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GANDHI ON EDUCATION (With Special Reference to Educational Reforms in India and Thailand) Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri

GANDHI ON EDUCATION (With Special Reference to Educational Reforms in India and Thailand) Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri Printed at: Nitidhamma Press Thailand. Tel : 0-2449-2525, 08-13095215 Email: [email protected]

Contents Acknowledgements Part-I 1. Introduction What is Education : Meaning, Concept, Purpose 2. Mahatma Gandhi and Education : Opinion and Concept 3. Education in India : Problems; Relevance of make education worthy and conducive 4. Education in Thailand : Problems and Expectations 5. Conclusion : Gandhi’s Suggestions to Reform Education Part – II 6. Selected Writings 7. Glossary of Indian Terms 8. Bibliography 9. Index



Chapter – One Introduction What is Education : Meaning, Concept, Purpose Generally, when we ask people the meaning of education most of them may reply that – ‘a process of going to school, or a college, studying there, passing examinations, one after the other and finally obtaining a degree, which makes a man or woman qualified for securing a job is education’. But, in fact, it is not a definition of education; it is not the meaning of it. Then what is education ? How can we define it ? To get a concrete answer of this question, it is indispensable to get acquainted with some of the definitions given for it by scholars of repute time to time. According to an ancient Indian scholar : “Education makes one polite and politeness promotes worthiness.”1 Sri Aurobindo, a contemporary thinker of India pointed out : “In education, imparted in schools, colleges and universities, include grading to national mind, soul and character…”.2 Likewise, Vivekananda, a great Hindu reformist and contemporary scholar comes to conclusion : “We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is

6 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION increased, intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s feet. Education is manifestation of perfection….”3 Another thinker of modern age, J.Krishnamurthi says: “Education is not merely to give you knowledge, but also give you the capacity to look at the world objectively…the function of education is to assist you to face the world in a totally different ands intelligent way.”4 Amartya Sen, too, writes : “Education is one of the most fundamental element to build the nation to create more equitable society and to improve the over all quality of life.”5 Thus, in the light of views expressed by some well known scholars we arrived at the conclusion that education is a process, which makes a man capable to his all-round development and a real social being. Whether it si formal or informal, the aim and objective of education is to make the man developed – physicaly, mentally; also to build his personality as a practical, open minded and an independent human being. Moreover, to make a man self dependent, and soun-morally and ethically. And that’s why the Hindu Sanatana Dharma emphasizes equally on moral and ethical education calls upon : “No education is complete without moral and ethical education.”6 Thus, education is an important pillar of a country and its system on the one hand, and an essential condition of real development of an individual, society and the nation on the other. Side-by-side it is on of the fine necessities to service and the only means to make a man worthy. A country cannot prosper and progress unless its citizens are abysmally backward in education.

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 7 Being a life-long process, i.e. started from pregnancy, where a foetus start to learn through its mother’s education leads a human being to the ultimate stage of salvation. In the Mahabharata – a well-known Hindu scripture, there is an episode of Abhimanyu, who started learning even in his mother’s womb. Another story pertaining to Shukdeva, in the Puranas, tells us how he stayed twelve years in his mother’s womb to learn and after his birth he was more intelligent and knowledgeable even than his father Vyasa. In Vedic philosophy, it is called education by Samskara. It is said that during pregnancy period, the immature baby gets through the inner or outer environment of his mother; and through it his personality and psychology are developed to a great extent. Now, we can definitely say that formal education, is not much important for a baby in comparison with his informal education by his first school, i.e. family where mother is the first teacher. But as it a process of motivation or a life-long process, family, friends, neighbors, society and other human beings of different institutions, including schools, colleges etc. contribute to it make a man worthy and capable through a proper execrcise and training of bodily organs to walk on the pathway of progress and to reach the end, that is the aim, objective and real meaning of education. In a true education, it may be repeated, the development of the mind and body, both, is essential; it goes hand in hand with a corresponding awakening of the soul, which cannot be possible only studying in a school, college and university, but in the presence of proper coordination and harmony among various facilities mentioned above.

8 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION References : 1. Global Peace – An International Journal of Philosophy, Peace, Culture and Civilization….Vol.1, No.1, September, 2001. 2. Global Peace, Vol. 5, No.4, June, 2006. 3. Ibid. 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. The other four are : food, clothing, shelter and medicine.

Chapter – Two Mahatama Gandhi and Education Opinion and Concept Mahatama Gandhi, too, is of the opinion that education is a life-long process; it is for the total development and all-round growth of a man from beginning till end. In this regard he also said : “Education means an all-round drawing out of the best of in child and man-body, mind and spirit.”1 Although Mahatma Gandhi has not written any particular book on education, and he is no considered and educationist in the academic world, but his views published in diferent journals like Young India, Harijan, Navajivan and Harijan Sewak, time-to-time on various aspects related to education, definitely help us to understand his concept of education. In this connection scholar like Dr.Ravindra Kumar is right when he says : “Gandhiji expressed his views on education, as a common man, which are of utmost importance. They provide us a guideline to proceed towards value education.”2 And significance of Mahatma Gandhi’s views on education multiplies in the light of the fact that he always discusses the matter concerned as an adaptable solution to the problem, no matter if the problem relates to Indian context.

10 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION As per the surface knowledge of Gandhian approach on subject, I may divide the views of Mahatma Gandhi on education in sub-parts as follows – 1. Moral Education 2. Value Education 3. Basic/Fundamental Education 4. Physical Education 5. Mental Education 6. Emotional Education 7. National Education 8. Co-Education 9. True Education 10. Self Defendant / Self Supporting Education 11. Self-employed Education 12. Asharam Education 13. Technical Education 14. Religious / Spiritual Education 15. Sex Education In Moral Education, Mahatma Gandhi says that the value of education is based on moral and ethical knowledge. Without these two, on education system can be termed as good because morality and ethics makes the student healthy in mental and physical terms by making him controlled and of good character. In Value Education, Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes that nobody can learn and can be taught value by books or in institutions. Values can develop by the ideal of their own char- acter. For example, an ideal teacher should be free from any addiction, he should be simple, polite, open minded, helpful, simple liver and high thinker etc. when a teacher remembers

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 11 that wasting time is a sin, he can teach his student to utilize the maximum time and can make aware his duties and respon- sibilities towards society and nation. About Basic or Fundamental Education, Mahatma Gandhi says, “Basic education is the education of life and for the sake of life. Whatever satisfies our basic needs is the medium of our scheme of education.” Gandhi’s basic education leads to self-dependency through which the goal of ‘Sarvodaya’ – welfare of all can be achieved. According to Gandhiji, “ All the various social and class divisions are only artificial”.3 Our society is basically divided into two classes – One – who works with their hands, another – who works with their brains. Gandhiji insisted on the equal value of both. According to him, “One should not be regarded as more important than the other”.4 In fact physical labor is as important as intellectual labor. It’s Gandhi’s theory that man has some natural and inherent qualities since childhood. These qualities must be developed with the help of education to achieve self-dependency. He wanted that Physical Education must be encouraged by the society because healthy mind and soul live in a healthy body. Physical education is important for all because a healthy person can think positive and can do his mental work better. Except that India is an agriculture and labor based society. Here healthy body is required. According to their physic, some physical labor must be essential. Physical labor increase the stamina of a person. About Mental Education, Gandhi said, “Education is an unending exercise till death. Only it can act as a means of a successful life. It can help to mold and shape human body, mind

