CTET & STET 2012 : HISTORY OF EDUCATION

Education was considered as the greatest gift in ancient India. The real goal of the education is to fit a person for his work in life. Ancient Indian education was primarily the education of the “Vedas”. In Vedic period India evolved different systems of education in accordance with the changing needs of the time.

Philosophy of Life and Characteristics of Education in Ancient India:

The vedas are the original source of the Philosophy of life. The knowledge derived from the Vedas alone can give real happiness to an individual. The “Veda” means ‘to know’, but it is the Veda which inspires to get the knowledge of god. The ancient seers of India, though not very much to affairs have not neglected ‘Karma’.

Development of education can be studied under three important periods:

(A) Vedic Period (B) Brahmanic Period (C) Buddhist Period

Education in Vedic Period:

“No Doubt countries like china Egypt and Babylonia rank with India as being the cradles of ancient Civilizations, but no other country has left behind such enduring marks of heritage as India.”

According to Manusmriti, “This body is made godly by a through study of three Vedas.”

Vedic Period is the most significant period of India’s Cultural heritages. Vedas occupy a very important place in Indian Life. On the basis of Indian Culture Vedas, are four in number:

1. Rig-Veda 2. Sam Veda 3. Yajurveda 4. Atharvaveda.

Meaning of ‘Vedas’:

The Literal meaning of ‘Vedas’ is the knowledge and the ‘Vedas’ derived from ‘vid’ root meaning ‘to know’. Or ‘Veda’ means the knowledge of various types.

Aims of Vedic Education:

• Education for other world lines.
• Character formation.
• All round development for Personality.
• Intellectual Development
• Spiritual Development
• Preparation for living
• Preserving and Transmitting Culture
• Education only a means and not an end in itself.

Ideals of Education:

• Liberation.
• Control of mind.

Methods of Learning:

• Listening (Sarvana)
• Deliberation (Manana or Chintan)
• Meditation (Nidhidhyarama).
• Illustration
• Project Method

Characteristics of Vedic Education:

• Vedas are the eldest World Literature.
• Suitable age of education.
• Rig-Veda is the mirror of Ancient Indian culture and civilization.
• Perfection in Education.
• The main aim of Vedic education was to liberate the soul from worldly bondages.
• Equal rights to education for all.
• Ideal of teacher.
• Education standard in the family.
• Equal opportunity to gain education.

Agencies of Vedic Education:

There are three agencies of education:-

• Guru Kula
• Parishad
• Sammelan.

Objectives of Education:

• Religious Preaching’s.
• Knowledge of Literature.
• Spiritual Knowledge.
• Brahman Realization.
• Removal of Ignorance.
• Physical and Intellectual development.
• Inculcation of Civic and Social Virtues.
• Preservation and Spread of Culture.
• Immediate and Ultimate Aim.

Curriculum:

1. Vedic Literature:

• The Rig-Veda.
• The Yajurveda.
• The Sam Veda
• The Atharvaveda

2. Vedangas.
3. Hetuvidya.
4. Silpa-vidya.
5. Physical Education.
6. Stress on other worldliness.

Student life in Vedic Age: Student life in Vedic society was worked by a ritual called

‘Upanayana’.

Brahmanic Education

Education in Brahmanic age was to a great extent only a refind and developed form of Vedic education. Practical and useful subjects in Post-Vedic Period increased the importance of Brahmanic education. A significant characteristic of this period is the determination of syllabus according to the Caste ad Ashram system.

Main Features of Brahmanic Education:

1. Aims of Education: Brahmanic education promotes material and helped to attain salvation to pupils. Brahmanic education aimed at the spiritual development and attainment of supreme knowledge. Education emphasized preparation for life and all round development of Personality. Formation of moral character, purity of heart, self-control. Self-confidence and self-reliance were the main objectives of Brahmanic education.

2. Curriculum: Brahmanic education the educated was to learn Vedic mantras, knowledge of religious rituals like ‘Karamkanda’ ‘Havan’ and ‘Yajna’. In Brahmanic education was essentially religious and spiritual in character. Practically all the useful subjects were included in the curriculum. All this led towards salvation. Vendanga and Puranas also included in the curriculum Prosody and Rhetoric’s started. In Brahmanic education, ‘Karma Sidhant’ and stratification of caste system had an effect on study. There was provision for selection of curriculum according to choice of students in terms of caste, aptitude, ability and caste.

