“There are two ways by which knowledge can be imbibed- from an able guru and through self-study.”
– Rig Veda
We have evolved from a life of hunter-gatherer to a subject of complex civilizations- Humanity has been learning what it means to be a human for over a million years. But what we have learned in the past two hundred years seems to have changed the course of civilizations in a very short time- like never before in a million years of Homosapiens history.
Not so long ago in 1903, the Wright Brothers invented and flew the first Airplane- this was the first time ever in Human History, we could fly. But by 1969, within 66 years we conquered space and landed on the Moon. This is just one of the examples to show how much the knowledge spheres have changed and the unbelievable pace at which we have scientifically advanced in the past few hundred years.
A Brief History of Education
Education has been the key variable in developing our collective consciousness. It is universal for our existence and comes to us in many ways, but the essential idea is the exchange of knowledge. It could be a fisherman teaching his son how to fish and feed the family, or the head of a tribe teaching the young ones to hunt- there are many forms of education. But the process of a formal exchange of common knowledge in the society has changed and evolved along with us. What follows is the timeline of how education evolved in the Indian subcontinent.
Education in Vedic Culture of India ( c.1500 – c.500 BCE).
Towards the end of the glorious Indus Valley civilization, we have an emergence of new sources in India History. Vedas were written in this time period between the end of Indus Valley Civilisation and 600 BCE. Vedas are invaluable literary sources of this time period, even though we had literary sources from Indus Valley civilization we are yet to decipher their script to read them. Vedas are written in Sanskrit- a language mostly used by the Brahmin scholars of ancient times.
Ashrama System of Vedic Times- the Four Stages of a Man’s Life
According to the Ashrama system of ancient times, a man’s life is divided into for time periods. Brahmacharya-the first stage is life as a student. Grihastha(householder), Vanaprastha(retired) and Sannyasa( renunciate) are the other three stages.
Through Brahmacharya, students focus on education and were required to live at Gurukul. Gurukuls are ancient day versions of today’s residential schools. Most of the knowledge transfer during Vedic times was through recitation and other oral traditions of learning. Writing on tree barks and palm leaves were a privilege only available to a few scholars. The Four Vedas talk of a set of rules on how to recite them and other general practices of teaching.
Famous Universities of Ancient India
Ancient Indian Universities were places of higher inquiry and learning. Many different schools of thoughts from Hinduism and Buddhism contributed to the advancement of scholars in the field of Linguistics, Literature, Polity, Medicine, Mathematics, and Philosophy. Nalanda University of The 5th century is known to attract scholars from different continents. Takshashila, Valabhi, Pushpagiri, and Vikramashila are some of the prominent universities of ancient India. These universities shaped the popular discourse and policies of the contemporary states.
Education Under European Imperialism and the White Man’s Burden
The year 1600 A.D. is very significant in the History of the UK and India. The East India Company was founded and given the monopoly by the British Crown to conduct all trade-related activities with India and the Southeast Asia. This Company was directly responsible for occupying the Indian territories and eventually gaining political and economic control over entire India.
Charter Act of 1813- An Act of the British Parliament
British Parliament has passed the Charter Act of 1813 making the education in India a responsibility of the East India Company. The idea of White Man’s Burden was further popularised by Macaulay leading to the passing of English Education Act in 1835. In 1854 further changes were made following the recommendations of Woods Despatch. Education under British now turned to the west and the English language has conquered Indian universities.
Right to Education Act 2009- Education is a Fundamental Right in India
Eighty-Sixth Amendment Act of the Constitution made basic Education, a fundamental right of every child. Subsequent enactment of the Right to Education provides for free and compulsory education for every child between 6-14 years of age.
After Independence India started reviving the traditional knowledge neglected by the British and built many Universities with the assistance of statutory and constitutional bodies like UGC and Secondary Education boards like NCERT and CBSE. Following the onset of Globalisation introduced by Liberalisation and Privatisation- Indian education system has transformed to cater to the needs of global companies and citizens.
Draft National Education Policy of 2019
Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog is envisaged as the custodian of education In India. The new draft policy of education talks of an integrated and flexible school curriculum, integration of vocational and academic streams, effective governance through schools. The draft policy also proposed a change in traditional 10 +2 system of education to 5+3+3+4- which would have appropriate curriculum and pedagogical structure.
Today’s Online Learning
Education has a new medium in this 21st century through the Internet. With a huge surge in the usage of smartphones and mobile devices in the last decade, education on the Internet has become democratic. Now, information can be accessed at the touch of our screens. Anyone can learn anything from anywhere on the planet- the idea of online learning is transforming modern societies. In a world where you are in constant competition for survival, online learning allows you the necessary skill up-gradation with a simple search.
We have come a long way from reciting the hymns and writing on the tree bark and palm leaves. We are now in an age where information and knowledge travel faster than light and comes in many colors. We are yet to fully understand the consequences of this kind of learning and how it is going to change our lives. What we do know is that, with education going online with pandemics like COVID19, there is a need for policy-level adjustments that regulate and standardize the online learning practices. National Education Policy should take note of the practices of online education and bring in a structural framework for online educators and schools.
Vignan schools and colleges are institutions of great significance. We have proudly contributed to the socio-economic transformation of the region. We are also humble enough to know our role in the coming years and possess the required strength and motivation to keep doing what we have been doing- innovating education and making it inclusive for everyone. We have the support from the parents and the dedication from the faculty to overcome any hurdles before us and provide the best to our students.
Visit our website Vignan or Contact us at +91 97019 33455 for further details. Admissions are in progress. Visitour Facebook and Instagram pages to know more about how Vignan is adapting to the COVID19 crisis and online learning.
