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The idea of work being an integral part of education or in fact its base has not been incorporated as the primary objective, not even as one of the objectives. But the vision of Mahatma Gandhi clearly had this in mind as shown by some of the quotations above. It is not surprising therefore, that the role of work in the implementation of the programmes was entirely different from what it should have been. The reduced importance given to this in relation to the academic studies led to its failure. There were supplementary causes also, as will be pointed out later, but they also arose from the wrong understanding of the role of activity (work). In this paper, we shall look closely at the thinking process and what constitutes learning and also see the role of work activity in education. We shall also consider the non-acceptance of the Basic Education System (as propounded by Gandhiji) by the general public and see what lessons it has for us. Nature of Learning All our information reaches us through our five senses, viz. sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. This information travelling as electrochemical signals, produces synapses or linkages between the neurons. Each neuron can have 1000-10,000 such synapses and there are about 1010 (10 billion) neurons. So the number of items of information can be 104. Whatever is the source of information, signals coming from the senses produce patterns/microcircuits in the brain. This is somewhat like rain drops falling on sand. Next time a similar stimulus comes through, the old pattern is recalled. With some repetition, the pattern gets 'fixed and the stimuli get responses that we call 'learning'. Thus learning is caused by the outside signals coming through the senses. Rural Development Through Education System 100