12 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION and character in such a manner that they may act as a means to achieve joys and efficiency.”5 Education must be helpful to open the door of mind, to prepare a human being to do work with joy and maintain their efficiency. Education must develop the broad mindedness, ideal and good characteristics, dignity of labor and job-satisfaction. In Emotional Education, Gandhi desired to produce a balanced character in society so he emphasized to accept simple living and high thinking and he himself did wear very simple clothes. By it, he wanted to indicate that the flow of emotions could enrich the society or bring down the society. Gandhi has said that every student must have national feeling. This national feeling can develop by National Education which also means the education should be same in the whole nation. India is a country based on agriculture; it has different castes religions, languages and a composite culture.After getting true education, he desires…..to develop the country. He was of the opinion. “If we will leave our nation for better salary and for better bread and butter than how can we prove ourselves to be real Indians”. So, to become a real Indian, a student should know about his national language, qualities and specialities. He should try to remove different types of problems. Truth, Non-violence, natural environment, healthy feelings, broth- erhoodness, humanity, feeling of justice, moral judgment etc. should be the ornament of a student. Gandhi said that man should be able to rule over himself to control his senses and his thoughts. About Co-Education, he says, that young boys and girls should have co-education till they are eight years of age. Their education should mainly consist manual training under

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 13 the supervision of an educationist. The special aptitude of each child should be recognized in determining the kind of work he or she should do. He further said that mine to sixteen constitutes the second that boys and girls should have co-education during the second stage also as far as possible. True Education means a real knowledge of their society, circumstances and problems with solutions. Merely writing, reading or alphabetic knowledge does not amount to any gain from education. Also getting education in real sense means to sharpen intellect to get rid of day-to-day problems and to bring about complete development of personality on the basis of equality. Gandhi said, “Education should not bound with degrees or heavy bags. Educationist should acquire a general knowledge of world history and geography, botany, astronomy, arithmetic, geometry and algebra. Each child should be taught to sew and to cook. He wants that every student should be self-dependant, healthy, wealthy, aware about their socio- cultural aspects, self-reliant and educate at mental level. Nothing should be taught to a child by force. A student should learn to respect their elders and love to youngers. By true education we can judge the capability of a student and a man or woman for society, family and also for occupation. In Self Dependent or Self Supporting Education, Gandhi, without discriminating between boy or girl, emphasized upon learning of wool-spinning, weaving, sewing, cooking, making handicrafts or any other work for their betterment in socio- economic field. If our education can’t provide us a job, clear views and concepts about past, present and future, a knowledge for making our family, society and nation……., than what is the use of our education system? So Gandhi called upon students to proceed towards self employment according to Indian requirements.

14 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION Talking of ‘Self-employed Education’, Gandhi brought out that Indian atmosphere was not ready to provide jobs to everyone, so it is the duty of educators to prepare students for swarojgar. Swarojgar, according to Gandhi is the work done by own hands by limited equipments and at one’s own place. Through sarojgar, every Indian will be able to earn bread & butter for himself and contribute to the national income. For this, his concept to promote “khadi” and to make available the best quality of garments in cheap rates by manufacturers is still…………….. In his concept of Aashram Education, Gandhi calls upon co-education, manual training, special work as students aptitude, explanation of every process, improvement of general knowledge, drawing simple geometrical figures in starting, reading, writing and games as essential parts of education; he…………….of teaching national language followed by mother tongue, knowledge of their religions, customs, faiths etc. Character building is easily possible in Aashram education and it is most essential part of his views. About Technical Education, Gandhi has absolutely clear thoughts. He wants the students to prepare themselves for technical knowledge or in his own terms ‘Buniyadi Shiksha’, right from the days of his primary level of education. This technical or vocational education will help to get economic satisfaction. In this education, Gandhi urges the school adminis- tration to teach the students – some works related to handicrafts, like sewing, stitching, cooking, manufacturing, hygiene and sanitation, also he suggest to make the manners proper to keep a man happy, healthy and wealthy. He says that if we will do our work by ourselves, we will not depend on others and will not waste money in all these nonsenses.

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 15 Mahatma Gandhi advocated the introduction of Religious Education. He says, “By the religious education, a human can learn the value of tolerance, endurance and veneration.” He writes in ‘Young India’ of Dec.6th, 1923, “ A curriculum of religious instructions should include a study of the tenets of faiths other than one’s own. For this purpose the students should be trained to cultivate the habit of understand- ing and appreciating the doctrine of various great religions of the world in a spirit of reverence and broad-minded tolerance”. He wants that Hindu children should, now, be taught Samskrit along with Arabic and Muslim children Arabic with Samskrit. Spiritual Education is meant to prevent religious feeling but not bound in religious blindness. Spiritual Education, I understand, indicates spiritual growth. Spiritual Growth as it is said, ‘Sa Vidhya ya Vimuktaye’, can be gained only through morality and ethics. Gandhi was a religious person. According to him, people must not be divided in religious circles. By the introduction of spiritual education he meant to achieve proximity to almighty. Spiritual education is the source of moral up liftment of man. Therefore, spiritual education may be imparted in terms of moral education. He emphasized on Satya, Ahimsa and Astey as the means of spiritual education. This education leads the man towards salvation and undisturbed peace for soul. Through Sex Education, Gandhi wanted such type of education, which can be imparted in schools, colleges and even in Aashrams with the real meaning of sex. He was of the opinion that violence and sex are two different things. He was not interested of student education in Public schools.

16 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION References : 1. Harijan, July 7, 1937. In this context he further wrote, “Literacy is not the end of education nor even the beginning. It is only one of the means whereby man and woman can be educated. Literacy in itself is no education. I would therefore begin the child’s education by teaching it a useful handicraft and enabling it to produce from the moment it begin its training. I hold that the highest development of the mind and the soul is possible under such a system of education. Only every handicraft has to be taught not merely mechanically as is done today but scientifically, i.e. the child should know the way and the wherefore of every process.” 2. Kumar, Ravindra Dr., ‘Gandhi on Value Education’, Gandhi Marg, Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi, Vol.25, No.4, pages 485-7, January-March, 2004. 3. India of My Dreams. 4. Ibid. 5. Kumar, Ravindra, Essays on Gandhism and Peace, Krishna, Meerut, India, 1999, page 2.

