Swami Vivekananda’s Message on Education

By Dr Anil Sharma :

The period of 1860 - 70 was a momentous decade for India, that witnessed birth of Rabindranath Tagore (1861), Swami Vivekananda (1863), and Mahatma Gandhi (1869). Swami Vivekananda, was born on January 12, 1863. Swamiji was a great patriot saint, great thinker, a religious leader and a social reformer of India. He embraced education as the mission of his life, and attempted to establish that the aim of education is man-making through the process of self-development. He defined education as "The manifestation of the perfection already in man".

The "perfection" meant excellence of human soul - the self, which by its nature is perfect. Swamiji insisted upon values such as Faith, Strength and Fearlessness, Selflessness, Moral Purity etc.Swamiji supported the idea of Swadharma in education. The aim of education should be fulfillment of Swadharma. Swamiji realized, if women got the right education, they would be able to solve their own problems.

The main objective was to make women strong, fearless, and conscious of their chastity and dignity.Swamiji wanted higher education for women in every sphere. Swamiji lays a lot of emphasis on the environment at home and school for the proper growth of the child. The parents as well as the teacher should inspire the child by the way they live their lives. Swamiji recommends the old institution of gurukula and similar system for the purpose. Swamiji is of the opinion that mother tongue is the right medium for social or mass education, he prescribes the learning of English and Sanskrit also. Education is now wholly in the hands of the Indian people. Several education commissions and committees have submitted their reports.

Three facts emerge from these reports: First, education is yet to reach the vast majority of the poor and the downtrodden. Second, the present system is not rooted in the indigenous culture. Third, the existing system is not value oriented. Swami Vivekananda’s idea of education provides clear answers to all these issues. (Author is Director, Green Heaven Institute of Management and Research)