Dr. S. RADHAKRISHNAN’S
EDUCATIONAL IDEAS
Chinchu K.R. (No. 27,
Mathematics)
INTRODUCTION
Education is a
special discipline and theory and practice of education deserves to receive a
special attention. According to Sathya Sai Baba, “An education system in
country is a bank on which the people can draw a cheque for the upliftment of
the society”. The organization of such a bank needs to be suplemised and
progressive. It is only the contribution of great thinkers in the field of
education can guide the planners to have this organization on sound footings.
We in India have an ideal educational system in ancient time. It worked well
for the society of that time. In such a system there were some basic principles
and postulates some ideals, rules and regulations which we have implemented in
the right earnest in ideal educational situations.
Great thinkers of
contemporary India have given their verdict on the basic principles as well as
needed reflections. One of the most important persons was a Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan. The crucial role that be played in the formative years of our
republic and his contribution to the consolidation of our political and
parliamentary traditions, and especially the significant role that be played as
one of the most brilliant of our philosophy, acting as cultural ambassador to
the west. Except for occasional cases like Janaka, Lord Krishna and Macus
Aureline, Philosophers have never been kings and kings have never been
philosophers. But here is an example during our own times of a Philosopher
president. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan not only a philosopher but also a writer of
repute, a scholar par-excellence, an orator with gift of the gab, an original
thinkers, an educationist, a spiritualists, a creative genius and briefly
speaking a superman in the terminology of Aurobindo. As a philosopher he was
equally an authority in Western and Eastern thought. Among the modern thinkers
he is an authority of the modern world on religion, culture and philosophy.
DR. S. RADHAKRISHNAN- HIS LIFE
AND WORK
Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 Tirattani of Madras, presidency in
a Telugu Brahman family. He obtained his M.A. degree in philosophy at the age
of 21 in 1909. He served as a teacher in the Presidency College, Madras, from
1909 to 1917. Here he earned a very high reputation as a teacher of the most
difficult problems of philosophy. After this he served for a year of the Arts College,
Rajamundry and then was appointed a professor of philosophy in the University
of Mysore where he remained till 1921. At Mysore be wrote his two important
books – “The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore” in 1918 and the “Reign of
Religion in Contemporary Philosophy” in 1920. The latter book made him famous
in the world of Philosophy.
In 1921 Sir
Aushutosh Mukherjee appointed Radhakrishnan the King George V Professor of
Philosophy at the Calcutta University. He held this post for about 20 years and
during this period with the permission of the Calcutta University authorities
he served as a professor of comparative Religion in Manchester college of
Oxford, as the Vice – Chancellor of the Andra University and as Splading
professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics again at Oxford. In 1923,
Radhakrishnan produced the first volume of this famous ‘Indian Philosophy’. In
this book are surveys the philosophy of Vedas and the Upanishads, Bhagavasgita,
Realism of the Jainism, Idealism of the Buddha and Buddhistic philosophy. In
1927, he produced the second volume of this book wherein he has described the
six systems of Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya Yoga, Mimansa, Vedanta, Vaishnava,
Shaiva and Shakta systems of theism.
In 1926
Radhakrishnan delivered a series of Upton Lectures on philosophy at the
Manchester College of Oxford. These lectures were published under the title
“The Hindu View of Life”. This book was translated into many Indian and Foreign
languages. This book made Radhakrishnan very famous. In 1929 he delivered in
two series of lectures which were later published with titles “East and West in
Religion” and “The Ideal View of Life”. It is in the latter book that
Radhakrishnan has given his original contribution to the religious thought of
the present age. In 1939 Radhakrishnan accepted the Vice-Chancellorship of the
Banaras Hindu University. In this year, he produced two important books under
the titles “Eastern Religious and Western Thought” and “Mahatma Gandhi”. The
former book explains the Upanishadic Mysticism of India and shows how this
mysticism has been a continuous influence of Western thought. Radhakrishnan
wrote a long introduction to “Mahatma Gandhi”, which was presented to Gandhiji
on his seventieth birthday. The other books by Radhakrishnan are ‘The Religion,
We Need’, ‘Kalki’ or ‘the future of civilization’, ‘The Heart of Hindustan’,
and Freedom and culture. Radhakrishnan has been invited by various countries of
the world to lecture on topics concerning religion, culture and philosophy.
In the
independent India he was appointed the ambassador to the U.S.S.R. He was made
the Chairman of the University Commission appointed in 1948 to examine the
working of the various universities in the working of suggest remedies for
reforms. In 1950 he was elected to the high office of Vice –President of his
country and in 1962 the nation honoured him by electing him the president of
India. He held this highest office till 1967 when he retired to devote his time
to philosophical pursuits. At the ripe age 06 85 years, he left this world on
April 17, 1975 for his heavenly abode.
