Gandhian holistic education need of the hour

In this article, Dr Challa Krishnaveer Abhishek explains how Gandhiji strived for liberating India through literacy. Bapu always opined overtly on the need for holistic education which encompasses both technical knowledge and soft skills.

Hyderabad: Education has been an enlightening tool to humankind since the dawn of time. It allowed the early civilizations of the human race to transcend the barriers of ignorance and transform into modern societies. It disseminated around the continents of the world like the roots of a tree, with each root having a form of its own.

Unfortunately, the present education system is unable to provide employment to the present generation owing to many drawbacks in its content and implementation. Gandhiji’s thoughts on education are much relevant now more than ever. He rightly predicted the predicament of saturation with the advent of technology which leads to cross-roads.

Gandhiji always opined overtly on the need for holistic education which encompasses both technical knowledge and soft skills. His saying – “By Education, I mean an all-round drawing of the best in child and man in body, mind and spirit” confirms the above statement.

Nowadays students are scoring high but are unable to find a suitable job. Gandhiji stressed on the fact that education should develop entrepreneurs and not employees. Gandhian techniques of perseverance and patience are the real beams of success. Students aspiring for quick results without ample hard-work should take Mahatma Gandhi as a fine example for a visionary blended with persistence. He believed that Education is a lifelong process and must be respected and reflected with retrospect throughout one’s journey.

He encouraged the act of questioning and curiosity-driven experiencing, as he believed that they are the true pillars of obtaining knowledge and wisdom. His quote – “Persistent questioning and healthy inquisitiveness are the first requisite for acquiring learning of any kind”, stresses on the permanence of education.

Gandhiji strived for liberating India through literacy. He focused on an acquisition-oriented stress-free interactive environment where reasoning facilitates rhetoric. He felt that education must not be limited to four walls and always endeavoured for pragmatic learning. He also advocated for full-body learning where all our senses equally receive information stimuli.

His concept of ethical learning is implemented in our schools and colleges as 'Satya' and 'Ahimsa'. He propagated discipline-oriented edification which attempts at creating compassionate and competent Leaders and not followers.

He believed that education must appeal to our emotions and thereby postulated a novel concept of emotional learning which centers on improving EQ (Emotional Quotient) and not IQ (Intelligence Quotient) as he accepted that the former is the most imperative device for maintaining peace and harmony and fostering unity through human brotherhood.

His statement “The function of Nayee-Talim is not to teach an occupation, but through it to develop the whole man” is aimed at disseminating Emotional Education.