Sunday, May 31, 2020

Purpose of Indian Education



Education is not the learning of factsbut the training of the mind to think.”
                                                                                                                 – Albert Einstein
Consider the story of a group of blind men who have never come across an elephant before and who learn and conceptualize what the elephant is like by touching it. Before announcing that it is an elephant, the person who touches the trunk, thinks that the elephant is a tree. Each blind man feels a different part of the elephant's body, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then describe the elephant based on their limited experience and their descriptions of the elephant are different from each other. All of them believe that their definition of the elephant is preciseBuddhist text Udana 6.4, about (mid-1st millennium BCE)
 The principles and context of our teaching contributes a lot to the nature of knowledge the students arrive at according to the individual’s capacity. If we offer knowledge partially, it is but natural that the receiver will have only a limited conceptualization. The teacher many a times presumes that every child knows the “elephant” and the “forest”. This presumption leads to ambiguity. To the experienced mind, the concepts are clear. It is a question of great responsibility if the educator was able to impart this concept in the best of contexts.
Several years back as a student, I always struggled to grasp trans-disciplinary concepts. I would shut my eyes at something if I did not understand it in its depths. It instilled a fear of failure. I could not easily transition from Math to Science to History to Biology etc. It took me several years to understand that if I viewed everything in relation to the subject of my interest, I understood it and retained it far better than done otherwise.
“Research has found that interest is a more powerful predictor of future choices than prior achievement or demographic variables” (Annie Murphy Paul, 2014).
Any concept given to me in the form of stories and anecdotes with discussion, kept my interest and attention alive and my understanding and retention was far better than when they were a monologue presentation.
This led me to believe strongly that it is not enough to make statements to students based on textbook lessons. “Knowledge has to be broken down to its component parts” (Garry Jacobs 2014). These parts have to be presented in relation to our life and experience and then analyzed and synthesized. The analysis and synthesis will branch out to its trans-disciplinary counterparts.
My life experiences and education gave me the philosophical stance of Integrality – “the state of being total and complete”. At work, I received training to teach in the context of Holistic Education.
I gained spiritual knowledge from the works of Sri Aurobindo who was an Indian philosopher, yogi, guru, poet, and nationalist. Sri Aurobindo developed a spiritual practice he called Integral Yoga. The central theme of his vision was the evolution of human life into a divine life. 
Mirra Alfassa “Mother” was a spiritual guru, an occultist and a collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, The educational vision of Mirra Alfassa, known as the Mother, which she implemented at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education has much to offer.
“Mother” felt a holistic education must focus on the simultaneous development of five dimensions of an individual: physical, vital, mental, psychic and spiritual. She envisioned an educational system that balances these dimensions and serves as a platform to enhance the learner’s potential. 
I also had the privilege of receiving guidance from “Sri Karmayogi” who is a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and the Founder/President of The Mother's Service Society, an educational and research institute inspired by their spiritual teachings and based in Pondicherry, South India. Since the 1960s, he has been studying their work and developing original applications of spiritual principles in the fields of economic and social development theory, education, literary criticism, management, national and global governance, peace and security, psychology, spirituality and yogic practice. (www.karmayogi.net) 
 Sri Karmayogi encouraged me to experiment with teaching practices and contextual learning based on Constructivist theory. Constructivism is a theory in education that recognizes the learners' understanding and knowledge based on their own experiences. John Dewey (1933/1998) is often cited as the philosophical founder of this approach. Bruner (1990) and Piaget (1972) are considered the chief theorists among the cognitive constructivists, while Vygotsky (1978) is the major theorist among the social constructivists. At the Kindergarten and Elementary level, we made use of all that could help a child from Montessori to Glen Doman. He also encouraged me to make extensive changes to the curriculum based upon the students’ reciprocation based on the Theory of Reinforcement by B.F Skinner. I will explain more about this and many other useful theories in my subsequent posts. He always gave importance to research and expected all his schoolteachers to be trained researchers.
I later came across other progressive methods like Problem and Project based learning theories that we are yet to experiment. We should always be on the process of developing a better context to deliver successfully our philosophical stance.
What can we learn from the global perspective on the purpose of education?
Global Education Guidelines (2010) mentions the Global perspective to education is a
 “Holistic education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world, and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and human rights for all”.
We need to educate the next generation not only to serve their nation but also to solve global issues like Climate change, Nuclear disarmament, Economic crisis etc. The Global perspective demands us to come out of our small framework and join a larger collective force working towards a good future for our generations. To save the Earth from humanity’s irrational and wasteful deeds. If each country takes this responsibility and aims at such a high and meaningful purpose of education then the only war left to fight will be against ignorance.


Diverse Experience of Education, Teaching and Philosophy



In a classroom of more than 30 students, an Indian teacher can take it for granted that the diversity for experience will be overpowering not only for her but for each student as well. India is country where each of the 29 states speak a different language (“Wikipedia”, n.d.). Each state follows different culture and traditions. Hindi being the official language has no effect on many as they insist on speaking their mother tongue (The Hindu, 2019). We are grateful to English for removing the communication barriers and sparing us the fight between cultures. 