RADHAKRISHNAN’S PHILOSOPHY
According to Dr.
Radhakrishnan, Philosophy is avoiding terms that includes logic, ethics,
aesthetics, social philosophy and metaphysics. Metaphysics which is concerned
with the ultimate nature of things is comprised of two main fields, oncology
and epistemology. Science studies the different facts of experience, while
philosophy develops the meaning and explanation of experience as a whole.
Philosophy has two sides to it, an explanatory and a descriptive, a
metaphysical and an empirical. Philosophy studies experience in a concrete form
and reveals of the order and being of experience itself. It is a sustained
attempt to understand the universe as a whole, if coordinates and interprets
all significant aspects of experience the reports of scientists, the intuitions
of the artists and the insights of saints. Any coherent Philosophy should take
into account observed data, rational reflection and intuitive and insight,
since human consciousness consists of the perceptual, the logical and intuitive
awareness.
RELIGION
Radhakrishnan defines religion as
the insight into the nature of reality (darsana) or experience of Reality (anubhava).
This experience is the response of the whole personality, the integrated self
to the central reality. Religion is the self-manifestation of the ultimate
reality in man. It is the awareness of our real nature in God; Radhakrishnan
defines religion also as a strenuous endeavor to apprehend truth. Religion
holds that man exists on the level of super nature and also that of nature. The
philosophy of religion as a distinct from dogmatic theology is based on
experience and it attempts a reasoned solution of a problem of the religious
man who has direct spiritual intuition or who has sufficient belief in that
experience. Religion is the reaction of the whole individual to the whole
reality. The function of religion is to further the evaluation of man into his
divine stature, develop increased awareness and intensity of understanding, and
bring about a better, deeper and more enduring adjustment in life. Religion
commands man to make the change in his own nature, to let the divine in him
manifest itself. Radhakrishnan states that sravana,
manana and nididhyasana (hearing,
reflection and disciplined meditation respectively) are the three stages of
religious life, and one has to rise from one stage to another.
ETHICS
Evil is a negative conception,
the lack of good, and all conflict is between good and better bad and worse.
Evil is caused by the abuse of one free-will, and God permits it because he
does not interfere with the human choice. Suffering is not punishment, but is
the reward of fellowship, an essential accompaniment of all creative endeavors.
It often helps on to grow. The goal of the world process is a harmonious unity,
and therefore moral life is the enrichment of life that is the outcome of the
recognition of others and adaptation to them. To Radhakrishnan any form of
life, where we have significance and social value, is moral. Morality is the
current brand of social custom and one who deviates from it is immoral, through
his immorality is an ethical value in the next generation and becomes a part of
the tradition in another. Life is great adventure and not a set scheme and so
no progress is possible if moral rules are regarded as ‘sacrosanct’.
AESTNETICS
Art is the
expression of experience in some medium, the experience ‘is clothed in forms
which appeal to the emotion through the senses’. The relation between the experience and the
medium is closer in some forms of art such as in poetry than in others. The
experience is released afresh by means of the work of art and the enjoyer
becomes the secret sharer of the creator’s mind. Radhakrishnan defines art as form
knowledge, a disclosure of the deeper reality of things, and an imitation of
inner reality. The aim of art is to capture the inner and informing spirit and
it is by integrate insight or spiritual intuition that the artist attains to
the power of artistic expression. Arts do not much represent as suggest, do not
so much reproduce reality as create aesthetic emotion.
RADHAKRISHNAN’S EDUCATIONAL IEAS
AND AIMS OF EDUCATION
Dr. Radhakrishnan defines
education as the instrument for social, economic and cultural change. For
social and national integration, for increasing productively, education should
be properly utilized. “The importance of education is not only in knowledge and
skill, but it is to help us to live with others.”
Radhakrishnan wants that for
realizing the aim of education is to bring nearer to God. In this aim one
should study the various aspects of education. Through education Radhakrishnan
wants to establish a classless society in order to bring equality between man
and man. He wants that education should develop universal brotherhood. The most
important aim of education is to help us to see the other world, the invisible
and intangible world beyond space and time. Education has to give us a second
birth, to help us to realize what we have already in us. “The meaning of
education is to emancipate the individual and we need the education of the
whole man – physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual”. Education
should enable one to imbibe attitude of simple living and high thinking.
Radhakrishnan has attached great importance to spiritual education. He thinks
that education which does not inculcate spiritual feelings in students is not true.