CHAPTER – THREE EDUCATION IN INDIA Problems; Relevance of Gandhian Approach to Make Education Worthy and Conducive Since ancient times, India took a lead as far as the question of education is concerned countless thinkers, schol- ars and educationist, time-to-time gave dimensions one after the other to it. “Sa Vidya ya Vimuktaye”1 has been nucleus in thoughts pertaining to education in India, which essentially contains the message of self-reliance to make a man developed in all walks of life. But under alien rule, especially during British India, the education as imparted to Indians was somewhat filtered education, foundation of which was laid by Macauly. Macauly, as pointed out, “Introduced education to achieve two objectives; one to prepare a class of bureaucrats from among Indians who had the appearance of the natives, but the mind and thinking of the British ruler and could help to rule over the country on behalf of the British Empire; and the other to prepare a class of ‘babus’ to work in offices.”2 He further mentions, “Macauly had little regard for Indian culture and literature present or past…” and “The medium of instruction was English, the syllabuses loaded with English language, literature, history, culture and the information incompatible with Indian thought and culture.”3

18 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION Thus, the education did not reach the masses and most of the people reminded illiterate. During national liberation movement of India, Gandhi started work, to reform education according to circumstances prevailing in the country and time, as one of his programs relating to national renaissance and called for two kind of education : 1. Moral and Ethical Education; and 2. Technical or Buniyadi Education. Moral and ethical education is the first and most important point on which Mahatma Gandhi tried to base it. He believed that any education that lacks morality and ethics cannot be termed as true education. He called upon teachers, parents, students and those in the administration to ensure that morality and ethics became an essential part of education right from the beginning, i.e. primary level.4 The second important point which Mahatma Gandhi suggested was technical or buniyadi education to make education worthy and valuable. The main purpose of Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion pertaining to it was to make students, male and female both, self-reliant in the economic field. His views of buniyadi or technical education are well-working for a country like India because his concept is fully for job oriented education. They are very important and worth giving a thought and to a great extent acceptable to make education meaningful.

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 19 II At present, Indian education system is interested in educating every Indian and wants to give degree to them for their future. The population of India cross the figure of one hundred core. Educationists are busy to perform their duties and students are also busy to perform their duties, but the ratio of educated employed people is decreasing. What is the reason behind this ? For centuries, Indian education system had been based on traditions and culture; at present it is running behind foreign culture. In this situation, it is neither fully Indian nor completely foreigner; it is semi-Indian. Play schools, primary schools and public schools governed on old British pattern are there degrees for graduation, post-graduation, Ph.D., Engineering, Medical etc. are being given by universities. But there is lack of morality, and self-discipline; and in such a terrible system, there is no hope, no satisfaction is expected. Although in India education is imparted on the name of jobs, but nobody is interested to understand the basic themes, nobody is interested in deep study and nobody is interested to do miracle in education life. Everyone want degrees, certificates, grading, prize and awards, but large number of people are not interested in their traditional work, as agriculture, Kuteer Udyog and some other creative work. I can express my views about Indian Education in two categories – Positive & Negative. In the positive way education is a medium of getting job in India and other’s country; it is a medium of showing themselves as high profile persons; a medium of showing themselves educated and to be ready of getting and waiting for

20 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION high standard. But in fact is achievement started for some short term and long term certificate or diploma courses, which are ready to arrange a job for someone. In the negative aspect, I want to say that due to corrup- tion, misunderstandings, unemploymacy, misuse of technique and physical strength, misguiding, lack of job satisfaction, showmanship and slogan based political system education is bringing negative results. To follow corrupt leaders, money makers, disputed characters and artificial high profile persons, and not showers interest in good characteristics is dorgerms. Parents and students are suffering with high expectations. They forget that only one person can lead. And in my views, the system and infrastructure of public and convent schools are not co-relating with our Indian traditional and old culture as per the expectation of Mahatma Gandhi. Everyone is seeking for heavy salary jobs and status. How can the pot of everyone with job, money and status be filled? Anyway, feeling of satisfaction with true education without government job and to become ready to self-reliant is quite possible and Indian traditions themselves and Gandhiji can lead through his worthy views in the matter. References : 1. Meaning thereby : Education is that which ultimately takes to the door of salvation. 2. Kumar, Ravindra, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel : The Maker of United India, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, India, 2005, page 178. 3. Ibid.

CHAPTER – FOUR EDUCATION IN THAILAND Problems and Expectations Thailand, previously know as Siam, is a country of rich and old culture and civilization. Like India, Siam had the beginning of its civilization and culture since pre-historic era; both, morality and ethics have been its part, and people education based on them was especially considered sacred in Siam’s culture. Since ancient past, it has been the characteristic of people education in Siam that it must be value-based on the one hand, and it should make people self-reliant on the other. To base education on values, there have been twelve chief principle as guide-lines, including panca-sila, Majj- himapatpada, Cakkavatti-vatta or Cakkavatti-cariya and Raja-samgahavattu. These principles are, even today, applied in day-to-day practices of all-general and particular. Alongwith this , to lead a life of right way, i.e. to pro- ceed on the way of all-around development, polity, society and economy were connected with education process, so that each and everyone could cone within its scope. This can be seen from pages of history of the country pertaining to the time of beginning of Buddhism or even before it. i.e. during the time of Brahamanism. As such, the ideal of education has been very capable in ancient Thailand with the aim to prepare humans for completeness of life; and in order to attain this goal the method

22 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION was based upon simple living and high thinking of people of this agricultural country. II Like other nations of South and Southeast Asia, especially India, Thailand, too, saw ups and dawns in all walks of life, including education. And in comparison to other nations, especially India and China, Thailand, during the 20th century, could not proceed on the way, which was necessary according to changed circumstances and the demand of time. If we peruse the matter relating to education in Thailand in 20th century, we see the first formal comprehensive education plan introduce in 1932, especially for primary and secondary education.2 We find another plan in 1936 providing five levels of study – from pre-primary to higher education.3 Simultaneously, in 1960, 1977 and 1983, more comprehensive and refined plan to reform education system in Thailand were introduced. But, still a large portion of people is far from that education, which is needed. With keeping pace in the 21st century, there are more than seventy million people are there in Thailand, but literacy is still not cent percent; in the country nine year schooling is compulsory, but education is not bringing results of expectation; more than 12,000,000 students are enrolled in primary and secondary schools, but the number of unemployed is considerable. We, in Thailand, are engaged in computer, garments, integrated circuits, gems and jewelry industries; we try to

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 23 encourage promotion of high technology in Southeast Asia, but due to lack of value education, especially morality and ethics, we are facing numerous problems on the one hand; and due to lack of planned job-oriented education system, we are not becoming able to make each and every one self-dependent in the country on the other. Also we are not able to maintain an expected standard of education. In these circumstances, the call of Mahatma Gandhi to adopt a method of buniyadi/basic education, ‘in which education is not given for the sake of knowledge only, but to prepare students for self-reliance and to lead a life with work’, is important and worth giving a thought even in a country like Thailand. In Thailand, too, there is an absolute necessity of adopting an employment-oriented education system; alongwith this, there is a necessity to make it value-based. In this connec- tion Mahatma Gandhi’s opinion ‘that education system can be effective only when it is disposed towards the circumstances and space’ cannot be denied. That’s why the guidelines suggested by him are equally relevant for Thailand. References : 1. Twelve chief principles include : The Five Precepts(Panca- sila); The Middle way(majjhimapatipada); Four Principles of the great person or holy abidings(Brahma-vihara 4); Four Virtues for a good household life (4 Garavasa-dhamma); Four Principles of unity in society or virtues making for group integration and leadership(Samgahavatthu 4); Thirty eight principles for the prosperous life(Momkol 38); Royal virtues or virtues of a ruler(Dasabidh-rajadhmma); Twelve

24 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION Principles of the emperor or duties of a universal king or a great ruler(Cakkavatti-vatta or Cakkavati-cariya); Royal acts of doing favours or virtues making for national integration(Raja-samgahavatthu); The Law of action or deed(Kamma); The Three Characteristics(Tilakkhana); and The Threefold Training(Tisikkha). 2. This plan highlights primary education for four years and secondary education of eight years. 3. Comprising five levels of education. 4. Kumar, Ravindra, Mahatma Gandhi in the Beginning of 21st century, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, India, page 325.

