Gandhi’s Educational Philosophy of Naturalism Essay Sample

Education. to Gandhiji. was a agency to accomplish flawlessness of individualism on the one manus and an instrument of service to the state on the other. Therefore. single and societal both the purposes of instruction were considered by him every bit of import. “By instruction intend an all-around pulling out of the best in kid and man-body. and spirit” . he said. This in other words meant development of whole kid. the whole personality of the kid. Harmonious development of all the facets of human personality such as physical. rational and religious was emphasized by him as an single purpose of instruction. Stressing the societal purpose of instruction he said that the person has a duty to work for the public assistance of the whole society. “Willing entry to societal control and restrain for the interest of the wellbeing of the whole society” were considered by him of import attitudes to be developed in the people through instruction. Good of the person and good of the society were mutualist. So instruction should be both for the kid every bit good as for the province. Education. to Gandhi. was something more than literacy. Though he did non minimize the importance of vocational purpose of instruction. self-fulfillment and cognition of the Ultimate. God was considered the ultimate purposes of instruction.

Emphasis on vocational facet led him to state that instruction has to be self-supporting. a theory which culminated into his system of basic instruction. Cultural polish of human personality through instruction was besides considered of import by Gandhiji. But. it was Indian civilization that was emphasized by him. Culture. harmonizing to him was in quality of the psyche which was reflected in all facets of human behaviour. For accomplishing this sort of cultural polish he emphasized the survey of the Geeta and the sacred books of all other faiths. Gandhi attached much importance to character instruction and moral development of the kid through instruction. This would intend to him development of such qualities in the person as pureness of personal life. temperateness. and service of humanity. bravery. strength of strong belief. righteousness and sense of duty. The attitude of “Ahimsa” . non-violence was the supreme value to be developed in the people through instruction. The ultimate purpose of instruction harmonizing to Gandhiji is the Self-Realization. All other purposes are of import as they lead to self- realisation. Self-fulfillment. to him. means recognizing that the ultimate world. the Truth is the cosmopolitan psyche. some unknown supreme power and that the adult male is merely a flicker of that which fuses with that supreme finally. The Course of study

Gandhiji considered simple instruction the most of import stage of the educational system. He. hence. expressed his positions merely about the course of study of primary phase course of study. About this phase he said that rational development entirely should non be emphasized. The course of study should be so designed that it caters to the development of all the facets of kid personality. Physical. societal. moral and religious development. excessively. are of import. Hence. there should be proviso in the course of study for activities. experiences and topics of cognition that can assist accomplish these developments besides.

He. so. suggested doing the course of study activity Centre by presenting instruction of some trade like whirling. weaving. handcraft. book trade. art. agribusiness. and pottery etc. . whichever is near to the child’s life in his environment. Besides. he recommended that female parent lingua should be the medium of direction at this phase. It was besides suggested by him that mathematics. societal surveies. pulling and music should needfully included in the course of study. General scientific discipline including biological science. chemical science. physical scientific discipline. hygiene. nature survey. physical instruction and general cognition of uranology were besides recommended to organize the footing of the course of study. He besides suggested that upto category male childs and misss should be subjected to the same course of study. But. after that misss should be taught place scientific discipline alternatively of general scientific discipline. Method of Teaching

Gandhiji one time wrote in Young India ( 1921 ) that “schools and colleges should go about. if non entirely. self-supporting” . He. so emphasized that learning should be done through humanistic disciplines and trades. work and drama. voluntary activity and self-chosen activity. Gandhiji said that the method of learning should be such as it provides to the kid freedom. a opportunity to come into closer contact with the instructor. a opportunity to be an active research worker. perceiver and experimenter. Craft-centre instruction and correlativity method may be said to be the most of import ingredients of the educational method Gandhiji suggested. Correlation method would intend associating the cognition. of each topic being taught to the trade on the one manus and to the child’s life on the other. Gandhi. decidedly. demanded that trade should be made the centre of all instruction. Centre of the school life. The thought. afterwards. found an look to the Basic Education System which was introduced in all the provinces of the state. Some authors have tried to set labels on Gandhiji as a naturalist. an dreamer and a pragmatist. In fact we find elements of all these three doctrines in his positions on instruction.

But. fundamentally. he was an dreamer. His accent was on character formation and religious development of the kid. He himself lived a religious life and stood for higher values throughout his life. The good of the society. harmonizing to him. was contingent upon the goodness of each person. The perfect and spiritually developed persons entirely ‘ could represent an ideal society. So he emphasized that instruction should take the single to self-fulfillment. realisation of God and should develop in him attitudes of self-denial. societal service. ahimsa. forfeit righteousness. brotherhood. These are all higher values like the idealistic he besides emphasized that instruction should be used to cultivate these moral and religious values in the people. There are elements of naturalism and pragmatism excessively found in his educational doctrine. He considered the kid an of import component in the procedure of instruction and emphasized. like the naturalists. that instruction should conform to the nature of the kid. The kid should be allowed freedom.

He should be taught in natural environment for “drawing out the best in the child” . Like the naturalists. he besides said that instruction should take at the development of all facets of child’s personality. Activity. drama. experimentation and ain experience as the schemes of instruction were emphasized by Gandhiji besides like. the naturalists. He besides considered books as the agencies of leaving cognition to immature kid unimportant. Therefore. several thoughts of naturalism are found expressed in Gandhiji’s educational doctrine besides. Yet. it can non be said that he was a naturalist merely. Some elements of matter-of-fact doctrine may besides be seen in Gandhiji’s educational doctrine. His accent on doing instruction self-supporting and preparing persons for career. craft-centered instruction. activity Centre. instruction. larning through child’s ain experience and experimentation. correlated learning clearly brings him closer to the pragmatists.