3. Methods of teaching: In Brahmanic education the art of writing had developed in the Brahman age and books were written with hand on leaves of the Talapatra and Bhojpatra, Discussion, Answering of Questions, Debates, conferences, Painting. The method of teaching consisted repetition by the pupils. Brahmanic education laid a good deal of stress on self study.

4. Role of Teacher: Teacher was the highly source and head of all knowledge. The teacher is compared with Vishnu and God Shiva. He was an embodiment of all good qualities. He was regarded as the guide, builder and teacher of the society. The role of teacher in Brahmanic education was to assist the students in:

· Attainment of supreme knowledge.

· Physical and Mental development.

· Spiritual development.

· Self-control.

· Propagating the ideas of Love

· All round development of Personality.

· Preservation and development of Culture.

5. Educational Institutions: Gurukulas, “Parisheads, Sammelans, were promote higher order of learning student at the Guru Kula was availed himself of opportunity to mould his life and live idealistic life. Higher learning were the parishads. The Parishads were just like the judicial assemblies. The conferences of learned men were also called to promote higher learning.

6. Other Salient Features:

· Education was given free.

· Brahmanic education was spiritual as well as materialistic in nature.

· Vaishyas and Shudras were not educationally developed.

· Samavartan upadesh was given to the pupil after completion of his education at Gurukul.

· Some of its special features such as pupil-teacher relations, moral discipline, individual attention, intellectual freedom.

Buddhist Education

Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism did not write any book himself. His followers made the collection of his preaching 100 years after his death. The collection is known as ‘Tripitikas’ which are of three forms (Pitak):

· Vinay Pitak.

· Sakta Pitak.

· Abhidhamma Pitak.

Basic Truths of Buddhism:

· Life is full of sorrows.

· Sufferings have causes.

· Elimination of suffering.

Salient features of Buddhists Education:

1. Objectives of Education: The main aim of education was to attain ‘Salvation’. Buddha formulated eightfold path, known as Ashtang Marg. Mainly, eight objectives of Buddhists education:

· Right Will

· Right Speech.

· Right Actions.

· Right Vocation.

· Right Exercise.

· Right Memory

· Right Concentration.

· Right knowledge

2. Curriculum: In Buddhist Education, Education was divided into two

Stages:

i) Primary Education

ii) Higher Education.

Primary Education of the period aimed at teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. The Jetkas stories indicate that during the Buddhist period. At the higher stage students studied a variety of different subjects. The Buddhists raised India’s international status. Korea, Tibet, Java and other distant countries were attracted to them. In Buddhist monasteries Word knowledge, Painting, Printing, Sculpture, Medicine Knowledge, Logic Spiritual Education, Games and Sports, Archery, Geology, Arithmetic and Religious discussion were included.

3. Methods of Teaching: Verbal Methods was used during the Vedic age. Buddhism emphasis teaching of all subjects through Palli. Question-Answer Method, Debates and Discussions were organized to bring about proper education. Direct Method had a great recourse for teacher and knowledge was presented in the form of sutras Method of Meditation was practiced by Monks to realize the supreme knowledge.

4. The Teacher and His Role: In the Buddhist’s Period, teacher called ‘Acharya’. He was pious, religious and spiritual. The teacher must give the Bhikshus all possible intellectual and spiritual help and guidance by teaching, by instruction. Teacher will follows the Buddha’s Eight fold Path. In Buddhism Teachers as of three distinct types:

i) Acharyas

ii) Upadhyas

iii) Special Teachers.

Teacher play important role to help the Bhikshus:

· Developing right Knowledge.

· Developing Right Will.

· Developing right Speech.

· Developing Right Conduct.

· Developing Right Memory.

· Developing Right means of Livelihood.

· Developing Right Concentrations.

5. Rituals: Pabubja ritual is a sacred ceremony which was performed before the child was intuited into the field education ‘Vinaypataka’. The student had his head shaved of all hair, dressed himself in yellow clothes, placed his forehead at the feet of the Monks and then sat crossed legs on the floor to repeat the following words thrice:

i) Buddham Sharnam Gachchami

ii) Dhrmam Sharnam Gachchami

iii) Sangam Sharnam Gachchami

After Performing of this ritual, the student was called ‘Shramana’ or ‘Sammer’ After the age of twenty years, the student had to adopt ‘Up sampada’ this was the period of higher learning. After this ritual the monks were called ‘Bhikshu’. And female monks ‘Bhikshuni’.

