“Many Perspectives, One Aim - For Education” - INSIGHT #13

                                        

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 

“Many Perspectives, One Aim - For Education” 

INSIGHT #13 

As any inquisitive person, Prachana is also amply confused and the most important realisation she had was that defining an aim for education was not easy. The main reason for that was the book “The Aims of Education” by Roger Marples which she had recently borrowed from the library. The various unrelated possibilities and clear aims given by different scholars from different backgrounds standing on their perspective made her more curious. 

When she laid down to sleep, she thought “Will there ever be an answer?” 

Soon the words in the book started playing tricks in her mind. 

Someone is walking over a vast expanse of green meadow, writing something in the air. Even before Prachana called him, he slowly turned to her and said poetically “The Aim of education is essential to lead the individual nature in each man and woman to its true fullness.” He just smiled and pointed to a group of musicians at a distance and then he vanished. 

The group was standing under a large tree with a huge canopy. Some wise-looking person was conducting a symphony and the leaves of the tree were swaying to that tune. As Prachana reached the group, everything stood still and the conductor walked towards her. He held Prachana’s chin up and said “My child, it is all about coming to an accord with the teaching of nature.” Then he touched Prachana’s forehead. 

She instantly got trans-migrated to an ancient chamber decorated with polished wooden walls, shelves filled with leather-bound books, and wooden floors. She noticed that there was no ceiling. It was twilight and there was a mesmerising combination of the light from many oil lamps mixed with the orange hue from the setting sun. He was a massive man sitting behind a massive rosewood table. He had very thick long golden hair, a beard and mustache. He looked at Prachana through his monocles, smiled, and said “Actually you know, it is very simple. “The aim of education is the cultivation of the intellect.” Suddenly a door opened behind Prachana and she robotically walked out. 

The door led to a city garden where a young teacher is talking to a group of 15-20 students. He has a cloth bag on his right shoulder and a book in his hand. Seeing Prachana he called her and asked the students to repeat what he just taught them. All of them as a chorus turned to Prachana and smiled. Then they said in unison “The aim of education should be to make people happier, more secure, less neurotic, less prejudiced.” He held them all together and ushered Prachana to join them in the classroom. 

But when she entered, what she saw was a very ancient room with many pots neatly arranged. Dry roots were hanging from the ceiling. A sage-like physician was feeling the forehead of a patient. His eyes were closed in deep thoughts concentrating on what he felt. There were a few of his disciples standing around him observing what he was doing. After some time, he opened his eyes and smiled at Prachana who was standing straight in front of him at the door. He said “I know you are looking for an answer. Here it is. Education must aim at virtue and teach a man to deny his desires, inclinations, and appetite and follow as reason directs.” Then he said, “I am not saying, mine is the last word in this. Keep looking.” Saying this, he gestured to a nearby door. 

Prachana walked as if in a trance and the door opened to a large balcony an elaborately costumed god-like person was addressing a huge crowd of his followers. There were two other people on either sides. Noticing Prachana, one of them murmured something to that god-like person. He slowly turned around and Prachana was amazed at the glow on his face. He slowly brought her to his front and told the crowd “The aim of education is indeed to cooperate with divine grace in forming the true and perfectly religious person.” Then he looked at Prachana and smiled saying "Happy?" 

As soon as she looked back at the crowd, the entire crowd changed to a sea of red. Everyone was carrying a red flag. The leader, pounding his tight fist in the air said “Aim of education should be to inculcate the materialistic outlook and communist mentality.” Then he turned to Prachana and winked with a smile. 

Looking at her incessantly moving eye-balls, Sarvaa decided, it is time to wake her up and simplify her thoughts about the aims of education. He slowly touched he shoulder and shook. Though a little shocked, Prachana was expecting Sarvaa. 

Sarvaa asked “Liked my drama? You liked all of my roles, right?” 

A shocked Pracana asked “Sarvaa! It was youuuuu…?” He nodded vigorously. 

Sarvaa continued “Now let me simplify the whole thing. Now you know, you cannot formulate the aim of education from a single perspective. You will be able to realise that all you heard were various perspectives of this one thing.” Prachana got excited. 

Sarvaa stood straight and said, “The questions about nature and purpose of education are ultimately questions about what it is to be a human and how we understand that.” He assumed the pose of a seer with one hand up as though giving a blessing. Prachana had never seen him like this before. He could not hold that pose for long. He looked at her with one eye with a naughty smile. Then he broke into a burst of laughter and vanished, leaving the room dark again. A happy Prchana went back to sleep. 

 

End of Insight #13

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