Aims of education for democratic life

what is the Aim of Education? Education for democratic life, its Aims and objectives

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Aims of education for democratic life

By education, we intend to bring certain desirable changes in the students.

Education is a conscious effort and, as such, it has definite aims and objectives.

In the light of these aims, the curriculum is determined and the academic achievements of the

student are measured. Education without aim is like a boat without its rudder. Aims give

direction to activity.

The absence of an aim in education makes it a blind alley. Every stage of

human development had some aim in life.

The aims of life determine the aims of education. The aims of education have changed from age to age and thus it is dynamic because the aims of life are dynamic.

Nature of The Aims of Education

In order to know the aims of education, we must know the nature of the aims.

The aims of education are not fixed, eternal and universal.

These are changeable and relative.

The nature of the aims of education can properly be understood in the light of two distinct

philosophies of life-idealism and pragmatism.

Idealism stands for absolute, ultimate, eternal and universal values. It advocates high ideals of life, which are mainly spiritual in nature.

Idealism pleads “knowledge for knowledge’s sake.”
In an idealist society, education is for the general and moral development of a person. According to idealism, the aims of education are spiritual and idealistic in nature and they are predetermined, absolute, unchangeable and universal.

The aim of idealist education is to realize these pre-existing, absolute and universal values.

It is “Education for complete living.”

Pragmatism deals with life as it is and not as it should be. It is also known as the realistic

approach to life.

In realism, the existing or prevailing social, political and economic

conditions of life are taken into consideration. The existing conditions of life determine the

aims of pragmatic education.

Pragmatism does not believe in absolute and eternal values:

philosophy of life is always reflected in the aims of education.

Plato considered that the guardians of the state should have high philosophical ideals.

Locke emphasized “the disciplined and well-ordered mind.”

Hegel stress on the idealistic aim of education, i.e. glorification of the state and the fulfilment of the will of the absolute.

Marx was a materialist. So he emphasized the material aim of education, i.e., the practical

economic needs of man.

In a materialist society, educational aims are based on the

materialistic outlook of the people. In such a society moral or spiritual values have nothing

to do with education.

The idealist society tries to glorify those values and emphasize the moral

upliftment of personality.

The socio-political ideologies also determine the aims of

education.

A democratic government, a fascist government, a communist government- each

one formulates its own ends and means of education.

Democratic ideals of life are flexible and change with the changing conditions of life.

Education must prepare the future generation for the economic and social system of the country.

In determining its educational objectives, every country has to take into consideration its economic

conditions. Thus we find, variability is the nature of educational aims.

The Secondary Education Commission (1952) puts it: “As the political, social and economic conditions

change and new problems arise, it becomes necessary to re-examine carefully and re-state

clearly, the objectives which education at definite stage should keep in view.”

Historical Evolution of Aims of Education

In Ancient India the ideal of life was spiritualistic.

The educational aim was determined by the conception of life. Thus the aim of education was

self-realization or the realization of Brahma or the Absolute.

In ancient Sparta, education was not individualistic but socialistic.

Athenian education aimed at the harmonious development of personality physical, intellectual,

moral and aesthetic. It secured harmony between the individual and the state, between

physical and mental development, between thought and action.

Its immediate aim was to develop a beautiful mind in a beautiful body.

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Greek idealists,

discarded the extremely individualistic aim of education.

Socrates emphasized the acquisition of universal and eternal knowledge or truth.

Plato advocated the harmonious development of all the powers of the individual and equated personal realization with social solidarity.

Aristotle championed the ideal of harmony between the individual and the

society, between intellect and character and theory and practice.

The ancient Romans

had no interest in the acquisition of purely theoretical knowledge.

Their outlook was materialistic. Their highest aim of life was the attainment of material

success.
The aim of Roman education was, therefore, to produce a worthy citizen of the

Roman state, able to enjoy the rights and perform the duties of a citizen.

During the middle ages, education was wholly a priestly affair. Mysticism, monasticism, chivalry and

scholasticism dominated life in every field. Education was absolutely formal in character

and religious in outlook.

With the passage of time, this liberal humanistic education

degenerated into an artificial and formal system.

Against this artificial education,

The realistic movement

started under the leadership of Bacon and Comenius.
According to them, ignorance was at the root of all evils. So they pleaded spread of universal and

integrated knowledge. The child’s individuality, powers and interests were given

supreme importance.
Due to religious, social, psychological and pedagogical reasons, a new

theory of education, known as the theory of mental or formal discipline came into vogue.

John Locke

was the historical representative of this new doctrine.
According to him, the aim of education should be to produce a sound mind in a sound body.

The aim of education would be to discipline all the faculties such as memory, imagination, perception, thinking etc.
A true individualistic ideal of education came into existence in the 18th century. J.J.