CHAPTER – FIVE CONCLUSION Gandhi’s Suggestions to Reform Education in India and Thailand No doubt, that we want change in education and education system. Everywhere there is competition for the best. In this regard Gandhiji’s fundamental views on education are relevant to a great extent even today. We should try to start satisfactory and job oriented education from primary level as Gandhiji emphasized through ‘Swarojgar’ scheme. We should make education for everyone but we should screen their qualities, their state, their circumstances and their necessities. In the beginning of 21st century, we should open our views and mind for everyone’s betterment. Education system should not try to make the good profession to get money only. Education should be helpful to solve the problems of each and everyone in society. Also it should not make generation gaps. Education should try to fill gap between two and many generations. Only a well directed education, equipped with feasible method according to the need and demand of time can be helpful towards solving the problems and to lead human beings towards all round development of personality. Gandhiji, a great philosopher, a great Mahatma, a great psychologist and a great educationist guided not only to fight for freedom and justice, he showed an adaptable way to fight with illiteracy, superstitions, untouchablitiy, favourism, corruption

26 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION etc. He is really a Mahatma, a Loknayak, a Loknirmata and a Yugpurusha and a guide for all human beings whether they are in India or in Thailand. He was a practical man and his views regarding buniyadi education and most important to make society balanced, happy, satisfied, cultured and morally strong. Although Gandhiji has laid more emphasis on impart- ing of education according to ancient culture, yet it is of a great significance in the modern times. The standards of education fixed by him are fully within the scope to instruct the world community, conditions prevailing in the country concerned and they are useful for the future generations as well. Conclusion Mahatma Gandhiji was a great man his views on education are relevant and if they are considered in present circumstance of countries like India and Thailand, they can prove to be very helpful to give a dimension to education syllabus. So, it’s the demand of time that we try to reform our education techniques, methods and system having firm belief in mind that Gandhiji can never be old and his views also can never be out of time.

PART – II SECECTED WRITING 1. TO THE STUDENTS OF INDIA1 “I approach you at the juncture for a heart to heart talk with you. You will agree with me that we have reached a stage in our national struggle when you can no longer remain passive spectators, or consider the interest in your books as of greater importance than the interest of the national struggle. It is true that the response that your community has given to the call of non-co-operation is more extensive than the response given by other sections of our countrymen who feed and fatten the present system of bureaucratic Government in India and participate though indirectly in all its unrighteous and immoral acts. For they strengthen it by their own strength and add life to it by contributing the best in them for its maintenance. The struggle of non-co-operation for the past eighteen months has abundantly illustrated this proposition. Had they not been helped by our own countrymen, this Government would have long ago vanished from India and Swaraj would have been by now an established fact even without any recourses to civil disobedience. Our duty is to wean these countrymen of ours from their loyalty and adherence to a system of Government which is guilty of such strocious crimes as the Punjab and of such grievous wrongs as the Khilafat. You represent the flower of India, her glory, her hope and the builders of her future destiny. You have, therefore, always a special duty towards here.

28 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION I appeal, therefore, in all humility to those of you who have not yet thought fit to serve their connection with Government Institutions to reconsider your position as to whether you can any longer lend yourselves to be ranged on the Government side in this non-violent war of simple, inalienable human right against organized might and brute strength. “There is some misconception among some of your rank that having suspended mass civil disobedience at Bardoli on account of the crime of Chauri Chaura and finally on account of the absence of that spirit of non-violence in the country which is as if the breath of nostril of the present movement, the Congress has abandoned the whole policy of non-co-operation. I want to explain to you that nothing of the sort has happened. One student friend from Dehra Dun actually wrote to us his difficulty that although the Congress had wanted him back to his school he feared that the Government or Government aided school or college authorities would refuse to admit him for his participation in the national movement by joining the boycott, and in his perplexity he wanted Mr.Gandhi’s help to be admit- ted to the Benaras Hindu University through his influence over Pandit Malaviaji. This shows how the Bardoli resolutions have been misunderstood by some of our countrymen. There are two sides to our activities- offensive and defensive. In the offensive campaign we wanted to lop off all the limbs of this Govern- ment by leading direct assault on them. We were progressing magnificently from day to day. We considerably weakened the Government’s tight hold on the country. We damaged their prestige at good deal. The awe and the terror of the ‘British Lion’ was vanishing with great rapidity. The complete absence of that terror means the attainment of freedom. But that is its negative aspect. The positive aspect is the simultaneous

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 29 construction on our part of a system which can take charge of all the functions of Government. The final stroke of the offensive was to have been delivered at Bardoli, had not Chauri Chaura intervened. But God willed it otherwise. He in his mercy has shown our weakness, how we lack in the spirit of non-violence, how the constructive sid of our activity, our organization, is behind the desired standard. This is the key to the Bardoli resolution. It does not mean the cessation of hostility. It means only the consolidation of ground already gained by us, in the meantime allowing the Government to take the offensive which being conducted in favour of unrighteousness and wrong would expose that wrong and unrighteousness to the eyes of humanity in all its viciousness and gross intensity, so that the moment of their triumph may really be the moment of their greatest defeat. “And so has it been in reality. The country can therefore rejoice over Mr.Gandhi’s arrest. But at the same time it should remind us of our duty in a special measure. What are you going to do? The Congress being weded to the constructive programme may not issue any more appeal to you. Nevertheless, you should not think that you have no duty in the matter. I appeal to your reason and to your sentiment to think anew your position. We want able and conscientious workers in every part of the country to carry out the constructive programme, which is : “1. To enlisht one crore members of the Indian National Congress. “2. To popularize the spinning wheel and manufacture khaddar. “3. To organize national schools. “4. To organize the depressed classes to better life.