When I first started teaching, I found it quite overwhelming to manage a class of students with diverse personality and attitudes. I can still remember the first class I taught. It was the 5th Grade and I would say by experience, that this grade is a tipping point for students moving towards adolescence. Their emotions run high; they are more body conscious and temperamental. Things can get very sensitive if not handled intelligently. Among my students were a few, who always stuck to me wherever I went. They were attention seeking. For a while, I found that very odd, being followed everywhere like that. Later, during a casual talk, I found that one among the girls was from a very traditional family. She was the middle girl child and felt neglected at home. She was always looking for recognition and appreciation from me and I did not know how to handle her case. Her scores were poor and there was no improvement even after the required dose of attention from me.
After getting to know the class better, I found my way with every student. It takes time and patience to get involved with every child on a personal level. I found this attention seeking in so many students that I decided to turn it into their strength than weakness. I have always found B.F Skinner’s “Theory of Reinforcement” and “Motivation Theory” very useful in classroom practice. This theory stated that individual’s behavior is a function of its consequences. It is based on “law of effect”, i.e., individual’s behavior with positive consequences tends to be repeated, but individual’s behavior with negative consequences tends not to be repeated (Research gate, 2014).With the application of different kinds of reinforcement (Management study, n.d.), I got not only that particular girl but the whole class attuned to my expectations.
Attention seeking is one thing but to deal with students with low self-esteem and confidence is totally another ball game. Only a teacher who can be selfless can achieve this. “Integral Education” requires a teacher to be selfless and deal with any challenge with the attitude of correcting it within herself first and observing the changes in the students (ipi.org, n.d.). To deal with a student with low self-esteem, I decided to recollect my school experiences and gathered insights form it. The more I introspected, the more I was sympathetic to that particular student. My sympathy enabled me to have compassion and the child developed trust in my support. According to me, sympathy is a strength and not a weakness, which many Indian teachers would vehemently disapprove. Empathy is acceptable.
As educators, we often feel called upon to improve the lives of the students with whom we work like in the above two examples. Many teachers will argue that it is a school counselor’s job and not ours. This requires discretion and brings us to crossroads. A teacher must know when her student needs her and when he or she needs to meet the counselor. It requires logic and practicality. My education philosophy and practices compel me to go the extra mile for my students.
Do I have the expertise for it? Am I qualified to do that?  Only with experience, can a teacher identify and address student’s diverse backgrounds. When I was a student, I being a south Indian, struggled to adjust to the north Indian culture and lifestyle. My family had moved to the north. My school was in the capital and westernization was at its peaks. I came from a humble traditional background.
We did not have a car and that was enough to stop me from making friends and getting uninvited from student groups and social meetings. I remember, always requesting my father to drop me few meters away from the school gate to avoid being seen on a scooter. This put such pressure and fear in me that I was absorbed all the time trying to please people. My class teacher, who was very kind, noticed this and had a discussion with me at length about the absurdity of it all. She encouraged me to get a good education which is the only way to elevate oneself and not by pleasing others. Of course, it did not help immensely at that point but was a knowledge for the future accepted with maturity. 
Taking her example, I was able to identify students with different backgrounds and its effects on them. Therefore, my classes are always filled with motivational stories, anecdotes and moral stories. I ensure my students are grounded and any bullying behavior gets a strong subtle message. My student’s health and happiness gives me peace and relaxation in the classroom.
My philosophy and practice is centered upon the principles of mutual development and growth. Integral Education advocates this principle (Ankita Mendiratta, n.d.). The whole point of a Holistic education is to have a healthy mind, vital and physical. How can a teacher exclude herself from the overall growth of her student? It is unnatural and impossible 
Conclusion:
We as educators have many roles and responsibilities. Our educational philosophies and practices can be limiting but an educator cannot limit oneself to just technical education. It is our conscious responsibility to address the social, cultural and personal development of our students. They may be silent but we must help them in every possible way to emerge as strong individuals. This I believe is an ideal philosophy of teaching and practice.



References:
(Wikipedia, n.d.). Languages of India. Retrieved from:
(The Hindu, 2019). Hindi the first choice of people in only 12 states. Retrieved from:
(Research gate, 2014). Review of B. F. Skinner’s ‘Reinforcement Theory of Motivation. Retrieved from:
(Management study, n.d.). Reinforcement Theory of Motivation. Retrieved from:
(Ankita Mendiratta, n.d.). Integral Education: Learning Through Self. Retrieved from:

Meera's Destiny

                                   



Nine-year-old Radha belonging to a remote village in India was the eldest of two brothers and three sisters. They all lived in a joint family. Radha’s father was an uneducated farmer. Radha’s mother worked in the village factory to support her family. Radha’s grandparents were very old. Her brothers attended the school, located in the adjacent village. Radha did not go to school. In another few years, she will be married. Her mother wanted Radha to learn cooking and become an expert in household management. Radha helped around the house and took care of her younger sisters and grandparents.

