Educational philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore

1. RABINDRANATH TAGORE’S PHILOSOPHY
OF EDUCATION 1869-1941

2. Introduction
Tagore's ideas for creating a system of education aimed at
promoting international co-operation and creating global
citizens. Tagore envisioned an education that was deeply rooted
in one’s immediate surroundings but connected to the cultures of
the wider world, predicated upon pleasurable learning and
individualised to the personality of the child. He felt that the
curriculum should revolve organically around nature, with
flexible schedules to allow for shifts in weather, and with special
attention to natural phenomena and seasonal festivities.
N.B . Pl read the life sketch of R.N Tagore elaborately

3. Factors Influencing Tagore’s Philosophy of Education
Tagore combined the elements of idealism, naturalism and
pragmatism.
His philosophy of education was influenced by the following
factors.
1. Influence of the Home Environment.
2. Influence of the School Environment
3. Love for Nature
4. His Extensive Visits

4. Tagore’s views on various aspects of Education
Meaning of Education: Education is nothing short of the highest
purpose of man- the fullest growth and freedom of soul.
Object of Education: The object of education is to give man the unity
of truth.
Education for Knowing oneself: The great use of education is not
merely to collect facts but to know man and make oneself known to
man.
Tagore believed in moral education and having a vision of reality and
emphasized in being in touch with reality through training the mind
and body through meditation.

5. Living Contact between the Teacher and the Taught
Communication of life can only be through a living agency. And
culture, which is the life of mind, can only be imparted through
man to man. Book-learning or scriptural texts may merely make
us pedants.
1. Discipline: For Tagore, an educational institution is ‘’An open
house in which students and teachers are one. They must live
their compact life together.’’
2. Curriculum: Tagore was for a curriculum which should satisfy
child’s aesthetic, creative, spiritual and vocational needs.

6. 3.Methods of Teaching: Tagore was strongly against the bookish
and exam oriented teaching learning. He emphasized mainly on
the physical movement of the child in various learning activities
and advocated on constructive and creative activities.
4.Role of Teacher: Tagore laid great importance on the attitude of
the teacher.’’ A teacher can never truly teach unless he is still
learning. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues
to burn its own flame.’’

7. Concept of an Ideal School
Tagore pointed out the great significance of the school atmosphere
in the life of children whose mind , like the tree, has the power to
gather food and nourishment from its surroundings. The cultural
atmosphere keeps the mind sensitive to rich racial inheritance,
glorious traditions and concentrated wisdom of ages.
An ideal school, acc. to Tagore, should have the following
characteristics:
1. The school should be situated in natural surroundings
2. It should provide an environment for reading Upanishads

8. 3.Spiritual training should be imparted to the students
4.School should nurture and cultivate the love of nature
and sympathy with all the living creatures among the
students
5.Provide atmosphere of freedom to the students
6.Train the children to live in the natural surroundings
7.Impart knowledge through mother tongue

9. 8.School should provide manual labour
9.There should be a teacher taught relationship and the
number of students should be limited in the class.
10.There should be a well equipped library.

10. Tagore’s Contribution to Education
Tagore’s concept of education and its practice balance the
claims of different schools of educational philosophy i.e.
humanism, idealism, naturalism, pragmatism, realism and
supernaturalism. His philosophy is a true blend of the Eastern
and Western philosophy. Tagore is one of the very few
educational philosophers whose philosophy is the outcome of
his educational experiments. Simultaneously, he gave a
practical shape to his ideology.

11. Conclusion
Tagore believed that, one of the main aims of education is to
prepare the individual for the service of the nation and
education stands for human regeneration, cultural
representation, harmony and intellectualism. Educational
institutions should build on the power of thinking and
imagination in an individual and help turn herself/himself into
a self-sustained building block of human society and a
creative canvas of nation on the whole.