30 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION “5. To carry on the temperance campaign by house to house visits. “6. To organize village and town panchayats. “7. To promote unity among all classes and races by social service irrespective of any consideration of class or race. “8. To continue the Tilak Memorial Swaraj Fund. “You must feel that in Mr.Gandhi’s absence, the responsibility of each one of us has grown increasingly greater. He has left the programme before the country. It is for the country to carry it out and win its way towards Swaraj.” 2. Message to the students2 “Please do not think that I am striking a melancholy note. We are not going back, our country is not going back. We have gone five years nearer Swaraj and there can be no doubt about it. If some one say that it was very nearly achieved in 1921 and today it is far away, no one know how far, do not believe it. Prayerful well-meaning effort never goes in vain, and man’s success lies only in such and effort. The result is in his hands. “Strength of numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant of spirit glory in fighting alone. And you are all here to cultivate that valour of the spirit. Be you one or many, this valur is the only true valour, all else is false. And the valour of the spirit canot be achieved without sacrifice, determination, faith and humility. “We have built our Vidyalaya on the foundation of self-purification. Non-violent Non-co-operation is one aspect of it. The ‘non’ means renunciation of violence and all that stands

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 31 for it, i.e. all Government control. But so long as we do not co-operate with our ‘untouchable’ brethren, so long as there is no heart-unity between men of different faiths, so long as we do not co-oerate with the millions of our countrymen by according to the spinning whel and Khaddar the sacred place they desrve, the negative prefix is entirely nugatory. That non-cooperation will not be based on Ahimsa, but himsa i.e. hatred. A negative injunction without a positive obligation is like body without soul, worthy to be consigned to the flames. There are 7,000 railway stations for the 700,000villages of India. We do not even claim to know these 7,000 villages. We know only through history the condition of villages not within easy reach of railway stations. The only loving tie of service that can bind the villages to us is the spinning wheel. Those who have not yet understood this basic truth are in this institution to no purpose. The education is not ‘national’ that takes no count of the starving millions of India and that devises no means for their relief. Government contact with the village ends with the collection of revenue. Our contact with them begins with their service through the spinning wheel, but it does not end there. The spinning wheel is the centre of that service. If you spend your next vacation in some far-off village in the interior you will see the truth of my remark. You will find the people cheerless and fear-stricken. You will find houses in rains. You will look in vain for any sanitary or hygienic conditions. You will find the cattle in a miserable way, and yet you will see idleness stalking there. The people will tell you of the spinning wheel having been in their homes long ago, but today they will entertain no talk of it or of any other cottage industry. They have no hope left in them. They live, for they cannot die at will. They will spin only if you spin. Even if a hundred out of a population of 300 in a village spin, you assure them of an additional income of Rs.1,800 a year.

32 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION You can lay the foundation of solid reform on this income in every village. It is easy I know to say this, but difficult to do. Faith can make it easy. ‘I am alone, how can I reach seven hundred thousand villages?’ – This is the argument that pride whispers to us. Start with the faith that if you fix yourself up in one single village and succeed, the rest will follow. Progress is then assured. The Vidyalaya wants to make you workers of that type. If it is a cheerless job, the Vidyalaya is indeed cheerless and fit to be deserted. “You will see that we open this term with a few changes in our staff. Acharya Gidwani whose sacrifice rendered the opening of this College possible, and who won the affection of students, has at my instance accepted the office of Principal- ship of Prem Maha Vidyalaya. Brindaban. I know that students were agitated over this. I congratulate them on their devotion to their principal. I give you today the consolation that I gave the students that saw me the other day. We have to put up with these partings. We can but treasure the good things of our loved ones and follow them. Rest assured that we have done everything in the interests of the College. Fortunately we have Sjt.Nrisinhaprasad to serve us as Vice-Chancellor. He has lived with students for years and he often comes in contact with you. Trust yourselves to him. My doors are always open for everyone of you. It has been a constant source of sorrow to me that I have not been able to come as closely in contact with you as I have wished. “Professors Athavie, Dalal, Mazumdar and Shah have left the college. Their resignations were unavoidable. It is to be regretted that we shall no more have the benefit of their scholarship. But in their stand we have as Professor Sjts. Kkubhai, Jinabhai Desai, Nagindas, Gopaldas and Gandhi.

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 33 They are all ex-students of the Vidyalaya and well may we take a pardonable pride in the fact. Let their industrious scholarship be a source of honour to us. May God bless you with long life for the selfless service of the country.” 3. Students’ Duty3 “Man can make a trough, can he lead unwilling horses to it? I sympathize with these splendid young men but I am unable to blame myself for their drifting. If they obeyed may call, what is there to prevent them doing so now? I am speaking with no uncertain voice, to all who will listen, to take up the gospel of the Charkha. But the fact is that in 1920 they listened not to me(and that very properly) but to the Congress. What is perhaps more accurate, they listened to the inner voice. The Congress call was an echo of their own longings. They were ready for the negative part. The call of the Charkha which is the positive part of the congress programme, for let it be remembered that it is still the Congress call, seems to make no appeal to them. If so, there is still another much needed work which is also part of the positive programme of the Congress – the service of the untouchables. Here too there is more than enough work for all the students who are pining to do national service. Let them understand that all those who raise the moral tone of the community as a whole, all those who find occupation for the idle millions, are real builders of Swaraj. They will make easy even the purely political work. This positive work will evoke the best in the students. It is both post-graduate and pregraduate work. It is the only real graduating. “But is may be that neither the Charkha work nor the untouchability work is exciting enough for them. Then let them

34 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION know that I am useless as a physician. I have but a limited stock of prescriptions, I believe in unity of disease and therefore also of cure. But most a physician be blame for his limitations, especially when he declares them from the house-top? “The students for whom the correspondent writes must be resourceful enough to find their own course in life. Self-reliance is Swaraj.” 4. THE DUTY OF STUDENTS4 “I have to speak today on the dharma or duty of students. That dharma is as easy as it is difficult. According to Hinduism, the student is a Brahmachari, and Brahmacharyashram is the student-state. Celibacy is a narrow interpretation of Brahmacha- rya. The original meaning is the life or the state of a student. That means control of the senses, but the whole period of study or acquirement of knowledge by means of control of the senses came to be regarded as Brahmacharyashram. This period of life necessarily means very much taking and very little giving. We are mainly recipients in this state-taking whatever we can get from parents, teachers and from the world. But the taking, if it carries – as it did – no obligation of simultaneous repayment repayment it necessarily carried an obligation to repay the whole debt, with compound interest, at the proper time. That is why the Hindu maintain Brahmacharyashram as a matter of religious duty. “The life of a Brahmachari and a Sanyasi are regarded as spiritually similar. The Brahmachari must needs be a Sanyasi fi he is to be a Brahmachari. For the Sanyasi it is a matter of choice. The four Asharamas of Hinduism have nowadays lost their sacred character, and exist, if at all, in name. the life of

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 35 the student Brahmachari is poisoned at the very spring. Though there is nothing left of the Ashramas today which we may hold up to the present generation as something to learn from and copy, we may still hark back to the ideals that inspired the original Ashramas. “How can we understand the duty of students today? We have fallen so much from the ideal. The parents take the lead in giving the wrong direction. They feel that their children should be educated only in order that they may earn, wealth and position. Education and knowledge are thus being prostituted, and we look in vain for the peace, innocence and bliss that the life of a student ought to be. Our students are weighed down with cares and worries, when they should really be ‘careful for nothing.’ They have simply to receive and to assimilate. They should know only to discriminate between what should be received and what rejected. It is the duty of the teacher to teach his pupils discrimination. If we go on taking in indiscriminately we would be no better than machines. We are thinking, knowing beings and we must in this period distinguish truth from untruth, sweet from bitter language, clean from unclean things and so on. But the student’s path today is strewn with more difficulties than the one of distinguishing good from bad things. He has to fight the hostile atmosphere around him. Instead of the sacred surroundings of a Rishi Guru’s asharam and his paternal care, he has the atmosphere of a broken down home, and the artificial surroundings created by the modern system of education. The Rishis taught their pupils without books. They only gave them a few mantras which the pupils treasured in their memories and translated in practical life. The present day student has to live in the midst of heaps of books, sufficient to choke him. In my own days Reynolds was mch in vogue among students