Without a spiritual bent of mind, the physical and intellectual development of
a person remains stunted. This situation is detrimental to the progress of
mankind.
A satisfactory system of
education aims at a balanced growth of the individual and insists on knowledge
and wisdom. It should train the intellect, and furthermore, wisdom can be
gained by the study of literature, philosophy and religion that interpret the
higher laws of the universe. Education should develop in the minds of the
students a love of sustained thinking, adherence to truth and the power of
resistance to popular sentiments and mob passion.
THE NATURE OF CURRICULUM
Radhakrishnan has defined his concept of curriculum in his
university commission report published in 1949. He wants that a student should
study a number of subjects such as philosophy, literature, science, ethics,
politics, theology, geography, history, agriculture, natural science,
economics, human science and civics. In the curriculum for women, Radhakrishnan
wants to include some subjects which may be particularly useful for their
specific duties in life. They should also be given education in home science,
cooking, fine arts, ethics and religion. Thus Radhakrishnan wants that
curriculum must be related to one’s life.
METHODS OF TEACHING
Radhakrishnan attaches great importance to observation,
experiments and the relationship of nature and society in the method of
teaching. He is of the view that teaching of moral values should be through
real and living examples. He wants that the student should come close to
society and nature in order to understand the same. In learning industrial
subjects he recommends the use of imitation method. He thinks that man through
regular practice in the Yoga and Meditation may be helped in reaching his goal.
He also accepts the importance of internal knowledge for experience in
different subjects.
INDIAN EDUCATION COMMISSION OR
RADHAKRISHNAN COMMISSION (1948 -1949)
Inter –university board of education and central advisory
board of education recommended to Government of India that an All India
Commission of Education should be appointed to inquire into the requirements of
the higher education in India and put forward commendations for re-organization
of the University Education in the light of requirements of the country and its
traditions. On November 4, 1948 the Government of India appointed university
education commission with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as chairman. Hence, it
is also known as ‘Radhakrishnan Commission’. There were 10 member of the
commission.
AIM OF APPOINTMENT
The commission was appointed, to
report on Indian University Education and suggest improvements and extensions
that may be desirable to suit present and future requirements of the country.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The terms of
reference of the commission were ways and means for the improvement and
re-organization of the University Education, problems of the teachers,
curricula, medium of instruction, religious education problem of discipline,
health and residence of the students and such allied problems in the
perspective of the national an international conditions.
METHOD OF STUDY
The commission made a thorough
study of the problems of Higher Education in India. It toured the country
extensively.
It prepared a questionnaire which
was sent out to about 600 persons who mattered in the field of education. It
interviewed administrators, organizations of the students and other
educationist. Thus it tried to gather information in regard to almost all the
aspects to university education. Its report runs into two volumes. The first part of the report contains 18
chapters and about 747 pages. The second volume contains the statistics in
regard to institutions and other educational problems and the evidence tendered
by the witness examined by the commission.
RADHAKRISHNAN SEEN NOW
Now looked in retrospect,
Radhakrishnan looks like a prisoner of his own time and space and his metal
world also was very much conditioned by his upbringing and constraints. He was
a traditional Indian, with only a rudimentary Indian education. He had
certainly no Western education. Thus, his education thought and philosophy as
such was very orthodox, thought it was cast in the pre-colonial mental makeup.
When Independence came he had only a limited role to shape education policy.
Also he knew England and India well, yet he didn’t extend his horizon further.
He didn’t foresee the growth of America nor did he foresee the collapse of Communism.
Radhakrishnan was given to an Indian view point and that too he was constrained
by Gandhi’s overwhelming presence. Hence he cast his thoughts in a rather, in
my view restricted mentalscape. Thus, now at this time, in the new century, his
education legacy as such seems to me honestly as nothing very much.
UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES: HIS
REFORMS OVERTAKEN
Changes have been unprecedented
and so large-scale and so fast. All his university education reforms have been
overtaken by new demands, new responses.
Even we cant have much help from Radhakrishnan’s vast corpus of
writings, much education content as such.
NEW EDUCATION CONTENT
Today we need
more liberal arts courses, more mix of liberal and science and technology
courses etc. our basic education approach and attitude has to be to first make
education widely accessible, create a more egalitarian approach, give students
more choices, almost more like the American campus life style opportunities. In
fact, as I see, events have overtaken even our present education practices.
Students aspirations have radically changed. There is a supply side, not a
demand side to education today. Hence there is also a heavy emphasis on
commercialization. In fact, a gross commercialization of education at all
stages!
