2. The Wardha Scheme Of Education , popularly known as ‘Basic Education’
occupies a unique place in the field of elementary education in India. This
scheme was the first attempt to develop an indigenous scheme of education
in British India by Mahatma Gandhi.
As a nationalist leader he fully realised that the British system of education
could not serve the socio-economic need of the country.
At round table conference in London(1931), he point out the ineffectiveness of
the system of primary education in India and the alarming low percentage of
literacy among Indian people. He held the policy of the British as responsible
for this painful situation in the field of mass education.
It was at this context the concept of basic education emerged in the mind of
Gandhiji.
3. WARDHA SCHEME OF EDUCATION
This was a scheme of basic
education introduced by Zakir
Hussain Committee in October
1937 in Wardha (Maharastra).
The main principle behind this
scheme was ‘learning through
activity’.
It was based on Gandhian ideas
published in a series of articles
in the weekly magazine Harijan
4. Inclusion of basic handicrafts in the syllabus.
Free and compulsory education for first seven years of schooling
Teaching to be in Hindi from class 2 to 7 and in English only after
class 7
Ways to be devised to establish contact with community around
schools through service.
A suitable technique to be devised to implement the main idea of basic
education – Educating the child through the medium of productive
activity of a suitable handicraft.
5. Nai Talim is a spiritual principle which states that
knowledge and work are not separate. Gandhi promoted
an educational curriculum with the same name on this
pedagogical principal.
It can be translated with phrase “Basic Education For All”
Nai Talim aimed at preparing a good society.
In Gandhiji’s words and vision, Nai Talim was aimed at
becoming the spearhead of a silent social revolution
6. For holistic development of body, mind and soul, he firstly
emphasised on useful and purposeful physical labour.
Handicrafts, arts and drawing are the most fundamental
teaching tools in Nai Talim pedagogy.
Spinning and weaving were Gandhijis’ favorite technique for
implementing Nai Talim.
The Nai Talim pedagogy sought to create free and enlightened
individuals, who would then constitute a good society , not just a
free country.
Cont….
7. Gandhiji’s Views on Education
Use the real world as your classroom and learn through life.
This real world is the world of adults, their relationships and
occupations.
He experienced an urgent need to integrate the physical
labour and intellectual work for a new social order.
8. Learning by doing is the best method of learning ever-known.
Learning inputs are spread over the entire surrounding
environment and the society which can easily be harnessed.
To students, this should be “learning through earning” at later
stage, as students have to get into earning through the
acquired learning. This parameter was added mainly to ensure
the quality, skills and intellectual abilities of learning.
Cont…
9. Sevagram Experiment (Anand Niketan)
The Anand Niketan Nai Talim school at
Sevagram together with teacher’s training
institute and various levels of learning from
pre-primary to rural university was a unique
and path breaking experiment.
Anand Niketan aims towards holistic
development of a child, i.e., head, heart and
hand.
It equally aims for the development of a responsible
citizenship, the development of intellect with
compassion, humility and respect for all life forms and
the mother earth is considered important.
It believes in the transformation towards a just and
sustainable world.
10. A school of say 51/2 hrs could roughly be divided on the following basis
Physical activities ----20 minutes
Mother tongue ---- 20 minutes
Social studies and general studies ---- 60 minutes
Art ---- 40 minutes
Arithmetic ---- 20 minutes
Craft work including study of correlated subjects --- 2 ½ hrs
Free and compulsory education to be given for 8 years in 2 stages, the junior
stage covering 5 years and the senior stage covering 3 years.
Medium of instruction is to be in the mother tongue.
Education is to center round some form of productive work. The social and
physical environment to be used for correlation in addition to craft.
11. External examination are to be abolished. The day-to-day work of the
student is to be the determining factor.
Textbooks to be avoided as far as possible.
Cleanliness and health, citizenship, play and recreation are to be given
sufficient importance.
