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· Waking up to life and its mysteries, its solvable problems and the ways to solve the
problems and celebrate the mysteries of life.
· Waking up to the inter-dependencies of all things, to the threat to our global village, to
the power within the human race to create alternatives, to the obstacles entrenched in
economic, social and political structures that prevent our waking up.
– Education in the broadest sense of the term is meant to aid the human being in
his/her pursuit of wholeness. Wholeness implies the harmonious development of all the
potentialities God has given to a human person.
DEFINITIONS
Since time immemorial, education is estimated as the right road to progress and
prosperity. Different educationists’ thoughts from both Eastern and Western side have
explained the term ‘education’ according to the need of the hour. Various educationists
have given their views on education. Some important definitions are:
1. Mahatma Gandhi – “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in
man – body, mind and spirit.”
2. Rabindranath Tagore – “Education enables the mind to find out the ultimate
truth, which gives us the wealth of inner light and love and gives significance to life.”
3. Dr. Zakir Husain – “Education is the process of the individual mind, getting to its
full possible development.”
4. Swami Vivekananda – “Education is the manifestation of divine perfection already
existing in man.”
5. Aristotle – “Education is the creation of sound mind in a sound body.”
6. Rousseau – “Education is the child’s development from within.”
7. Herbert Spencer– “Education is complete living.”
8. Plato – “Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment.”
9. Aristotle – “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.”
10. Pestalozzi – “Education is natural, harmonious and progressive development of
man’s innate powers.”
11. Froebel -“Education is enfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ.”
12. T.P. Nunn – “Education is the complete development of the individuality of the
child.”
13. John Dewey – “Education is the process of living through a continuous
reconstruction of experiences.”
14. Indira Gandhi – “Education is a liberating force and in our age it is also a
democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out
inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances.”
John Locke said, “Plants are developed by cultivation and men by education”. This
world would have been enveloped in intellectual darkness if it had not been illuminated
by the light of education. It is right to say that the story of civilization is the story of
education. Thus, education is an integral part of human life. It is the basic condition for
a development of a whole man and vital instrument For accelerating the wellbeing and
prosperity by the light of education.
NATURE OF EDUCATION
As is the meaning of education, so is its nature. It is very complex. Let us now discuss
the nature of education:
AIMS OF EDUCATION
Aims give direction to activities. Aims of education are formulated keeping in view the
needs of situation. Human nature is multisided with multiple needs, which are related
to life. Educational aims are correlated to ideals of life.
The goal of education should be the full flowering of the human on this earth. According
to a UNESCO study, “the physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical integration of the
individual into a complete man/woman is the fundamental aim of education.”
The goal of education is also to form children into human persons committed to work
for the creation of human communities of love, fellowship, freedom, justice and
harmony. Students are to be moulded only by making them experience the significance
of these values in the school itself. Teachers could achieve this only by the lived example
of their lives manifested in hundreds of small and big transactions with students in word
and deed.
Individual and Social Aims:
Individual aims and social aims are the most important aims of education. They are
opposed to each other individual aims gives importance for the development of the
individuality. Social aim gives importance to the development of society through
individual not fulfilling his desire. But it will be seen that development of individuality
assumes meaning only in a social environment.
Individual Aims – Sir Percy Nunn observes, “Nothing goods enters into the human
world except in and through the free activities of individual men and women and that
educational practice must be shaped the individual. Education should give scope to
develop the inborn potentialities through maximum freedom.”
Because:
(1) Biologists believe that every individual is different from others. Every child is a new
and unique product and a new experiment with life. Thompson says, “Education is for
the individual”. Individual should be the centre of all educational efforts and activities.
(2) Naturalists believe that central aim of education is the autonomous development of
the individual. Rousseau said, “Everything is good as it comes from the hands of the
Author of Nature, but everything degenerates in the hands of man.” God makes all
things good, man meddles with them and they become evil. God creates everything good
man makes it evil. So individual should be given maximum freedom for its own
development.
Social Aim:
The supporters believe that society or state is supreme or real. The individual is only a
means. The progress of the society is the aim of education. Education is for the society
and of the society. The function of education is for the welfare of the state. The state will
make the individual as it desires. It prepares the individual to play different roles in
society. Individuality has no value, and personality is meaningless apart from society. If
society will develop individual will develop automatically. Here society plays an
important role.
(3) Society ignores the legitimate needs, desires and interests of the individual.