Gandhiji’s Basic Education was the practical embodiment of his philosophy of education.
His basic education takes up the challenging task of preparing the young learners to become morally sound, individually independents, socially constructive, economically productive and responsible future citizens which can prove helpful in solving the problem of unemployment by making youth self-employed by giving them skill training.
Gandhiji believed that education should develop all the capacities of the child so that he becomes a complete human being.
In this way, fully and harmoniously developed personality is able to realize the ultimate aim of life which is Truth or God. Gandhiji has himself explained – “By education I mean all-round drawing out of the best in child’s and man’s body, mind and spirit.
Literacy is neither the beginning nor the end of education This is only a means through which man or woman can be educated ” His Basic Principles of Education includes:
From seven to fourteen years of age, education of each child should be free, compulsory and universal.
The medium of instruction should be mother-tongue.
Mere literacy cannot be equated with education. Education should employ some craft as a medium of education so that the child gains economic self-reliance for his life.
Education should develop human values in the child. Education should create useful, responsible and dynamic citizens.
By education all the hidden powers of child should develop according to the community of which he is an integral part. Education should achieve the harmonious development of child’s body, mind, heart and soul.
All education should be imparted through some productive craft or industry and a useful correlation should be established with that industry.
The industry should be such that the child is able to achieve gainful work experience through practical work. Education should be made self-supporting through some productive work.
Education should lead to economic independence and self-reliance for livelihood. Thus, in Gandhiji’s educational thoughts the development of the personality of child is more important than mere literacy or knowledge of different subjects.
In other words he believed in life-centered as well as child-centered education. Besides learning of three R’s Reading, Writing and Arithmetic in school, he insisted on development of these H’s Hand, Heart and Head.
Thus, the aim of Education should be of developing the integrated personality of the child. Gandhiji was having clarity in the idea that one of the basic principles of education is that work and knowledge must never be separated.
Separation of learning from labor results in social injustices. In dynamic societies, education has to equip individuals with the skills and attitudes necessary for them to adapt to changing conditions, and for constructive participation in the task of social change.
This can prove helpful in solving the problems of frustration, depression, anxiety and feeling of committing suicide among youth.
Aims of Education
According to Gandhiji the true aim of education is to draw out of the best in child and man-body, mind, and spirit. The system of education must produce efficient citizen and true leaders of the country.
One of the important aspects of Gandhij’s educational philosophy is basic or technical education, which means the knowledge, or education that could help rural people in the promotion of village handicrafts or to establish cottage industries.
The ultimate purpose behind this attempt was to make young men and women self-reliant in the economic field.
Even in the modern perspective his idea or basic education is well worth and it has no clash with the concept of today’s job oriented or technical education.
In fact, Gandhiji wants the students to prepare themselves for technical knowledge right from the days of his primary level or education; it can prove to be a milestone in the direction of value education.
Curriculum
The curriculum of basic education should be completely reoriented, so as to eliminate narrow, exclusive, competitive nationalism and emphasis the ideal of a united world.
Thus the curriculum would set Indian history & Indian geography against a background of world history with special reference to social and cultural development of a man.
The curriculum would also provide for the study of fundamental universal ethics. Thus Gandhiji suggested the following studies in the Basic Scheme in order to develop the whole man—the intellectual, physical and spiritual powers
1. A basic craft in accordance with the local conditions,
2 Mother tongue,
3 Arithmetic,
4 Social Studies,
5 General Science including Health and Hygiene, Astronomy,
6 Art-Music and Painting,
7 Hindi,
8 Home Science for girls and
9 Physical Education.
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