Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s biography Education EDUCATION (TEXT)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s biography Education EDUCATION (TEXT): Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly name known as Bapu, was an India Father of nation and Indian lawyer He was Born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar at Gujrar also he was Educated in Los Angle California United State of America also Knows he was a Freedom Fighter of India across the World so this Post is Related to His Life Journey More Information Read Properly :

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s biography Education EDUCATION (TEXT)

Reader: In the whole of our discussion, you have not demonstrated the necessity for education; we always complain of its absence among us. We notice a movement for compulsory education in our country. Maharaja Gaekwar introduced it in his territories. Every eye is directed towards them. We bless the Maharaja for it. Is all this effort then of no use?

Editor: If we consider our civilization to be the highest, I have regretfully to say that much of the effort you have described is of no use. The motive of the Maharaja and other great leaders who have been working in this direction is perfectly pure. They, therefore, undoubtedly deserve great praise. But we cannot conceal from ourselves the result that is likely to flow from their effort.

What is the meaning of education? It simply means knowledge of letters. It is merely an instrument, and an instrument may be well used or abused. The same instrument that may be used to cure a patient may be used to take his life, and so may the knowledge of letters. We daily observe that many men abuse it and very few make good use of it; and if this is a correct statement, we have proved that more harm has been done by it than good.

EDUCATION (TEXT) Mohandas Karamchand

The ordinary meaning of education is knowledge of letters. To teach boys reading, writing and arithmetic is called primary education. A peasant earns his bread honestly. He has ordinary knowledge of the world. He knows fairly well how he should behave towards his parents, his wife, his children and his fellow villagers. He understands and observes the rules of morality. But he cannot write his own name. What do you propose to do by giving him knowledge of letters? Will you add an inch to his happiness? Do you wish to make him discontented with his cottage or his lot? And even if you want to do that, he will not need such an education. Carried away by the flood of western thought we came to the conclusion, without weighing pros and cons, that we should give this kind of education to the people.

Now let us take higher education. I have learned Geography, Astronomy, Algebra, Geometry, etc. What of that? In what way have benefited myself or those around me? Why have I learned these things? Professor Huxley has thus defined education: “That man I think has had a liberal education who has been so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of his will and does with ease and pleasure all the work that as a mechanism it is capable of; whose intellect is a clear, cold, logic engine with all its parts of equal strength and in smooth working order…whose mind is stored with knowledge of the fundamental truths of nature…whose passions are trained to come to heel by a vigorous will, the servant of a tender conscience…who has learnt to hate all vileness and to respect others as himself. Such a one and no other, conceive, has had a liberal education, for he is in harmony with nature. He will make the best of her and she of him.”

If this is true education, I must emphatically say that the sciences I have enumerated above I have never been able to use for controlling my senses. Therefore, whether you take elementary education or higher education, it is not required for the main thing. It does not make men of us. It does not enable us to do our duty.

Reader: If that is so, I shall have to ask you another question. What enables you to tell all these things to me? If you had not received higher education, how would you have been able to explain to me the things that you have?

Editor: You have spoken well. But my answer is simple: I do not for one moment believe that my life would have been wasted, had I not received higher or lower education. Nor do I consider that I necessarily serve because I speak. But I do desire to serve and in endeavoring to fulfill that desire, I make use of the education I have received. And, if I am making good use of it, even then it is not for the millions, but I can use it only for such as you, and this supports my contention. Both you and I have come under the bane of what is mainly false education. I claim to have become free from its ill effect, and I am to give you the benefit of my experience and in doing so, I am demonstrating the rottenness of this education.

Moreover, I have not run down my knowledge of letters in all circumstances. All I have now shown is that we must not make of it a fetish. It is not our Kamadhuk. In its place it can be of use and it has its place when we have brought our senses under subjection and put our ethics on a firm foundation. And then, if we feel inclined to receive that education, we may make good use of it. As an ornament, it is likely to sit well on us. It now follows that it is not necessary to make this education compulsory. Our ancient school system is enough. Character-building has the first place in it and that is primary education. A building erected on that foundation will last.

