The Lost Gurukul And The Rise Of Industrial Slaves
Every minute 34 babies are born in our country. In a tropical country like ours ,stable climate, good soil and rich crop produce contributed extensively to our population growth. One of the primary reasons why highly populated countries are in between the tropical latitudes.
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Nevertheless , Abundance of resources was always used as an ulterior motive behind colonization. Colonization was an era our country can never erase off history. Some consider it to be a boon in few ways, like it brought in industrialization and civilization into our country. The Europeans believed that it was their responsibility to civilize the Asian and African continents and in return deprive them off their resources.
Along with the British era came in 'Factory Model Of Education', a form of teaching which prepared you for becoming an industrial slave. We are a democratic, secular ,independent nation and to get rid of the colonial tag attached to us we have even renamed Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai. But still, we held on to the education model , a model which was designed to churn out loyal, diligent workers who had to stick by instructions and work for long hours.
A country like India, which has had some of the earliest settlements and well planned cities called the Indus Valley Civilization, a rich history of Purana and Vedas, rich heritage of arts, craftsmanship and world renowned scholars like Aaryabhatta and Sushruta, in an attempt to appease and please the westerners , lost it's beautiful system of education and moral values - the Gurukuls.
For those of you who aren't aware, Gurukul was a traditional form of education where a Shishya (student) stays with his guru, learns not just science and scriptures but also life skills and moral values. The purpose of a Gurukul was to prepare you to face life. You learn the importance of respecting your Guru, be humble before him and learn with no inhibition, imbibe the qualities of seva (service) by doing house chores like fetching water or cooking and learn basic science and math which will help you lead a happy Grahastha (Family Life).
Why did the Gurukul system vanish in our country ?
Many of you aren't probably aware of the fact that the Gurukuls were primarily restricted to Brahmins and Kshatriyas. All wasn't all Silver and gold in ancient India. Illiteracy was prevalent in our nation due to education being restricted based on caste. Gurukulas were confined to teachings in Sanskrit which wasn't followed by many who had their own vernacular scripts. With the advent of colonization, the christian missionaries came in with a massive propaganda of reaching out to the poor, making them feel and believe that there was a god who loved them unlike the Indian temples which were biased towards certain castes. It was here that the fall of an exemplary educational institution began. Colonial rule also ensured adherence to the 'Factory Model of Education', which made the suppressed feel important as it ensured employment and status . We create our own path of destruction , so did the Gurukul system.
The current mode of education in our nation is helpful in churning out some of the most talented scientists, doctors and engineers on one hand, and on the other there has been major concerns about missing life skills and values. It is easy for a child to add two numbers but does he understand why he has to learn the same? How will it help him in the future?
Does today's education system teach you the importance of having hobbies and sports with studies ? I admit there are institutions who are trending for their new innovative teaching methods but majority of our nation is stuck in a rat race for marks and money. One of the main reasons why more children these days succumb to depression at a very young stage.
Education should focus on holistic development of a child. You not only have to prepare yourself for a career you are passionate about, but also learn important skills that will help you sustain and live your passion. A perfect proportion of the Gurukul methodology with modern methods of teaching , which shouldn't be distributed on a discriminatory manner needs to be adopted. It is left to us to understand the benefits and adopt the best of the traditional schools. A change in educational system is required for better leaders and human beings.
Nevertheless , Abundance of resources was always used as an ulterior motive behind colonization. Colonization was an era our country can never erase off history. Some consider it to be a boon in few ways, like it brought in industrialization and civilization into our country. The Europeans believed that it was their responsibility to civilize the Asian and African continents and in return deprive them off their resources.
Along with the British era came in 'Factory Model Of Education', a form of teaching which prepared you for becoming an industrial slave. We are a democratic, secular ,independent nation and to get rid of the colonial tag attached to us we have even renamed Bombay to Mumbai, Madras to Chennai. But still, we held on to the education model , a model which was designed to churn out loyal, diligent workers who had to stick by instructions and work for long hours.
A country like India, which has had some of the earliest settlements and well planned cities called the Indus Valley Civilization, a rich history of Purana and Vedas, rich heritage of arts, craftsmanship and world renowned scholars like Aaryabhatta and Sushruta, in an attempt to appease and please the westerners , lost it's beautiful system of education and moral values - the Gurukuls.
For those of you who aren't aware, Gurukul was a traditional form of education where a Shishya (student) stays with his guru, learns not just science and scriptures but also life skills and moral values. The purpose of a Gurukul was to prepare you to face life. You learn the importance of respecting your Guru, be humble before him and learn with no inhibition, imbibe the qualities of seva (service) by doing house chores like fetching water or cooking and learn basic science and math which will help you lead a happy Grahastha (Family Life).
Why did the Gurukul system vanish in our country ?
Many of you aren't probably aware of the fact that the Gurukuls were primarily restricted to Brahmins and Kshatriyas. All wasn't all Silver and gold in ancient India. Illiteracy was prevalent in our nation due to education being restricted based on caste. Gurukulas were confined to teachings in Sanskrit which wasn't followed by many who had their own vernacular scripts. With the advent of colonization, the christian missionaries came in with a massive propaganda of reaching out to the poor, making them feel and believe that there was a god who loved them unlike the Indian temples which were biased towards certain castes. It was here that the fall of an exemplary educational institution began. Colonial rule also ensured adherence to the 'Factory Model of Education', which made the suppressed feel important as it ensured employment and status . We create our own path of destruction , so did the Gurukul system.
The current mode of education in our nation is helpful in churning out some of the most talented scientists, doctors and engineers on one hand, and on the other there has been major concerns about missing life skills and values. It is easy for a child to add two numbers but does he understand why he has to learn the same? How will it help him in the future?
Does today's education system teach you the importance of having hobbies and sports with studies ? I admit there are institutions who are trending for their new innovative teaching methods but majority of our nation is stuck in a rat race for marks and money. One of the main reasons why more children these days succumb to depression at a very young stage.
Education should focus on holistic development of a child. You not only have to prepare yourself for a career you are passionate about, but also learn important skills that will help you sustain and live your passion. A perfect proportion of the Gurukul methodology with modern methods of teaching , which shouldn't be distributed on a discriminatory manner needs to be adopted. It is left to us to understand the benefits and adopt the best of the traditional schools. A change in educational system is required for better leaders and human beings.
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