Rousseau

revolted against the existing artificial and demoralized system of education. Thus

naturalism appeared in education. Rousseau’s concept of negative education emphasized

education according to nature.
The child was regarded as the important and central factor in the field of education.

The aim of education should be, therefore, spontaneous natural self-development of the child’s nature in close contact with nature.

Kant

was greatly influenced by the individualistic concept of education and defined education as the

process by which man becomes a man through his voluntary efforts.

Pestalozzi

introduced the psychological tendency in education. According to him, education was the process of

the spontaneous unfolding of latent powers of the individual towards perfection.

Herbart

shouldered this task and he developed systematic psychology of the methods of teaching.

Vivekananda and Gandhi

both emphasized character building in education. Character

formation or moral education is concerned with the whole conduct of man.

The Secondary Education Commission (1951-52)

has rightly remarked: “character education has to be

visualized not in a social vacuum but with reference to the contemporary socio-economic and

political situation.” Therefore, we can conclude that only character building cannot be the

aim of education.

The Spiritual Aim The idealist thinkers have opined that the spiritual development of an

an individual should be the supreme aim of education.

Mahatma Gandhi has attached great importance to spiritual values in education.

The Adjustment Aim Adjustment is the primary

rule of human life. Without adjustment to the environment, none can survive. Life is a struggle

for adjustment.

In the words of

Horney:

“Education should be man’s adjustment to his

nature, to his fellows and to the ultimate nature of the cosmos.

According to Horney “there is no one final aim, subordinating all lesser aims to itself...

There is something in all these aims but not everything in any one of them.” The

Harmonious Development Aim Educationists are of the opinion that all the powers and

capacities inherited by a child should be developed harmoniously and simultaneously.

Gandhiji is a strong advocate of the harmonious development The Social Aim From the

above discussion it is clearly evident that no individual can live and grow without social

context. Individual life became unbearable to man.

Aim of Education In India:

Educational aims in India should be judged in relation to the lives of the Indian people. Indian civilization is one of the ancient civilizations of the world.

Aims of Education in Ancient India

The aim of education in ancient India was the ultimate

outcome of the Indian theory of knowledge and the corresponding scheme of life and

values. Character training and moral education were regarded as a very important aim of

ancient Indian education.

Aims of Education in Medieval India

During the medieval age, religion was the main guiding force in life and society. Islamic education is aimed at both the physical and mental development of the students. Thus, it aimed at total development of personality of the individual.

The main educational objective can better be understood from the following

declaration in the educational policy or Lord Bentinck (1835):“We want a class of persons

Indian in blood and colour but English in tastes in opinion, in morals and intellect.”
The Wood’s Despatch declared almost the same policy.

The aim of British education

was to inculcate European knowledge in the minds of the Indians.

Aims of Education in Independent India

After independence, the Indian leaders realized the inherent defects in

the system of education introduced by the British. Universalisation of education was the

need of the hour. Education must be linked with national development in all directions.

With these national goals in view, the Government in independent India set up different

committees and commissions for educational reforms in the desired lines. These

committees and commissions have formulated educational aims and objectives.

Indian University Commission

Just after independence, an education commission was set up to enquire into the various problems of education, particularly higher education, and to

recommend proposals for its improvements.
Secondary Education Commission was set up (1952-53) under the chairmanship of Dr. Lakshmanswami Mudaliar, a noted educationist

and ex-Vice Chancellor of the Madras University. The Commission has made important

recommendations for the reconstruction and development of secondary education in the

country.

Vocational Efficiency

One of the urgent problems of the country was to improve productive efficiency and to increase national wealth and thereby raise the standard of living.
In this respect, the commission recommended fostering the dignity of manual labour and

promotion of work and technical skills for the advancement of industry and technology.

An important aim of democratic education

is the all-round development of every individual’s

to achieve success in this work, the qualities of justice, courage, discipline, tolerance,

wisdom, sacrifice, initiative, understanding of social issues, civic as well as vocational

efficiency should be developed in the young men and women of our country.

The Indian Education Commission submitted its comprehensive report in July 1966.

According to it

education should aim at:
• Increasing national productivity;
• Achieving social and national integration;

• Accelerating the process of modernization;
• Cultivating social, moral and spiritual values.

National Policy of Education 1968

The Government of India after considering the Report of

the Education Commission tried to formulate a national policy of education .National

Education Policy –1968- Challenge of Education Policy Perspective After seventeen years of experiment an attempt was made to evaluate the national education policy,1968. In 1985

the Government of India published and circulated a White Paper entitled “Challenge of

Education: Policy Perspective.”

On the basis of these opinions and the evaluation of

different Government agencies, The Government of India declared its new education policy

under the title