6.Educational Institutions: Bhikshus were taught through monasteries and vihars. The teachers as well as taught resided. There were no organized ‘Gurukul’. The responsibility of the board and lodging was that of ‘Sangh’. Vihars had very nice and comfortable buildings. Thousands of monks could live easily and there was suitable arrangement for everything. Nalada and Vallabhi among the major learning centers during 700 A.D

7. Medium of instruction: The Medium of Buddhist was the Common language of the People i.e. Palli or Various Prakrits.

· Emphasises on Local Languages.

· Not much Significance of Sanskrit.

· Yantra-Mantra-Tantra.

8. Discipline: In Buddhist education, Students were expected to live an ideal life in pursuit of Buddha’s Eight-fold Path. There were on Punishment.

9. Women education: In Buddhist’s Period, was opposed to the education of women. Due to responsibilities at home they were not allowed admission in Buddhist monasteries.

10. Role of the State: In Buddhist’s Period, Buddha was opposed in the spread of education among the People. Buddhist offered liberal contribution, in terms of money to the monasteries for education.

Muslim Education

Muslim education system was essentially religious in character. Medieval Period begins with the incoming of Muslims. So this Period also Called ‘Mohammedan’ Period. Mahmud Ghazanavi, Mohammed Ghauri, Qutab-ud-Din-Aibak, Iltumish, Razia and Balban, Shahzada Mohammad, Khilzi Kings Tughing Kings early Muslim famous Kings. Muslim education received greater encouragement and attention during Mughal Period.Babar,Humayan, Shershah suri, Akbar,Jahangir, Shahjahan, Dara Shikoh, Auragzeb, Bahadur Shah, are Famous Mughal Kings.

Salient features of Muslim Education: Muslim faith in land’s they invaded and settled. Education in Medieval India is a great epoch of Indian education. The educational institutions they founded became strong holds of Muslim orthodoxy. The Muslim attached great importance to education. Education is better than the holy ‘Quran’. It is better to educate one’s Child than to give gold in charity knowledge should be sough from the cradle to the grave.

1) Aims of Education: The sole aim of muslim education became spared of Islam, was Called Ghazi or martyr. The Ultimate aim of Islamic education was to get ‘Nijat’ (Mukti). The important aims of muslim education.

· Propagation of Islam.

· Development of Character and Morality.

· Spread of Knowledge.

· Expansion of Islamic Kingdom.

· Political development.

2.Curriculum: Curriculum at primary stage knowledge of 3R’s- Reading writing and arithmetic. Urdu formed one of the Chief Subjects of Study, Religious instructions were also given at Primary level. At the Secondary level Grammar,
Natural Science, History, Astronomy, Military education given to the students. And at higher Secondary stage, The religious equation in called the study of quran, secular Curriculum and vocational education.

3. Methods of Instruction: In Medieval education, oral method, monitor system, lecture method, Reading & Writing, self study method, Potential symposia, Analytical and Inductive methods experimental method, are the methods of teaching.

4. Educational Institutions: When a child is four years four months and four days old an auspicious day is fixed for ceremony called Bismillah Khan to begin education with God’s Blessing. Primary education was given in Primary in Primary Schools i.e.Maktabs.

And in the medieval period, the secondary Education was given in ‘Madarshs’. These were high school importing education from 5^th Class to 10^th Class. Higher education was imported in madarsah-I-Alias. Thus main Characteristics of school education were:

· All were chiefly of a religious Character.

· The Course of instruction in Secular subjects.

· In teacher and taught paternal relationship.

5. Religious Orthodoxy: Muslim education main aim spread of Islamic education. The one who disseminates and diffuses Islamic beliefs, among the non-muslims, becomes Ghazi, ‘Muslim rulers established ‘ Maktabs’ and ‘Madarsahs for highly study. The Islamic laws, opinions, customs, were important subjects of study. The muslim sovereigns has a very keen interest in the education of their youth.

7. Teacher Pupil’s Relationship: During Medieval Period the teacher was very much respected. There was intimate and as cordial relationship between the teacher and the taught. The Pupil’s followed the precepts of the teacher. Students who acquired special knowledge in religion., wore given the degree of ‘Aim’. There was no hosted arrangement for the pupil’s of maktab’s.

