Making the Education Nation- Centric

On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda being celebrated all over the country and the World, it is the high time to discuss, re-examine and understand fully the ideas and insights of Swamiji about the nature and purpose of education, as also the practical ways to transform those ideas into something implemented within the institutional framework of education in the country. Though the topic is very vast and exhaustive and many learned people, social reformers, political leaders and public figures have expressed their views on the given topic, but I feel it would be better to concentrate this discussion in the light of the insights of Swami Vivekananda on this very occasion.

Dr. D.S. Kothari, the renowned educationist in the preface of the report of the Education Commission headed by and named after him, wrote: “The destiny of India is being shaped in its class-rooms”. But whether the contemporary system of education prevalent in our country fulfills this need, is a big question before the educationists, thinkers & opinion-makers. There appears an apparent vacuum on even thinking about how to move ahead to ensure that education fulfills the goal of building a strong nation and a better World. The system of education is futile if it is unable to lead its people on the path of developing into a self-sufficient, peaceful, prosperous, full of self-esteem and strong nation.