What is the education? Our education system- Past present and future

Who were we, what did 
we become and what will we be now.
Let's discuss all these 
problems today.
                                 - Bharat Bharati

First thinker of swaraj, torchbearer of national renaissance, leader of social revolution and founder of aryasamaj, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati was a great personality of India. He was also a great educationist. Highlighting the importance of education, he described the education-study-teaching process in his third chapter of his immortal revolutionary scripture 'Satyarth prakash'.

According to Maharshi, those which increase education, civilisation, religiousness and decrease bad habits is said education (svamantavyamantavyaprakasha). He terms education as sysmbol coordination of philosophy, spritualism and scientific cultures. The education aims at developing and transforming human being's capacity. Through which, the capacity can be utilised as creative form.

The word education emanates from 'shiksha' dhatu. (Sanskrit Dhatukosh Page 120) which means acquiring knowledge. The word ultimate knowledge is used for education. The ultimate knowledge emanates from 'vid' dhatu which means that to know. Therefore the ultimate knowledge means knowledge. According to Ishopnishad, the ultimate knowledge means the entire knowledge. Therefore the ultimate knowledge means self realisation.

Education in view of great personalities
In many scriptures, Maharshi Dayanand has defined the education. In Vyavharbhanu, he writes that those through which the human being can be blissful by acquiring knowledge and renouncing all the bad habits.

'The education utilises the materials available on the earth. The illusion, darkness and ignorance are obstacles of the education. (Aryoddeshyaratnamala)

'The knowledge is the education. There are many illusions against ultimate knowledge but the education has no illusion. (Upadeshamanjari) The education is those through which work is done in proper way, while doing injustice is called ignorance. (Vyavharbhanu)

It becomes clear from the aforesaid definitions that there are two main factors. First- acquiring knowledge or augmenting knowledge and second- utilising the acquired knowledge for human being. Therefore, Maharshi Dayanand focused on acquiring  knowledge and the need of human merits like civilisation, religion, discipline and patience.
Maharshi Arvind also supported the thoughts of Maharshi Dayanand by saying that 'knowledge, bhakti and duty are the main elements of arya education. The education should aim at instilling knowledge, truth and discipline in the next generation. (Yogi Sriarvind)

According to Dr Radhakrishnan, the main cause of sorrow in the world is that the education is not related to moral and spiritual values. The education which ignores heart and soul can't be called ultimate education. 

The great personalities of ancient scriptures and upanishads declared that the ignorance is the sin. The ignorance is more unfortunate than unemployment. Nobody can achieve the goal by ignoring cultural and intellectual life. The education is the first need for any development. It boosts self confidence in the human being. It brings success in the life.

'Vidyavihanah pashubhih samanah' human life is nothing but animal without education. Without education, human being can't attain knowledge of duty and develop internal and outer powers. Therefore, the education is the need for development of human being. The education beings a sense of righteousness in the human being. 

Vidya dadati vinayam, vinyaddati patratam I
Patratvaddhyanamapnoti, dhanaddharmam tatah sukham II

It means that the education brings discipline. Discipline beings eligibility, eligibility brings prosperity, prosperity brings religion, religion brings happiness. The great personalities have said that 'sa vidya ya vimuktaye' it means that the education frees from bondage. There was a time when our education was world famous. Manu has said-

Etaddesha prasutasya sakashadagrajanmanah I
Svam svam charitram shiksheran prithivyam sarvamanvah II

India was considered as word teacher. National poet Maithilisharan Gupta had written about India's ancient education-

Sab desh vidya prapti ko, satata yaha aate rahe I
Surloka me bhi geet aise, devagana gate rahe II
He dhanya bharatvarshvasi, dhanya bharatvarsh hai I
Surlok me bhi sarvada, unka utkarsh hai II

In ancient time, the students were taught at gurukul in the forests. The students used to practise brahmcharya till the age of 25 years. They used to acquire knowledge by serving their teachers. The teachers used to pay attention on the overall development of students in the serene atmosphere. The students would get opportunity of developing their talent. The students would return home after by gaining knowledge of science, medical, policy, war, veda and scriptures. They would become responsible citizens. In those days, India was considered as education hub in the entire world. Devavani Sanskrit was the mother tongue. Thousands of students would visit India to acquire knowledge. Takshashila and Nalanda were the famous education hub. There was a famous slogan. 'Knowledge is the third eye of the human being. In those time, the education didn't mean the source of earning money. Today, the main obstacle of education is that it's not according to our atmosphere. The education must play a major role in reconstruction of society. It lacks self confidence. It contains superstition, casteism, communalism and regionalism. Even after 75 years of independence, our education system is still worthless. National poet Maithilisharan Gupta has opined about education-