36 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION and I escaped him only because I was far from being a brilliant student and never cared to peep out of the school text books. When I went to England however I saw that these novels were tabooed in decent circles and that I had lost nothing by having never read them. Similarly there are many other things which a student might do worse than reject. One such thing is the craze for earning a career. Only the Grihasth – house holder – has to think of it, it is none of the brahmachari students’ dharma. He has to acquaint himself with the condition of things in his own country, try to realize the magnitude of the crisis with which it is faced, and the work that it requires of him. I dare say many amongst you read newspapers, I do not think I can ask you to eschew them altogether. But I would ask you to eschew every- thing of ephemeral interest, and I can tell you that newspapers afford nothing of permanent interest. They offer nothing to help the formation of character. And yet I know the craze for newspapers. It is pitiable, terrible. I am talking in this strain as I have myself made some experiments in education. Out of those experiments I learnt the meaning of education, I discovered Satyagraha and Non-cooperation and launched on those new experiments. I assure you I have never regretted having tried these last, nor have I undertaken them simply with the object of winning potical Swaraj. I have ventured to place them even before students. For they are innocent. They are today summed up in the spinning-wheel. First it was hailed with ridicule, then came scorn, and presently it will be received with joy. The Congress has adopted it, and I would not hesitate to offer it respectfully even to Lord Reading. I would not hesitate to do so, as I know that I would lose nothing in so doing. The lser would be Lord Reading if he chose to reject it. I did not hesitate to deliver the message of the wheel to the Bishop of Calcutta when I had the honour to make his acquaintance in Delhi. I did

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 37 the same with Col.Maddock, and when Mrs.Mddock come from England, I presented her with a Khaddar and asked her to carry the message from house to house. “I am not tired of preaching this message of the Wheel on all occasions at all hours, I see it is such an innocent thing, and yet so potential good. It may not be relishing, but no health-giving food had the relish of spicy foods so detrimental health. And so the Gita in a memorable text asks all thinking people to take things of which the first taste is bitter, but which are ultimately conducive to immortality. Such a thing today is the spinning wheel and its product. There is no yogna(sacrifice) greater than spinning, calculated to bring peace to the troubled spirit, to soothe the distracted students mind, to spiritualise his life. I have today no better prescription for the country – not even the Gayatri – in this practical age which looks for imme- diate results. Gayatri I would fain offer, but I cannot promise immediate result, whilst the thing I offer is such as you can take to, with God’s name on your lips, and expect immediate result. And English friend wrote saying his English commonsense told him that spinning was an excellent hobby. I said to him, ‘It may be a hobby for you, for us it is the Tree of Plenty’. I do not like many Western ways, but there are certain things in them for which I can not disguise my liking. Their ‘hobby’ is a thing full of meaning. Col. Maddock, who was an efficient Surgeon and took supreme delight in his task, did not devote all his hours to his work. Two hours he had set apart for his hobby which was gardening and it was this gardening that lent zest and savour to his life. “I have pleasure therefore in placing the spinning-wheel before you, even as a hobby if you will, in order that your life may have zest and savor, in order that you may find peace and

38 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION bliss. It will help you to lead a life of Brahmacharya. Faith is a thing of great moment in the student state. There are so many things which you have to take for granted. Kyou accept them simply because you get them from your teacher. Some propositions in geometry, for instance, were very difficult of comprehension for me. I took them for granted, and today I not only can understand them, but can lose myself in a study of geometry as easily as I can do in my present work. If you have faith, and ply the wheel, you take it from me that some day you will admit that what an old man once told you about it was literally true. No wonder that one learned in the lore applied the following text from the Gita to the spinning-wheel : “ ‘In this there is no waste of effort; neither is there any obstacle. Even a little practice of this Dharma saves a man from dire calamity’”. 5. STUDENTS IN CONFERENCE5 “The Secretary of the sixth Sindh Students’ Conference sent me a printed circular asking for a message. I received a wire also asking for the same thing. But being in a somewhat inaccessible place, both circular letter and the telegram were received too late for me to send a message. Nor am I in a posi- tion to comply with numerous requests for message, articles and what not. But as I profess to be interested in everything connected with students as I am somewhat in touch with the student world all over India. I could not help criticizing within myself the programme sketched in the circular letter. Thinking that it might be helpful, I reduce some of it to writing and pres- ent it to the student world. I take the following from the circular letter which by the way is badly printed and contains mistakes which are hardly pardonable for a students’ society :

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 39 “The organizers of this Conference are endeavoring their utmost to make this Conference as interesting and instructive as possible. ****We intend organizing a series of educational discourses and we request you to give us the benefit **** The problem of female education here in Sind deserves a special consideration. **** We are not blind to the other necessities of students. Sports competitions are being organized and along with elocution competitions they will, it is hoped, make the Conference more interesting. Nor have we eliminated drama and music from our programme. *** Pieces in Urdu and English will also be staged.” “I have not omitted a single operative sentence that would give one an idea of what the Conference was expected to do, and yet one fails to find a single reference to things of permanent interest to the student world. I have no doubt that the dramatic and musical and gymnastic performances were all provided on a “grand scale” I take the phrase in inverted comas from the circular. I have no doubt also that the Conference had attractive papers on female education but so far as the circular is concerned, there is no mention of the disgraceful dti leti(dowry) practices, from which the students have not freed themselves and which in many respects makes the lives of Sindhi girls a hell upon earth and of parents of daughters a torture. There is nothing in the circular to show, that the Conference intended to tackle the question of the morals of the students. Nor is there anything to show, that the Conference was to do anything to show the students the way to become fearless nation-builders. It is a matter of no small credit to Sindh that it is supplying so many institutions with brilliant professors, but more is always expected from those who give much. And I, who have every reason to be grateful to Sindhi friends for giving

