environs. Hugely inspired, Gandhi launched drastic changes with his Sabarmati Ashram School, Ahmedabad. He inspired students to look after everything themselves – from morning prayers to cleaning classrooms; and cooking food to maintaining the school yards. The Ashram school catered to students of different age groups starting from tiny tots to adults. 

Blessed poet, Rabindranath Tagore and Gandhi.
Photo obtained from www.en.wikipedia.org

Relevance today

Today the world at large remains to be obedient henchmen to those global organization and their treaties. Education is currently one of the biggest commerce. Debates go unending upon the merits and demerits of the system. Some say commercialization of education is a must to free the hands of governments. Some equally argue that it goes to the benefit of a minority affluent class and detrimental for the have-nots. Still others cry over the cultural penetration and erosion of values due to globalized education. 

Modern day jobs have huge impact on our perception about education and consequent changes in society. Photo obtained from www.jobs.aol.com

In any case, vigorous social mobility has become an undeniable truth with all developing countries. Children of farmers are no more farmers; instead become owners of white collar and blue collar jobs. A mad rush is seen behind so-called privileged jobs in sectors of engineering, medicine and IT. Traditional jobs and agriculture farming are fast becoming stories of the past. 

For any society that needs to strengthen traditional jobs and skills of the soil, Gandhi’s educational philosophy would be a way out.  Wisdom disseminated by light towers like Gandhi is an asset for the entire humanity. How much our education supports and promotes the needs of the land depends upon how much we use the wisdom bestowed by visionaries like Gandhi. 

- Sivakumar K.P.