Radha was used to seeing strange people from the city come to her village from time to time. When that happened, Radha’s mother had to take leave from the factory and take the children to a camp. Radha was adept at hiding in the bushes with her friends to avoid visiting the camp. One day while Radha was milking the cow someone called out to her. There was a strict looking women standing outside her hut. The women asked, “What is your name? Why are you not in school?” Radha, trembling with fear, replied that since the school was in another village she could not travel that far. Very soon, Radha and her sisters started going to school. Children did not have to walk two kilometres to attend school in the next village anymore. Now Radha’s village had a new school. All her friends became her classmates. Her parents could now save some money as this school provided free education. It also provided free lunch and Radha and her siblings never went hungry again. They loved going to school.

Radha’s sister “Meera” was very good in studies. The teachers always praised her. One day, their uncle who was a widower in the city offered to further Meera’s education. Now Meera went to a government school in the city. Radha and her mother were against sending Meera to the big city but their father let her go. Meera felt fortunate but also intimidated by the city life and her rich fellow students. She had to suffer snide remarks on her lack of knowledge in English, personal appearance and practices. Even the teachers had favorites. They mostly liked students belonging to rich families. Overwhelmed by the new experiences, Meera started performing poorly. She felt alone and stranded. Owing to her poor marks, Meera received an appointment to visit the school guidance counselor. She poured out her worries and insecurities to the kind woman. Her section was changed and now she was in a class where she had some girls hailing from villages. Surprisingly, these girls were friends with the elite. Slowly Meera learnt to mingle with everyone. Her grades and lifestyle improved. She marveled at the amount of information and knowledge that was at her disposal. She enjoyed her education. As time went by, she got the news that her sister Radha was getting married. Meera attended the wedding and her father proudly showed her off to everyone. She was the first girl in her village to get a city education.

When Meera attained puberty, it was another setback. Her kind neighbor, who was also a nurse, was very helpful. Meera had a new perception of the world around her. She became aloof. She felt shy of the boys in her class. She did not know how to embrace this change. Her uncle was of no help and she found it difficult to continue to live with him in his small house. Sometimes, she felt her uncle behave strangely around her and felt scared. The nurse advised her against living alone with her uncle anymore. Soon Meera visited her village and informed her family that she had attained puberty. To her astonishment and embarrassment, they celebrated this occasion and called all the villagers to a small get-together. They performed a ceremony for her and her marriage was set to happen in another few years. They tried to force her into quitting her education and stay back in the village. Her uncle intervened and pacified the family and Meera continued her education. Her city friends became the strongest source of support.

With her getting older, Meera experienced a sudden interest in the opposite sex. On receiving encouragement from her friends, she openly displayed such feelings. She spent hours in front of the mirror and took special care in her appearance. She loved to watch romantic movies and dreamed of marrying someone who was like her favorite hero. She liked it when boys noticed her. One day Meera got the news of her father passing away. Meera did not know what would happen to her and her family now. Her uncle consoled her and promised to help her family as much as he can. Meera found solace in pouring out her heart to a boy she liked in the school.

One day after school, Meera was caught by a teacher talking to the same boy in a lonely corridor, she was oblivious of what was about to come. The teacher told the boy to leave. Meera received endless shouting, and her character was in question. Her uncle had to come up to the school and speak on her behalf. Her school, which offered guidance from a counselor for poor performance, failed to offer her the much-needed guidance when it came to the matters of age. The boy’s version was accepted without question and he walked out of this incident untainted. Meera experienced endless humiliation at home and at school. Her teachers completely avoided her. Some male teachers even passed raunchy remarks at her. Meera’s encouraging friends distanced themselves from her as the news had reached their families. Meera struggled to finish her education and passed out with minimum marks.

She went to her village and lived with her family for a while. She slowly expressed a wish to graduate. Her family wanted her married. Her elder sister Radha was already a mother of twins. Meera threatened her family with hunger and suicide. This fight went on for days with visits to the hospital and intervention from the village elders. Meera’s mother could not understand how Meera can be so selfish. With the passing of time, Meera’s 45-year-old uncle offered to marry her and informed that, this was his intention all along. He also pressurized the family by quoting the degrading incident that happened at school. He offered Meera a chance to enter college after marriage and promised to continue to assist her family in the village. He also offered to take the responsibility of getting the youngest sister married. To save her education, Meera reluctantly agreed.

Today Meera is a single mother and has two children. She teaches in the village school and supports her family. She never graduated. Her mother and brothers take care of the farm. Radha died in childbirth. She left behind four children. They live with their aunt Meera and grandmother. Radha’s husband remarried and has a new family of his own. All the children study at the free village school. Radha’s youngest sister Pushpa, studies in the city after having received a scholarship. Her aim is to be single and work for the upliftment of women in her village.





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