Reader: Do I then understand that you do not consider English education necessary for obtaining Home Rule?

Editor: My answer is yes and no. To give millions a knowledge of English is to enslave them. The foundation that Macaulay laid of education has enslaved us. I do not suggest that he has any such intention, but that has been the result. Is it not a sad commentary that we should have to speak of Home Rule in a foreign tongue?

EDUCATION (TEXT) Mohandas Karamchand

And it is worthy of note that the systems which the Europeans have discarded are the systems in vogue among us. Their learned men continually make changes. We ignorantly adhere to their cast-off systems. They are trying each division to improve its own status. Wales is a small portion of England. Great efforts are being made to revive knowledge of Welsh among Welshmen. The English Chancellor, Mr. Lloyd George is taking a leading part in the movement to make Welsh children speak Welsh. And what is our condition? We write to each other in faulty English, and from this even our M.A.s are not fre; our best thoughts are expressed in English: the proceedings of our Congress are conducted in English: our best newspapers are printed in English. If this state of things continues for a long time, posterity wilhit is my firm opinion-condemn and curse us.

It is worth noting that, by receiving English education, we have enslaved the nation. Hypocrisy, tyranny, etc., have increased: Englishknowing Indians have not hesitated to cheat and strike terror into the people. Now, if we are doing anything for the people at all, we are paying only a portion of the debt due to them.

Is it not a painful thing that, if I want to go to a court of justice, must employ the English language as a medium, that when I become a barrister, I may not speak my mother tongue and that someone else should have to translate to me from my own language? Is not this absolutely absurd? Is it not a sign of slavery? Am I to blame the English for it or myself? It is we, the English-knowing Indians, that have enslaved India. The curse of the nation will rest not upon the English but upon us.

I have told you that my answer to your last question is both yes and no. I have explained to you why it is yes. I shall now, explain why it is no.

We are so much beset by the disease of civilization that we cannot altogether do without English education. Those who have already received it may make good use of it wherever necessary. In our dealings with the English people, in our dealings with our own people, when we can only correspond with them through that language, and for the purpose of knowing how disgusted they (the English) have themselves become with their civilization, we may use or learn English, as the case may be. Those who have studied English will have to teach morality to their progeny through their mother tongue and to teach them another Indian language; but when they have grown up, they may learn English, the ultimate aim being that we should not need it. The object of making money thereby should be eschewed. Even in learning English to such a limited extent we shall have to consider what we should learn through it and what we should not. It will be necessary to know what sciences we should learn. A little thought should show you that immediately we cease to care for English degrees, the rulers will prick up their ears.

Reader: Then what education shall we give?

Editor: This has been somewhat considered above, but we will consider it a little more. I think that we have to improve all our languages. What subjects we should learn through them need not be elaborated here. Those English books which are valuable, we should translate into the various Indian languages. We should abandon the pretension of learning many sciences. Religious, that is ethical, education will occupy the first place. Every cultured Indian will know in addition to his own provincial language, if a Hindu, Sanskrit: if a Mahomedan, Arabic; if a Parsee, Persian and all, Hindi. Some Hindus should know Arabic and Persian; some Mahomedans and Parsees, Sanskrit. Several Northerners and Westerners should learn Tamil. A universal language for India should be Hindi, with the option of writing it in Persian or Nagari characters. In order that the Hindus and the Mahomedans may have closer relations, it is necessary to know both the characters. And, if we can do this, we can drive the English language out of the field in a short time. All this is necessary for us, slaves. Through our slavery the nation has been enslaved, and it will be free with our freedom.

Reader: The question of religious education is very difficult.

