Milestone Education Society is fully dedicated to education development in society. For us Education means “Education refers to any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which society, through schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions, deliberately transmits its cultural heritage–its accumulated knowledge, values, and skills–from one generation to another.”1 So, we are going to characterize some great educationist of India from Ancient to Modern Time, the list is very long, but we have selected a few personalities. Because here are two fundamental types of human nature -creative and possessive. Creative humans use human intellect for creative endeavors which enriches human thought; knowledge and wealth thereby contribute to the development of human heritage for the posterity. Possessive people, on the other hand do not believe in the use of human intellect for creative purpose. Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ, Guru Nanak Kabeer, Ravidas, Tukarama, Krantiba Jotirao Phoolay, Periyar and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh , they all belong to the great class of Creative humans called as Humanists in Indian context. Here we have mentioned just eight thinkers. The first two Mahrishi Valmiki, who is the writer of great epics “Ramayana”, we should call him the first educationist because the Ramayana is the first book of loukik Samskrit and it contains the old social philosophy and ethics. The Buddha, we should call him the first humanist in India, because of its positive attitude towards human’s efforts. This is one of the materialist philosophies of India. Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Govindrao Phule are from social reforms, who gave new dimensions to Indian Social and education revolution.
Dr. Ambedkar was a revolutionary, rationalist-humanist, human rights intellectual-activist, a man who looked ahead of his time. His philosophy of education, aims at creation of a liberating consciousness, which is not just formal education, but the conscientisation process of education, agitation and organization, put together. Dr. Ambedkar will be remembered for all time to come as the architect of the Indian Constitution, especially for the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles Chapters which, aim at eradicating “all injustice and tyranny” and ushering in social democracy and social equality.2 Dr. Ambedkar’s quest for social justice can be visualized in the philosophy, policy and ideals of the constitution of India. The substance of justice, liberty, equality and benefiting human dignity of individual are made more elaborate in Parts III and IV of the constitution.3
As a socialist, Bhagat Singh had a true international outlook. That there was no tinge of provincialism in him is a fact that is common to all revolutionaries. But he had gone beyond that and left nationalism also behind in his stand as a man; free from the shackles of Geography and language. For the Indian revolutionaries, the appeal of nationalism and patriotism have a supreme charm, and it was no small matter for Bhagat Singh to have come out of the confines of nationalism to take his stand as an internationalist.4 He understood the basic scientific principles and applied these to the realities around and was thus able to effect the direction and outcome of the events qualitatively. As proclaimed by him that revolution is a social change and for that is only possible by a “Scientific, dynamic, social force”. We can see that his transcendence to a revolutionary was complete. Humanism is basic motive force of a revolutionary. All his actions are motivated by his deep concern for the weakest person in the society and it is with his benefit in view.5
In the end we will discuss two another well known modern educationists of India Ravindernath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. Their ideas on education are influential because these are student centric and contributed new methods of learning to school education. May this collection help us to find out the right direction to do better in the area education and this attempt will give us a integrated approach to find the right way of educating.
Kurukshetra DESH RAJ SIRSWAL
Dated: 21-04-2009 http://drsirswal.webs.com
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