Yah aadhunik shiksha kisi vidhi ham prapta kar bhi sake I
To labh kya bas klark bankar pet apna bhar sake II
Likhte rahe jo sir jhuka sun afsaron kee galiyan I
To de sakegi rat ko do rotiyan gharvalian II

Macaulay had said in the British Parliament

I believe that this education plan will make an educated class whose colour and blood will be Indian, while their thought, aptitude and speech will be 'English'.  Macaulay 's education policy has polluted India education system. The students go to abroad for earning money. Why is the country unable to produce talent like Hargovind Khurana? The education has neither ancient touch nor modern revolution. It has neither ancient glory nor research oriented present. It has neither respect and prayer of Ramakrishna, Dayanand, Shradhanand and Vivekanand nor the power of Newton and Einstein. The education will be worthless if it fails to make incapable into capable, sorrow into happiness, unemployed into employed, lazy into laborious. The education must eradicate unemployment. Unfortunately, it failed to check it. It's true that under the 86th constitutional amendment act 2002, part-3 of Act 21 A provides that the children of age group 6-14 years will be given free and essential education. In 2009, the the Parliament passed the legislation to make it effective. The law was implemented on April 1 , 2010. By implementing it, India entered into the club of 135 countries providing education as fundamental right.

Demerits of present education system

The first demerit of present education system is that it's inactive and mechanical. The second demerit is that it's only theoretical. The third one is that it lacks moral and cultural values. The fourth demerit is that there is no physical training in the current education system. The fifth demerit is that it's costly. The sixth one is that it's nothing but a source of entertainment for the students. The seventh demerit is that the current education system lacks earning money capacity. Apart from that, it promotes no creativity. Sheltering incompetent persons is main obstacle in university education. Today, university turned the hub of bad elements. Even the college teachers are transferred and promoted on the political backing. The students indulge in homework and exam preparation. They fail to recite rhyme of Kabir and Sur and understand Wordsworth. 

In the present context, the parents ignore the children's interest in the study. They want to make their children only doctors and engineers. On many occasions, they commit suicide.

The government education policy focusing on making the people only literate instead of educated. The present education system makes us mechanical. 

It's matter of happiness that Indian software professionals are famous as global brand. They are considered as reliable and high level service providers in the field of IT. They can prove to be catalyst in India realising dream of super power. But unfortunately, after 70 years of independence, our education system is still ancient. However, many commissions were formed to make change in the education system which produces clerks. The students must be taught how to control mind. After which they can accumulate required facts. The students take lot of time to understand because they fail to concentrate. The  education must play a major role in personality building as well as intellectual and spiritual development. The education must bring creativity, intellectual agility and capacity of being good citizen. It must give prominence to the moral values. The students must be instilled a sense of scientific approach so that they can play a pivotal role in development of the country. We have a cultural heritage  unlike countries like France, US and Japan. We have to preserve it. There is a need of students having values like discipline, culture and laborious for development and prosperity of the country. 

The question is that what is the mutual relation between success and failure in the human life. Whether the success has relevance. Apart from success, the students must have talent. This dialogue of film 'Three Idiots' defines it. Everybody tries to get success in life. But at the same time, there are a very few persons who are competent enough to get success by getting adapted in the present atmosphere. There is no short cut to the success. Doctors and engineers get Rs 12-15 lakh annual package. Somebody calls it success, while somebody terms helping others as success. As the education frees us from bondage, similarly the success gives satisfaction. The human being aims not only at materialistic develop but also moral and spiritual development. There are many examples where successful people are not satisfied. The education must aim at materialistic prosperity as well as satisfaction. As the root plays important role in development of tree, similarly moral education is essential for development of human being. 

Importance of self language

Strangely, we hesitate in speaking our own language. Until our students understand 'bin nij bhasha gyan ke, mitai na hiya ko sul', how will they understand our country? The mother tongue will help children grasp easily. 

It's true that English plays important role in country's development. The policy makers can't deny English's role. But we have to ponder over that if the English as mother tongue will put obstacle in the children's development. English creates hurdle on the new talent. When will our policy makers understand this? Countries like Ireland, Israel, Denmark, Belgium, Australia, Hungry, Netherlands, Switzerland have got more number of Nobel prize than India. They promoted their mother tongue in the education system, while their population is equal to that of a district in the India.

We have to implement universal education system so that education inequality can be eradicated. The government school and missionary school are pole apart. The difference can be called India and Bharat. Local, regional and national knowledge can be accommodated in our syllabus. There should be a sense of Indianness among the citizen. We should not deny the history of past. We must understand that the sun of knowledge rises in the east and ray falls in premise on India. 

The education must fulfil the need of employment. Plato had said 'the education plays important role in development of human life.