At another level are
the current world education perceptions. No one, an educator or educationist or
even a parent wants interference from the government! So there is the heavy
rush to private schools and private schools under all sorts of streams, name
have literally mushroomed! At another level, there is the great question of
school or education quality. No one seems very much worried about this in
India, as far as I can see. It is only a pious talk! There is now heavy rush
and the chance to make quick big money.
CLASS EDUCATION VS MASS EDUCATION
In England there
is a furious debate. The highly rated Public Schools in England, the 241
leading fee-paying schools said “highly –trained academic teachers” should be
given special contracts and be allowed to focus solely on top-set groups. The
chairman of these schools heads conference is none other than a very expensive,
17,500 pounds a –year. St. Paul’s school in London says the demand must be
conceded plus the government’s non-interference with the schools functioning!
He wants a secondary school system run by a commission independent of
politicians!
Even in a highly
divisive class conscious society, this demand is seen as “grossly politically
incorrect”! But then, as in India, politicians can talk and do nothing!
SOCIAL REALITIES
The social
realities are always different. The education world is evolving at its own pace
and at its own set perceptions. In fact, we have to more and more look to the
US education because what we have now is not a class education. It is a mass
education all the way. The US has over 33,700 colleges and universities and offers
a wide range of some 600 programs at graduate, post-graduate and doctoral
levels. Indian students in US universities alone make 11.5 percent of foreign
students. Even our university education is becoming more and more a
quantitative expansion and a mass education.
So, the standards
are what they are and there is, in my view too, not a big worry. This is the
time of expansion and what India needs is a competitive edge, say, with China especially
in high Tech fields. My real worry is the large scale migration of highly
talented and trained students and faculty to American shores. This had now become the dominant education
syndrome. Migrating at the first opportunity is the mindset of an average
student and the aspiration of every middle class family! Where this trend wound
lead to? What are the implications of this dominant trend for higher education?
No one, not in the UGC nor in the HRD ministry or the education minister, the
Prime Minister and the President of India talk on this sensitive issue!
QUANTITY v/s QUALITY
So let quantity
dominate, so to say, the quality for some more time! Fortunately, we are now
having an edge. This we shouldn’t lose at any cost. India had emerged as a
software dominant power. Let this advantage be always with us. So, I overlook,
of course, sadly, the many short comings. We have to devise some radical
concessions. We have to introduce some selective, exclusive and privileded
courses in the Public Schools and also universities so that the students who go
out in the world are always rich, privileged and self-employed! Anyway, let the
education scenario evolve for some more time. As they say, time is the best
healer!
RADHAKRISHNAN’S BREAKTHROUGH
Radhakrishnan did
achieve a breakthrough in bringing the Indian philosophical traditions closer
to the Western academic world. That was a very great achievement. Also
Radhakrishnan brought the wider public wherever they were closer to Indian thought
ad religion. His achievements are in fact multi faceted and multi layered.
CONCLUSION
Dr. Radhakrishnan was not only a Philosopher, but also a writer of
repute, a scholar, par-excellence, an orator with gift of the gab, an original
thinker, an educationist, a spiritualist and a creative genius. A multi
dimensional creative genius, he made his original contributions in all diverse
fields of life. It was very difficult to present in any language on account of
the towering stature of personality of Dr. Radhakrishnan and successive stages
of his creative contribution in Philosophical, educational, social, diplomatic
and political field. He is also a great exponent of Hindu Philosophy. He was
not obvious certain inherent religious and social evils and he was fully vocal
for their education.
Education is an
instrument of social, economic and cultural change and should aim at a balanced
growth of the individual. In education Radhakrishnan insists on integration of
personality and social integration. Politics should promote human welfare and
happiness. It is a branch of ethics and thus Radhakrishnan could advocate only
democracy, though it is an ideal to him. The success of democracy depends upon
its leaders; the representative’s who should be integrated personalities. Dr.
Radhakrishnan wished for world democracy. His mortal frame is no more present.
But his prophetic messages for India as well as for the whole world make him
immortal, and the future generations will get inspiration through his life
dedicated to learning and service of humanity. As he lives in our heart, and as
his thoughts are vibrating in our mind.
REFERENCES
T.M.P. Madhavan, G.V. Saroja
(1981) Contemporary Indian Philosophy, Sterling publishers private limited.
Prof. S.P. Chaube, Dr. Akhilesh
Chaube Educational Ideals of the great in India.
Dr. S.P. Chaube (1982), Recent
Educational Philosophies in India, Ram Prasad and sons publications
Ram Nath Sharma, Rajendra.K.Sharma (2000), History of Education in
India Atlantic Publishers and Distributers.
Dr. Raghunath Safaya (1981), Great
Indian Educations, The Associated Publishers.