8. Centers of Muslim Education: During Medieval Period, Agra, Delhi, Bengal, Bijapur, Bidan, Gujrat, Hyderabad, Jaunpur, Khandes, Malwas, Bengal, Sialkot, emerged importance centers of education.

· Mohammad Ghori, Known us builder of many schools.

· Akabar was intelligent king among Muslim rulers.

After the decline of the Mugal Empire the progress of education in India slowed down. The establishment of the East India Company in India and its armed interference in the affairs of the native princes caused a great deal of political disorder. But when the British Parliament Compelled it to devote its attention to India’s educational system, it tried to support the existing system. The Hindu’Pathshalas’and the ‘Muslim Maktabs’ and “Madarsahs’.

1. Establishment of Educational institutions by East India Company: The east India company’s charater of 1698 had directed the company to maintain schools of the kind called St. Mary’s Charity schools was started in madras in 1715. In 1725, European Christian missionaries had established seventeen schools for the children of the Hindus and Muslims and four missionary schools of the Christians. In 1804, The London Missionaries society established English schools in Ceylon Southern India and Bengal. The Christians missionaries came to be associated with the educational enterprise in India. They established their center at Serampore. They directed their educational activities from Serampore. They directed their educational activities from Serampore to convert Indians to Christianity. The missionaries had rendered valuable service to the cause of education in India. It was due to their efforts that the first missionary college was set up at Serampore in 1818, and the Bishop’s College was established in Calcutta in 1820.

The Officials of one East India company also prayed important role for the one spread of education. In 1781, Warren Hastings the first Governor-General of India, founded the ‘Calcutta Madras’ to qualify the sons of the Muslims through the Arabic medium for responsible. In 178, sir William Jones, a with the help of Warren Hastings, The Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta.

In 1816, established the Hindu college and developed into the famous presidency college in 1817. Raja Ram Mohan Rai started on English school at Calcutta to give free education to Hindu children.

2. East India Company’s Charter of 1813: When the Charter of the company was required by the British Parliament in 1813, the responsibility of the company for the education of the Indians was recognized. In 1823, it was from one lac rupees the grants were offered to the Calcutta School Book society and the Calcutta school society. In 1824, two Sanskrit colleges were established, one at Calcutta in 1824, an other at Delhi in 1825. Before, 1835, there existed three kinds of schools”
1. Vernacular Schools
2. Christian missionary schools.
3. The school of East India Company.

People linked the English medium of Instruction in stead of Sanskrit an Arabi medium of higher education.

Macaulay’s Minute of 1835

Lord Macaulay was to advise the government on its educational policy year 1813 may be referred as the beginning of the state system of education in India. Charter Act, 1813 did not specify the methods to secure the objects of ‘revival and improvement of literature’, ‘the encouragement of learned natives of India. Macaulay refrained from making any sweeping recommendations regarding the educational structure, he gave his famous MINUTE in February, 1835 about medium of instruction.

Main Features of Macaulay’s Minute:

· English as medium of instruction of Indian Education.

· English is a rich language and key to modern knowledge.

· Useful for bringing India renaissance.

· English language will civilize India.

· English literature and not Sanskrit of Arabic or Persian literature.

According to Lord Macaulay: “We want a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.”

· Great Importance to the education of the higher classes.

Approval of Macaulay’s Minute: Macaulay’s minute forwarded Mr. H.T.Princep the leader of the orient lists for recording his opinion. On March 7, 1835 William Bentinck passed orders for publishing a resolution.

3. Wood’s Dispatch (1854): Wood’s Dispatch Popularly known as Wood’s Educational Dispatch is the corner stone of Indian Education. It is some time been called magna Charta of India Education

Main Aim and Objectives of Wood’s Dispatch:

· Raise the Moral character.

· Make people of India familiar with work of European authors.

· Provide the east India company with educated.

Main Recommendations of Wood’s Dispatch:

· Main aim of education keeping in the view the interest of Indians and British Rule.

· Great importance of oriental languages

· Medium of instruction should be English.

· Establish department of Education and schools.

· Establishment of universities.

· Aim of education was to raise intellectual fitness and moral character of Indians.

· Government accepted the responsibility of the education of Indians.

· Wood emphasized the training of teachers.

· Wood dispatch recommended grants-in-aid to the educational institutions.

· Wood’s Dispatch great emphasis to women education.

· Wood’s Dispatch recommended that Muslim should be encouraged to gain more education.