Education is key to self reliant

Employment oriented education can play important role in the economic, social and democratic development of the country. In order to link employment with education, the survey must be conducted to know the nature of employment in the country. The teachers, doctors, engineers and military must be in adequate number. First of all, we should find out the source of employment. Unfortunately, there is a lot undesired trainers, resulting in huge unemployment. In the present context, the syllabus of BA, BCom, BSc, MA, MSc fail to instil a sense of labour among the students.

If we have a look at the education system of the country, the question arises that is it making the students competent enough for leading a meaningful life? Has the education system eradicated the ignorance? Theodor Roosvelt says 'moral education must be imparted to the students'.

Role of teachers

What will be our views if the thoughts of children are different from that of ours. We must respect their views and thoughts. We must ponder over their suggestions. 21st century is the century of next generation. The teachers play an important role in shaping the life of students. It has been said that 'matriman pitriman acharyavan purusho vedah' the acharya plays important role in society building and nation building. The teacher lays foundation stone of a civilised society and nation building. The great teachers like Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Bhardwaj, Valmiki, Dronacharya, Sandipini and Panini shaped the life of thousands of students. Teachers like Sucrates, Plato, Aristotle, Ruso, Walteyar, Dante  were the root cause of many social and national revolutions. Aristotle, Dronacharya, Ramkrishna Paramhans and Virjanand played important role in the life of Alexander  Arjuna, Vivekanand and Dayanand respectively. 

It's true that the children give preference to the thoughts of their teachers in comparison to the parents. Therefore, the teachers must be more responsible in shaping the life the students. Every word of the teacher plays important role. They are aware of the activities which can keep them healthy and augment the knowledge. Frabel had said that the children is plant, the school is an garden and the teacher is gardener. As the gardener looks after plants, similarly the teacher rears the small children to make them ideal citizens. The book 'Thoughts of Maharshi Arvind' written by Maharshi Arvind says 'the teacher is the gardener of nation's culture, he looks after the refinement of children'. An Italian teacher has said that 'a teacher is like a candle which gets burned to provide light to others. There must be a continuity between teachers and the students. 

In ancient time, the teachers were given due respect. The teacher is unique example of giving best in limited resources. The society must respect the teachers. 

The aims and objectives of the students

As far as the students are concerned, they must focus on overall personality development apart from discipline and various knowledge. The student life is the base of entire human life. A scholar says that 'he country is build in the class'. The refinement imprinted in the mind of children is not wiped out. The good character help the people attain success in life. The school is the serene place where acquired knowledge remains with the students. Respect of teachers, better utilisation of time, faith in truth and god and intention of nation service can be assimilated in student life. Sanskrit literature describes five characteristics of ideal students-

Kakcheshta bakadhyanam, shwannidra tathaiva cha I
Alpahari grihtyagi vidyarthi-panchlakshanam II'

It means that the ideal students must have merits like concentration like crow, meditation like crane, sleep like dog, taking light food and avoiding homesickness.

These lines are worthmentioning during sorrow-

Jitna kashta kantako me hai jinka jeevan suman khila I
Gaurav unhe utna hi yatra tatra sarvatra mila II

Those society and country where students have merits like patience and agile are safe. A small battalion of military is fully disciplined. Similarly, the students with qualities like moral, religious and scientific education can be matter of pride for the country. Every student must engage in extra curricular activities apart from study and other works. They must participate in the debates in the school and college level to hone their oratory skills on any subject. They must augment their knowledge and aware of latest development. Quiz contest also plays important role in the life of students. They must know the drawing, painting, handicraft. They should also participate in the sports. Life is also like sports. They must learn how to remain same while in success and failure. 

They must understand that even a single rupee earned by them is valuable than Rs 100. It's better to remain failure instead of earning money through unfair means. The students must no be jealous with others' success. Take decision by listening inner conscience. Every student must have qualities like truth.

Hard work brings success and prosperity in the life. The lazy students remain in sorrow as they keep everything on destiny. A poet says-

Lo bhag apna shigra hi, 
kartavya ke maidan me,
Ho baddh parikar do sahara, 
desh ke utthan me I
Dube na dekho nav apni, 
hai pari majhdhar me, 
Hoga sahayak karm ka patvar hi uddhar me I

The students must have clear aims and objectives in their life. It's true that the life becomes meaningful when it has aims. A sense of realising dream brings energy in the human life. The great poet Harivansh Rai Bachhan says that--purva chalne ke batohi, bat kee pahchan kar le I

The right education is the need of the hour. It will pave the way of modernity. We must study for social welfare instead of vested interest. India is trying to play important role in world. It needs to reconstruct its old education system. The country is facing tough task in preparing new Indians in the society.

In this context, the education must eradicate darkness and illiteracy. It's clear that Shradheya Swami Ramdev Jee Maharaj and other scholars are doing tremendous job through acharyakulam where refinement is instilled in the minds of the students.