What Should be the True Aim of Education
What Should be the True Aim of Education?
Overview
This extremely rare and early English article of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was published in the newspaper, ‘The Hindu Intelligencer,’ on 19th January 1857. In his autobiographical letter, the Ṭhākura narrates that in his youth, he wrote some articles for The Hindu Intelligencer. This particular essay was read by him at the debating club at Hogalkuria in West Bengal when he was merely 19 years old. Although the theme of this short article is not spiritual, it is nonetheless interesting to observe how Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was concerned about the welfare of his fellow countrymen.
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
“Cultivation fructifies a land, and education a mind” is a saying common with every individual that boasts of a grain of reason and common sense. A mind without education perfectly resembles an uncultivated firm overgrown with weeds and brambles. Hence education is absolutely necessary to form a man even in a secular point of view….. The woman of our country may be ranked a little above the level of the Ourang Outangs and far below that of men….. Let us consider now what makes men mentally blind. It is the want of education….Hence I believe that the boys, who have arrived at the age of eight, should begin to learn….. A youth thus educated would I believe, prove useful to society when he grows up…..
Let us solve the question – why Young Bengal is all discussion and no action? It is owing to a defective system of education. No regular education they are receiving. They are learning everything and nothing. They talk always, morning and evening, noon and night, in the language of Shakespeare and Milton, Byron and Pope. In short, they look upon themselves Perfectly Europeanised and enlightened by English literature. I admit they have a good deal of intelligence, but what that intelligence can do while they learn from the school to talk nonsense and humbug-get many things by heart and under- stand little. What move do we expect from these ill-trained youths? Our rulers think they have done much good to us. But it is my firm belief that they have done very little for us. If words and no deeds are not the mark of uselessness what can they denote more I do not know. A boy begins his studies at eight, which in my opinion is the properest age, continues in the school for ten years more and learns to work sums in simple equation, solve problems of Euclid and read and write tolerably well etc. Why should ten years be spent for such poor acquirements? He can learn more in that time. Next he is promoted to the college where he undergoes the same operation. He is to learn their literature and fill the brain with philosophical theories, soar in the heavens to know of the planetary system and chew to use the expression of a humorous writer, the dry bone of mathematics, or in other words he is to cram his head with many things and learn nothing. Young Bengal cannot be in action unless this cramming system is done away with. After all I conclude that especial education for one thing is preferable to general education for many things and the former should be the true aim of education.