40 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION me fine co-workers for the Gujarat Vidyapith, am not going to be satisfied with getting professors and Khadi workers. Sindh has got its Sadhu Vasvani. It can boast of a number of great reformers. But the students will put themselves in the wrong, if they will be contented with appropriation of the merit gained by the sadhus and reformers of Sindh. They have got to become nation-builders. The base imitation of the West, the ability to speak and write correct and polished English, will not add one brick to the temple of freedom. The student would, which is receiving an education far too expensive for starving India an education which only a microscopic minority can ever hope to receive, is expected to qualify itself for it by giving its life-blood to the nation. Students must become pioneers in conservative reform, conserving all that is good in the nation and fearlessly ridding society of the innumerable abuses that have crept into it. These conferences should open the eyes of students to the realities before them. They should result in making them think of things which, in the class room adapted to its foreign setting, they do not get an opportunity of learning. They may not be able in these conferences to discuss questions regarded as purely political. But they can and they must study and discuss social and economic questions which are as important to our generation as the highest political question. A nation-building programme can leave no part of the nation untouched. Students have to react upon the dumb millions. They have to learn to think not in terms of a province, or a town, or a class, or a caste, but in terms of a continent and of the millions who include untouchables, drunkards, hooligans and even prostitutes, for whose existence in our midst every one of us is responsible. Students in olden times were called brahmacharis, that is those who walked with and in the fear of God. They were honored

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 41 by kings and elders. They were a voluntary change on the nation, and in return they gave to the nation a hundredfold strong souls, strong brains, strong arms. Students in the modern world, wherever they are to be found among fallen nations, are considered to be their hope, and have become the self-sacrificing leaders of reforms in every department. Not that we have no such examples in India; but they are far too few. What I plead for is that students’ conferences should stand for this kind of organized work befitting the states of brahmacharis. 6. TEACHERS’ CONDITION6 “A deputation from the All Bengal Teachers’Association waited upon me some time ago and asked me to advise them how they could better their condition and be of service to the country. They admitted that at the present moment they were not doing much good to the country. This is how they described their condition : “The teachers are now engaged in perform- ing a thankless task under a heavy personal sacrifice. They are imparting an education which is unprofitable and uninterest- ing through no fault of their own. They are to mechanically follow a curriculum of studies which provides for no religious, moral and vocational training. The education given today in Bengal through nearly 900 schools and by 20,000 teachers is domineered over by an examination system which only encour- ages cramming. The teachers are looked down upon as they are miserably underpaid. There is a large number of cases of mutual distrust and lack of sympathy between the teachers and the school authorities as well as the guardians. Education does not provide for physical training and is imparted through the foreign median, resulting in a huge waste of national energy”.

42 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION “To all this the teachers might have added that the pupils are devitalized and have lost al initiative. I gave them an answer which satisfied them for the time-being but they took from me a promise that I would deal with the problem in these pages. “In my opinion the root of the evil lies in the foreign domination, and the root of foreign domination lies in ourselves. I am aware that we shall never deal with these problems unless and until we deal with the root-evil. If we had our own govern- ment, the teachers would be able to vindicate their position. Having our own government means a government never strong enough to override by force of arms the wishes of the majority, in other words a government responsible to public opinion. Today the teachers have public opinion behind them in many things but it is helpless against a power that is armed for dealing with any possible physical combination on the part of the people of India. No government in the world is so irresponsible and so unresponsive to the opinion of the millions of men and women of India as the Government of India. It was the realization of this fact that made Gokhale postpone everything else to the effort for winning self-government. Lokamanya was so impatient that he made his formula, “Swaraj is my birthright,” ring from one end of India to the other. He suppressed his taste for scholarship and philosophy in favour of Swaraj. Deshabandhu laid down his life in the same pursuit. All those who are like the teachers have, therefore, no remedy for their disease save that of gain- ing Swaraj as quickly as possible. How is that to be attained? I have pointed out the remedy and the country is supposed to have adopted it. The only change is that to the effort within must be added the effort without, viz, entry into the legislature. The teachers cannot enter these institutions, they cannot take part in active politics, but they can all spin or if they like do

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 43 some other labour. They must not expect their pupils to labor, if the teacher will not labour themselves and I have suggested spinning because all can be engaged in it not for private profit but for discipline and national profit. Self-government means continuous effort to be independent of government control whether it is foreign government or whether it is national. Swaraj government will be a sorry affair if people lock up to it for the regulation of every detail of life. Do the teachers realize the pupils are an exaggerated edition of what they themselves are? If they will have the initiative the pupils will soon begin to have it. The examination system as it is, becomes doubly oppressive by reason of the mechanical method of instruction. Only the other day, inspecting a school, I asked a boy to tell me what and where Pataliputra – about which he had read to me from his book – was. He could not tell. This was neither the fault of the Government nor the pupils, assuredly the teacher’s. teach- ers can, if they will make their tuition interesting and effective in spite of the deadening weight of the examination system. In spite of the medium of instruction being the English language in the higher classes it is open to the teachers to take care of the mother-tongue of the boys under them. There is no rule preventing them talking to the boys in their mother tongues. The fact is that most teachers do not know the vernacular names for technical expressions and find it difficult to make themselves intelligible in the vernacular when the subject of their discourse is technical. We have got into the very slovenly habit, in order as we faney to give point to our conversation of using English adjectives, adverbs and even phrases of the English language. If the teachers wish it many of the defects of the present system could be cured by them.

44 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION “I have given only a few out of many possible illustra- tions of what can be done under the present system. It was my recognition of the evil of the system that made me conceive non co-operation, but a revival of it just now seems to be almost an impossibility. I am, therefore, recommending what is in some respects more difficult of accomplishment. It is easier for the average man to run away from evil than remain in it and still remain unaffected by it. Many men can shun grog-shops and remain teetotalers, but not many can remain in these pestilential places and avoid the contagion. “However the teachers have asked for advice and I can but place it before them so that each may then respond to the best of his ability. The unfortunate position is that educated Indians take to teaching, not for the love of it, but because they have nothing better and nothing else for giving them a liveli- hood. Many of them even enter the teaching profession with a view to preparing for what they regard as a better thing. The wonder is that in spite of this self imposed initial handicap so many teachers are not worse than they are. By well-ordered agitation no doubt they may better their pecuniary prospects, but I see no chance even under a Swaraj government of the scale of salary being raised much higher than it is today. I believe in the ancient idea of teachers teaching for the love of it and receiving the barest maintenance. The Roman Catholics have retained that idea and they are responsible for some of the best educational institutions in the world. The Rishis of old did even better. They made their pupils members of their families, but in those days that class of teaching which they imparted was not intended for the masses. They simply brought up a race of real teachers of mankind in India. The masses got their train- ing in their homes and in their hereditary occupations. It was

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 45 a good enough ideal for those times. Circumstances have now changed. There is a general insistent demand for literary train- ing. The masses claim the same attention as the classes. How far it is possible and beneficial to mankind generally cannot be discussed here. There is nothing inherently wrong in the desire for learning. If it is directed in a healthy channel it can only do good. Without, therefore, stopping to devise means for avoiding the inevitable, we must make the best use possible of it. Thousands of teachers can not be had for asking, nor will they live by begging. They must have a salary guaranteed and as we shall require quite an army of teachers their remuneration cannot be in proportion to the intrinsic worth of their calling but it will have to be in proportion to the capacity of the nation for payment. We may expect a steady rise as we realize the relative merits of the different callings. The rise must be painfully slow. There must therefore arise a class of men and women in India who will from patriotic motives choose teaching as a profes- sion, irrespective of the material gain that it may bring them. Then the nation will not underrate the calling of the teacher. On the contrary it will give the first place in its affection to these self-sacrificing men and women. And so we come to this that as our Swaraj is impossible largely by our own efforts, so is the teachers’ rise possible mainly by their own effort. They must bravely and patiently cut their way through to success.” 7. THE PLIGHT OF TEACHERS7 “After describing the declining condition of national schools in a district, where out of fourteen seven have died out and the rest are sinking, and where attendance is reduced from 2000 to 500, the head-master of one of them writes :-

