The Task of Education By Vinoba Bhave

 THE TASK OF EDUCATION

By  Vinoba Bhave

 

 

 About the Author

 Vinayak Narahari Bhave popularly known as Vinoba Bhave or Acharya Ji was a scholar, thinker and a writer who produced numerous books. He was born 11th Sept. 1895 in Gagode in Kolaba district of Maharashtra. He translated Sanskrit books to make these accessible for the common man . He was also a great orator with command over a number of languages.

 He started Bhoodan Movement where land was taken from kind hearted rich people and was handed over to poor people. He also created Brahma Vidya Mandir. It was created in order to make women self - sufficient . He was an innovative social reformer who helped women to earn at her own level with her own effort. This quality of his made him a National Teacher for India and also spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi .

 

 ABOUT THE ESSAY

 This is essay in an expert from Bhave's Book Thought on Education. It utters repeated warning against the damages which threaten education from systems, rules and regulations. The essay is about Bhave's philosophy of self - sufficiency. Basically, the main aim of education must not only be to make a student able to earn his bread. The real aim of this is to make them capable to gain knowledge at their own. If everyone becomes able to learn at each level through their own efforts, then it would help the whole nation to develop. Theoretical knowledge and its practical use, both are required, as only one's presence can disturb the progress at individual, social and national level. Each and every aspect needs to be in unison with nature, only then there will be proper knowledge. Proper knowledge leads to self - sufficiency and this self - sufficiency means freedom from dependence on others or on any external support.

 A man who has true learning is truly free and independent. This freedom can only be achieved in the lap of nature. Only nature can lead us to joy and feeling of satisfaction and the objective of true education is to lead human beings to nature and true happiness.

 

SUMMARY

 The author presents the idea that the main objective of education is to make students self sufficient. Each and every student must have the capability to acquire the knowledge at his own level. He must know the experimentation methods to know something new and also use the experiences of others. He needs not to be dependent on teacher for knowledge with an example from Ramayan , the author states that a boy of sixteen must be able to acquire knowledge by his own efforts. At such an age, he should be able to read books in his language and also be in position to learn new languages. Like sweet water, the fountain of knowledge, is achieved only by one's hard work.

 The focus of the schools should be on making students master of atleast one language so that they can learn other language at their own. But the major question is, apart from teaching language, what shall we teach our students? So, the answer is to equip them with key to knowledge i.e. to give them the power to study the " Veda of Vedas " means the power to achieve the knowledge for themselves .

 It is often seen that a student who scores thirty three per cent, is not considered wrong in his attempt as it is not possible to remember all the things. Such kind of score is not good as well. If we can't hire a cook who fails to give the excellent food every time, then how can we accept such a student? He must have hundred per cent knowledge. He should be provided with a mantra “full access to knowledge “and” confidence “. This confidence comes only with the realization that he knows everything required. On the completion of education, one ought to have full faith in his own powers. He must think himself as a creator who can use his mind to improve the world and also to use the mind to give form to other mindless people. So, he needs to attain self - sufficiency in learning.

 Education also has social and national goals. In a society with proper education, there will be no place for weapons as education itself is a strong weapon. Through this weapon, every other weapon can be shifted to the mode of silence. As the true education always leads humans to peace or non - violence and love. True education teachers humanity, freedom from fear to the whole world. Often countries remain under clashes and fail to solve it. This shows that education system is not correct anywhere .

Author has presented the readers with a basic principle of education that work and knowledge must go hand in hand. No learning is of value without action and vice - versa. Reading books does not mean that a student is learning something. On the contrary, these acts like a curtain that shuts us off from the real world. We can know the taste of mango only by eating it, not by reading about it. Similarly, to have real knowledge, we need to move into real world and experience it.

This does not mean, it is useless. Reading is a kind of accessory which is secondary in nature. The use of it is to enhance the quality of action. The truth is that work and knowledge can not be divorced. If done so then both become incomplete in sense.

Then the author discusses the link between human happiness and his closeness to nature. Proximity with nature means joy and feeling of satisfaction. Sarvodaya Economics explains the44 ENGLISH GUIDE (Semester - 11) concept with two principles: First is that the smallest possible population to be placed in agriculture. The rest should be employed in other innovative works. Second principle is that the lives of all the people must be in close touch with agriculture.

No doubt, both are in contradiction but show the reality. According to Bhave, only a small part should get into the production of food and others must go in businesses of other natures. But those others must also be in connection with their soil in one or the other form. For satisfaction, they need to be enrooted.

The joy, the feeling of bliss can not be enjoyed by the city people as they are far away from the nature. Artificiality has cropped up into their lives. Even they are not able to observe the beauty of night and its darkness. The scientific development has burnt everything. They console themselves by planting paper flowers and by fixing pictures of sunrise on their walls. Their lights have destroyed the beauty of night's silence. They have no connection with the surroundings and the heaven as well. Even the German philosopher Kant once stated that true freedom can be achieved under open sky. So, the real need of the hour is a change in value system and life style before change in education system.

With emergence of science, the world is facing a new problem of over population. As advanced medical science has decreased the death rate of infants, more people are facing grown up age. The result is more contribution to population. The author gives solution and that is to busy one self in the company of saints and nature. This helps in self control and gives feelings of satisfaction. So, we need not to get involved in artificial entertainment.

Even the Sanskrit word " Sukha " indicates towards this idea. The real joy comes from free life and free life can only be achieved beneath the open sky. So, the task of education is to lead us all to the path that will take everyone to true happiness. Its main aim is to help us in gaining true joy. This is the major goal of education