EDUCATION (TEXT) Mohandas Karamchand

Editor : Yet we cannot do without it. India will never be godless. Rank atheism cannot flourish in this land. The task is indeed difficult. My head begins to turn as I think of religious education. Our religious teachers are hypocritical and selfish; they will have to be approached. The Mullas, the Dasturs and the Brahmins hold the key in their hands, but if they will not have the good sense, the energy that we have derived from English education will have to be devoted to religious education. This is not very difficult. Only the fringe of the ocean has been polluted and it is those who are within the fringe who alone need cleansing. We who come under this’ category can even cleanse ourselves because my remarks do not apply to the millions. In order to restore India to its pristine condition, we have to return to it. In our own civilization, there will naturally be progress, retrogression, reforms, and reactions; but one effort is required, and that is to drive out Western civilization. All else will follow.

SUMMARY IN BRIEF

Education

There is the absence of education in our country, so there had been movements for compulsory education. It was Maharaja Gaekwar who concealed.

What does education mean? If we take it merely a knowledge on letters and instruments, it may be well used or abused. Most of the people abuse it which is harmful. A few people make a good use of it. Primary education is that a boy learns reading, writing and arithmatic. A peasant has ordinary knowledge of the world and morality. He knows the manner of behaving with everybody. But he is not able to write his name due to lack of education. Can education increace his happiness ? It is only under the influence of western thought that we insist to provide education to the people. Now he comes to higher education. Gandhi ji got the education of Geography, Astronomy.

EDUCATION (TEXT) Mohandas Karamchand

Algebra and Geometry. But what is its benefit for him and for other people. According to Huxley a man of liberal education is the servant of his will, is in harmony with nature and can control his senses. Gandhi ji says if it is true education, he has never been able to use it for controlling his senses. Whether primary education or higher education, it does not matter. It neither makes us mann or enables us for duty. If he has not received education, can he be able to express himselfs. He simply says that there is no change in his life without education. He can use his education but only for educated people. He can not use it for the millions. He considers his education false and wishes to be free from its bad influence. Gandhi ji does not hold knowledge of letters completely bad. We can use education in a good way bu controlling our senses. If it is only like an ornament then there is no need to make it compulsory.

In ancient schools, primary education gave first place to character building. It is like a foundation on which a building can be made. He does not consider English necessary for acquiring home rule To provide people a knowledge of English is to make them slave. It is noticeable that the systems discarded by the Europeans are followed by us. In order to improve their own status the Europeans are making efforts. As a small part of England, Welsh is trying to revive knowledge of Welsh among Welshmen. While our condition is quite opposite to it. Instead of Hindi, we write in English, express our thoughts in English and the proceedings of congress are conducted in English.

If it continues for a long time, the coming generation will curse us. English education has not only enslaved the country but has made the people tyrannous and hypocrites. The people who know English do not hesitate to decieve others. It is very sad that even in the court, English is used as medium. He can not use his mother tongue. It is quite absurd and a mark of slavery. It not English that has enslaved India but it is those Indians who know English. The nation will curse us, not English. But on the other side, English is necessary. It is the demand of civilization. The English knowing people may use it wherever necessary. English may be learnt and used. The Indians should teach morality to their children through their mother tongue as well as they should teach them other languages as sanskirit, and Arabic. Having grown up, they may learn English not for earning money, but to prove it unneccessary. The valuable english books should be translated into various Indian languages. Every Indian should know his provincial language as a Hindu should know Hindi and Sanskrit, a Mahomedan, Urdu Arabic and soon. Hindi should be universal language for India. In order to derive English out of the way, it is necessary to know both the characters of Hindu and Mohomedan. The nation may be liberal with our liberty from the slavery of English. Though religious education is hard. India cannot do without religion and God. There are some people among millions who know Englsih, they need to be clean from this pollution. His remark can not be applied to the millions because they do not know English. India’s pristine condition can be restored only when we return to it. In order to make India progressive, we have to make effort to derive out western civilization.

EDUCATION (TEXT) Mohandas Karamchand