Gandhiji's Basic Education system or Wardha Scheme of Education was proposed in 1937 as an alternative to the examination-oriented British system of education. It aimed for the holistic development of children's body, mind, heart and soul through craft-centered learning, the use of local languages as the medium of instruction, an emphasis on moral education and self-supporting productive work. While it focused on practical and needs-based education, critics argue it may have neglected higher intellectual development and led to child labor through its overemphasis on crafts and productivity.

1. GANDHIJI’S
SYSTEMOF
BASIC
EDUCATION.
AbhishekPB
English

2. INTRODUCTION
▪ BasicEducationorWardhaSchemeofEducationisanationalsystemofeducationput
forwardbyMahatmaGandhiin1973asarevolt againstthesterile,book-centered,
examinationorientedsystemofeducationpropagatedbytheBritish.
▪ Thissystemiscalledbythename'WardhaScheme’becausethesalientfeaturesofthis
schemeofeducationwasfirstpresentedbyGandhijiintheAllIndiaNationalEducation
ConferenceheldatWardha(Maharashtra)onthe22nd and23rd ofOctober,1937.
▪ ThisschemeofeducationisalsoknownasBasicEducationorWardhaSchemeof
EducationorNewEducationorNaiTalim.
▪ Gandhijiusedtheterm basictodescribethisschemeofeducationbecauseitis
intimatelyrelatedwiththebasicneedsandinterestsofIndianchildren.
▪ Itisaneducationalschemeforcommonmanwhoconstitutesthebaseorbackboneof
ourcountry.
▪ BasicEducationorNaiTalimwasbasedonthefundamentalprincipleof“learningby
doing”.Gandhijibelievedonactionandhencehisconceptofbasiceducationcanbe
classifiedasactivitymethodorpracticemethod.

3. FEATURESOFBASIC
EDUCATION
1. Freeandcompulsoryeducationfromtheageofseventofourteenyears.
2. Mothertongueasthemediumofinstruction.
3. Craftcenterededucation.
4. DevelopmentofCreativityandCriticalthinking.
5. ImportanceofMoraleducation.
6. Itaimedtoachievetheharmoniousdevelopmentofthechild’sbody,mind,heartand
soul.
7. TheidealofCitizenship.
8. Itisself–supportedthroughsomeproductivework.
9. AwarenessonSocialservices.

4. MERITS
▪ Life-centerededucation.
▪ Self-supporting.“Earnwhileyoulearn”isanotherfeatureoftheplan
▪ Thecraftcenterededucationwillgivegreaterconcretenessandrealitytothe
knowledgeacquiredbychildren.
▪ Itwasaneedbasededucationwhichcurtailedruralunemployment.
▪ Basiceducationtakesintoaccounttheneeds,interestandaptitudeofthechild.
Thusitisessentiallychild-centered.
▪ Gandhiji’sschemewashighlypracticalasitstartswithactionratherthanreflection.
▪ Ultimateaimtocreateansocialorderwherethereisnounnaturaldivision
between'haves’and‘have-nots’.
▪ Basiceducationprovidesfortheinculcationofanattitudeoftruthtochildren.

5. DEMERITS
▪ Theoveremphasisoncraftsandproductiveactivityhasoftenbeencriticizedas
childlabour.
▪ Itneglectseducationintermsofpersonalitydevelopmentanddevelopmentof
highermentalabilities.
▪ Thecraft–centerednesshasresultedinenormouswastageofmaterialandsmall
childrenarenotinapositiontoproduceanythingworthwhile.
▪ Schoolswoulddegradeastradecentres
▪ Itmayarrestthechild’sspontaneousdevelopment.
▪ Thecallforcorrelationbecomesforcedandunnatural
▪ Thebasicschemeoverlookedthepossibilitiesofhigherintellectualdevelopment
ofchildren.
▪ Makinghandicraftasnucleusofteachingwillamounttothrowingthecountry
furtherbehindinthisageofscienceandtechnology.

6. THANK
YOU!