46 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION “To be frank, the hearts of many of us, teachers of the national schools, sink when they think of their half-starved families and their crushing debts, and misgivings arise as to whether it is wise or foolish for a man embarrassed with debts to undergo so much suffering and whether it is advisable or not to serve the country in other ways then as starving schools masters. I should mention here that some of these teachers gave up at the call of the country much more lucrative situations.” “This tale of woe need not frighten us. Nations are made after much travail. Either we must die lie flies in an armed rebellion, then submit to military autocracy and in the distant and dim future hope to have democratic rule or by patient, natured, unperceived suffering evolve as a self-ruling, self-respecting nation. It is by sufferings such as the correspondent describes that we shall find a remedy for the difficulties that face us. These constitute the real training in Swaraj. The fault is not wholly the parents’. It is inherent in our surroundings. We have not yet learnt the virtue of sustained work in defiance of all adds. Teachers are the center round whom the whole of the national education system must revolve. If they lose their balance, the system must topple. But the teachers have been inexperienced. They have not all had the unquenchable fire for keeping alive the taste for national education. They have not the organizing ability, nor the power of concentration and consecration. Every- where the worker instead of specializing in one branch of service have dabbled in everything with the result that they have been able to do nothing thoroughly. But this was inevitable. We are now to the game. Our rulers have trained us as clerks and put us to work requiring little thinking and less initiative. But the old order is changing. In the first flush of enthusiasm we seemed to be doing well if not very well. Now that the enthusiasm has

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 47 died out and the moisture of public support has dried up, only the hardiest plants will survive. Let me hope the schools and the school-masters that still remain are of the right staff. They must beg from door to door for maintenance and not feel shamed if they are honest workers. “The head masters has asked also specific questions which being of general utility I copy and answer below : “Q. “ How long can the poor teacher embarrassed with increasing debts continue to have connection with those schools working on starvation allowance?” “ A. Till death, even as a soldier fights till he is victori- ous of, which is the same thing, drops down dead. “Q. “How long will; the authorities continue these schools at a great loss of money, if even 1 percent of the people do not want them?” “ A. No school has a right to exist if the people do not want it. But I would blame the authorities if the people who brought a school into being afterwards do not want it. “Q. “Education can be suspended and workers can suffer for one year or two years or three years, but what will be the case if the fight for Swaraj continues for an indefinite period?” “A. Those who can suffer for one to three years will find themselves inured to suffering for thirty years. “Q. “How can the few boys that really want national education read where no national school exists.” “A. If the parents or the boys or girls for that matter are resourceful, they will find out a way. It is a superstition to

48 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION think that education can only be had at schools or only through English or in a particular orthodox style. To learn spinning and weaving is an education of first class importance at the present moment. Let us also remember that the majority of Indian villages have no schools at all. “Q. “How long should our countrymen be allowed to vote for a resolution which they will never carry out in practice. All will vote for boycott of Government schools but very few of these voters will send their boys to national schools.” “A. Not one minute longer than I can help. All my fight in the A.I.C.C. was directed towards our being true to our resolution. “ I know that the replies I have given will be considered unsatisfactory by many. But I dare say that they are the only correct and practical answers. We must do away with camou- flage. If the nation as a whole does not want national schools is answer to the boycott of (not supplementary to) Government schools, it must be altered. The minority that may still want the boycott must make good their desire by running their own national schools, but not under the Congress aegis. These schools will be run only where they are wanted. If there be only one such school, it will continue without being disheartened. Faith knows no disappointment.” 8. TEACHERS IN CONFERENCE8 “The Gujarat Vidyapith has at the present moment nearly 30,000 children in its national schools who are being taught by over 800 teachers in nearly 140 institutions of which two are colleges and one devoted to ancient research. The figures

Dr.Sauvakon Junphongsri ƒ 49 include also thirteen high schools, 15 middle schools, 15 special schools for untouchables teaching over 300 boys and girls. The number of girls studying in these institutions are not more than 500. The Vidyapith has acquired a plot of land and has already erected a fine boarding house which is to serve the purpose also of lecture rooms till a separate building is erected. These figures do not include the national schools not affiliated to the Vidyapith. Nor do they represent the highest water-mark. That was reached in 1921. Several schools have since closed, some others are likely to close in course of time. The attendance too is not on the increase. Gujarat like every other province has suffered fom the general depression in the Congress ranks. “Notwithstanding the depression however the record is highly creditable to Gujarat which was and probably still is, educationally, one of the most backward of our provinces. Measured by the Swaraj standard the experiment may not be regarded as an achievement but judged by itself the experiment is an amazing record of progress for its four years’ existence. It shows considerable organizing power, financial ability and faith in non-cooperation regarding education. I can say all this with complete detachment as, though resident in Gujarat, I have lived least in it whilst the experiment was in progress and had no hand in working it. The credit belongs solely to Vallabhbhai and his very able lieutenants. During the stormiest and the longest eriod. I was resting in Yerawada and therefore was not available even as an adviser. “No wonder then that the teachers met in conference last week and whilst taking stock of their position and shaping their future policy wanted me to guide their deliberations. I wish that I could have done better justice to the task entrusted to me. My indifferent health and my heavy preoccupations

50 ƒ GANDHI ON EDUCATION rendered previous study and preparation(adequate for the purpose) impossible. “Whilst I was able heartily to congratulate the numerous teachers who attended the conference on the success that the figures I have quoted signified, I had to point out the serious and obvious flaws and weaknesses of the several institutions they were conducting. National schools, to be worth the name in terms of Swaraj, for the attainment of which they were brought into existence, must be conducted with a view to advancing the national programme in so far as it was applicable to educational institutions. Thus for instance national schools must be the most potent means of propagating the message of the charkha, of bringing Hidus, Mussalmans and others closer together and of educating the untouchables and abolishing the curse of untouch- ability from the schools. Judged by this standard the experiment must be pronounced. If not a failure, certainly a very dismal success. Out of 30000 boys and girls hardly one thousand are spinning on 100 charkhas at the rate of ½ hour per day. Hun- dreds of charkhas are lying idle and neglected. Whilst in theory the schools are open to the untouchables, very few as a matter of fact have untouchable children in them. The Mussalman attendance at the schools is poor. I had therefore no hesitation in advising that now we were to strive not after quantity but quality. The test for admission must be progressively stiffer. Parents who did not like their children to learn spinning or to mix with ‘untouchable’ children might if they chose withdraw them. I had no hesitation in advising that teachers should run the risk of closing down their schools. If the condition of running them required the exclusion of untouchables and the charkha. It was not enough to tolerate untouchable children if they stole in, but it was necessary to draw them into our schools by loving