The Modern Review/Volume 29/Number 4/National Education

National Education

In his convocation address Dr Sircar dwelt on the need of increasing the physical efficiency of the people, and of promoting technological and vocational studies. He had much to say on the subject of national education. He was right in observing, “that systems and institutions grow. You cannot expect that the mere reiteration of the magic words ‘national education’ will bring into existence one fine morning a fully equipped and faultless system of education which like a full-grown banyan tree would spread its branches far and near.”

When the movement for national education originated in Bengal fifteen years ago, its promoters, who included some of the foremost educationists of the day in our Province, defined its objects in definite and distinct terms. Amongst its principal objects were the provision of national control, the imparting of education designed to incorporate with the best oriental ideals of life and thought, the assimilable ideals of the west, the attaching of special importance to a knowledge of the country, its literature, history and philosophy, the promotion of the study chiefly of such branches of the arts and sciences as are best calculated to develop the material resources of the country and satisfy its pressing wants, and to impart and facilitate the imparting of education through the medium of the vernaculars.

A few things have been left unsaid here, to some of which the promoters of national education in Bengal fifteen years ago and even now do not seem to have paid adequate attention. Dr Sircar and the other promoters oi national education were and are no doubt alive to the need of rousing the spirit of patriotism and civic service. That love of liberty should be inculcated from the very childhood of our future citizens will be admitted by all who desire the growth of perfect citizenship in the country. But the need of training in Civics, in Public Administration, in Public Finance and Statistics, in journalism, and other allied branches of study, does not appear to have occurred to the promoters of national education in Bengal. The Indian Nation consists mainly of Hindus and Moslems. It is, therefore, rather curious that the promoters of national education have not devoted any attention to those branches of Art which are the joint products of Hindu-Moslem culture, viz, Music, Painting, and Architecture. It should be borne in mind that the soul of a people is found in its Art, as well as in its Literature and Philosophy.

The two greatest desiderata have still to be referred to.

By national education we understand, among other things, such education as will make and keep us a nation. National education, then, should promote national solidarity, and prevent national disintegration. It should seek to destroy intercaste, intersect, and “religious” rivalry, jealousy, rancour, disputes and riots. National education should, therefore, lay stress on the promotion of neighborly feelings and virtues. It should bring Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, Jaina, Christian, Moslem and Sikh closer together. Our object here in this note is not to examine any system of faith or theology. Everyone is entitled to follow his own beliefs and be as orthodox as he thinks proper. But if anybody be a promoter or adherent of national education, he ought to see that his orthodoxy does not degenerate into such bigotry, fanaticism and obscurantism as would interfere with the growth and maintenance of national solidarity. A Nationalist’s orthodoxy should be such as would lay the greatest emphasis on such teachings and aspects of his faith as tend to foster fraternal feelings towards the followers of other faiths. Such teachings are found in the scriptures of all faiths. His orthodoxy should not be such as would make him exclusive, narrow-minded, touch-me-notistic, and narrowly devoted to the selfish interests of his community alone. Unfortunately, there are too many Hindu promoters of national education who understand by it education on narrowly orthodox Hindu lines, and there are too many Moslem promoters of national education who similarly understand by it education along narrowly orthodox Islamic lines. No reasonable citizen ought to have anything to say against Hindus giving orthodox teaching to their children, and Moslems giving orthodox teaching to theirs. But the question is is such teaching a part of national education or of denominational education? We need not confine ourselves to merely academic discussion. Let us appeal to experience. Have the distinctively Hindu and the distinctively Musalman “national” institutions succeeded to any extent in bridging the gulf, in obliterating the lines of cleavage, existing between caste and caste, religious group and religious group, race and race? Have they made the attempt? We do not want to answer the questions dogmatically one way or the other. Let there be a searching of hearts. Let the promoters of national education compare notes of their experience. And let them promote such education as would help in nation-building, as would foster the growth of national solidarity, as would preserve and strengthen national solidarity and prevent national disruption and disintegration. A mere appeal to sectarian and racial vanity and to the spirit of Past-Worship will do more harm than good.

National education should be such as would tend to decrease and ultimately destroy mutual repulsion and increase mutual attraction between the component parts of the Indian nation, and thus produce, conserve and increase national solidarity. Have we at present any national education of this description?

The last question to which we wish briefly to advert is the object of national education. Suppose our national institutions make us masters of all existing knowdege, Eastern and Western, suppose they promote research according to Western methods or methods devised by ourselves, suppose we are equipped with all knowledge, training and appliances to develop and exploit the resources of our country. The question that remains to ask is, What use shall we make of all this knowledge, research, training and scientific and mechanical equipment? The answer to this question will show whether our national education has any distinctively national ideal at its back and any distinctively national motive and object before it. We know what use Western nations have made of their national education. They have been increasingly mastering the forces of nature, they have exploited the resources of their own and other countries, they have conquered, enslaved, exploited foreign peoples, they have hankered after and obtained the means of leading luxurious lives, their Haves and Have-Nots are fighting tooth and nail, they are flying in the air, floating on the sea, diving beneath its surface, marching on the surface of the earth and digging into its bowels, in order to pursue the game of manslaughter on a large scale, and they have invented the poison gas. What would we do with our national education? Shall we make of it a handmaid to Mammon and the Devil? Or shall it bring Healing to the lacerated peoples of the earth and Peace and Bliss to the miserable poor and the miserable rich, the de-humanised masters and the de-humanised slaves, all over the world? Shall our national education also be a human and humane education, impelling us to work for word-wide unity and concord?

May our national education enable us to co-operate with God!