A trailblazing educationist

When we discuss the definition of education, one of the most referred-to statements is "Education is the manifestation of perfection already in men." Now, many people who use this definition are not always aware that it is defined by none other than Swami Vivekananda. Broadly speaking, we have a tendency to typify someone based on his or her popular acceptance. Similarly, to most of us, Swami Vivekananda is a social reformist who was largely responsible for the revival of Hinduism in the late nineteenth century. Some people consider him to have had a profound influence on the spirit of nationalism that captivated our imagination during our struggle for independence. However, along with being the great reformist and social philosopher that Swami Vivekananda was, he was also a great educationist whose views on education are growing so strong in relevance that it is pertinent to bring him out from mere books on education and imbibe his ideas in our policy and practice.

The great film personality Charlie Chaplin, in his movie ‘The Great Dictator’, pronounced historic words – "More than the machinery, we need humanity." These words were uttered in 1940, whereas Swami Vivekananda realized it much earlier and pointed out that humankind was passing through a crisis, and the crisis would be perpetual as it was born of a tendency to embrace the mechanical ways of life. This would eventually foster materialism as the popular psychology. Moral values would take a back seat, resulting in the erosion of ethics in our actions. Swamiji was pragmatic enough to diagnose the disease. His therapy was an enlightened form of education where the receivers of that education would develop minds to appreciate the call of righteousness, which can be appropriately 'Man-making.' Today, all over the world, the value-based education system is acknowledged. UNESCO, while mentioning Swamiji as a great educator, raised this point of 'Man-making Education' as the future guiding light for educational measures. It is not just about gathering academic information; it is about the formation of character. Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, once said that Swamiji placed the human being at the centre of efforts aimed at development. Nothing can be truer than this understanding. It is the individual that determines the fate of a society, of a nation. This capacity is controlled and navigated by the education that he receives. To Swamiji, education is the panacea for all social evils. But this can only happen when education elevates the mind to liberate the spirit. The clerk-making education system so cleverly devised by Lord Macaulay was summarily rejected by Swamiji.

One of the biggest challenges before the present education system is how to educate the head, the heart, and the hand. Modern educators are ransacking their brains to make education holistic. When we talk about holistic, we imply multidimensional development. We need to educate young people so that they succeed as professionals, can manage their emotional demands, and learn vocational skills. While dwelling on what should be the nature of education in India, Swamiji once said, "We need the kind of education by which character is formed, strength of mind increased, the intellect expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet." Even a person with average intellect can find substantial similarity between Swamiji’s ideas and the modern global approach to education.

A lot of efforts are generated by modern educators towards creating a difference between learning and education. They are concentrating on implanting education inside the psyche of the learner so that it can regulate not only the actions but also the motif. It is with this propensity that contemporary corporate evaluation is gradually shifting from I.Q TO E.Q and further to S.Q. Man-making is thus paramount, for it ensures high standards of professional ethics. Even the best of professionals are malignant to the social order if they do not follow the dictates of their conscience. The corruption that we are all witnessing is the result of the degradation of the value-system. We all think it to be smart in foxing others. However, soon all of us are bound to fall prey to the same dishonesty for it is like a vicious circle. Ironically, there are incidents happening where learned professionals are machinating malpractices. Such professionals are toxic to society. Until education does not make us feel, along with driving us to think, it is incomplete. Tagore voiced it; Swamiji thought about it even earlier. Western academicians have seriously started pondering over it now. We are not supposed to be blinded and blocked by academic pursuits that stunt our creativity or perplex our morality.

In the later decades of the 20th Century, many Western countries, including the United States, initiated the introduction of Social-Emotional Learning in schools. While explaining this idea, emphasis has been laid on features like managing emotions, establishing healthy relationships, setting positive goals, and making ethical decisions. Going through this content, it appears as if the developers of the conception of Socio-Economic Learning have borrowed the idea from Swamiji. No wonder they might have been influenced, though unfortunately, we are yet to be eager to implement Swamiji’s views on Education. To Vivekananda, ‘Man-Making Education’ denotes a harmonious development of a child in respect of morality, humanity, honesty, character, health, etc. Therefore, a supportive environment to fulfill these aims of education should be created in our school. We all applaud such a system, but very few ventures have been taken to make it practicable.

Swami Vivekananda is our contemporary in ideas on education as much as he is in so many other things. The recent National Education Policy has argued for skill development and vocational training. It has also been pretty particular about learning based on the enhancement of the value system. For that matter, recommendations have been sought from across the country about what procedures might be adopted so that our budding generations inhale the essence of nobler sensibilities. Swamiji mentioned about such necessities nearly a hundred and twenty-five years back. He was a visionary who could look beyond the corridor of his age. His advocacy for an egalitarian system of education puts him as one of the fore-runners of the idea of ‘Sarva Shiksha Mission‘ or ‘Right to Education’. Swamiji believed that education must make one confident and proud of his roots. He was so keen that we shake off the colonial taboos to become free thinkers. Only then would we become proper human beings, so essential for any vocational attainment. Such things have now become topics of research and policy formation. But more than that, they should be followed. Must we learn that without being ethical as an individual, no academic achievement can guide us towards a responsible commitment to human rights and sustainable development.

The writer is an educator from Kolkata. Views expressed are personal