National Youth Day: Strive for Key Reforms in Education

Swami Vivekananda’s teachings are the ray of hope for the young generation and the millions of passionate minds. Vivekananda said, “All knowledge, similar or spatial is in human mind.” And knowledge is internal factor not an outsider phenomenon. Vivekananda believed that “education is the manifestation of perfection already

in men”.

The present education system makes people bondage and confines them into a dominion prison where they cannot think beyond their subject domain. Students are compelled to restrict their horizons and refrain from being innovative and creative. Their thoughts, perception, mindset are fixed as per the preconceived notion which is there in the syllabus. The present education system has failed to make people a good human being and to achieve the desired objective of education. Nowadays, its only emphasis is making students a good product which can be saleable in the market. Swami Vivekananda was more concerned about the future of the nation and society as a whole. That is why his vision and thoughts are concern on the overall development of the human being.

The present education system is based on the rote learning which does not give enough space to the creative thinking among students and they are being victimised by the ongoing education system. If we see on a broader perspective the idea of education based on the vision of Swami Vivekananda is based on developing more and more cognitive skills so that students can think beyond their respective curriculum and ultimately leading towards an all-round development. The main issue is that our school system is aiming to teach human being about humanity but they are teaching about the market only and how students can be transformed into product.

No doubt in saying that our present generation has made great progress in infrastructural development but it failed at social and moral front. Fall in the social and moral values has resulted in an increase in the crime rate in our society, which is alarming for all of us. Furthermore, this has led to an increase in anxiety, anger, lack of compassion among people.

We need to make our social and educational institutions more effective. As a society we cannot leave everything to government, we need to come out and take responsibility of the education of our children. Swami Vivekananda always said that we should not be dependent on anyone; we should explore ourselves in all direction. Having said that, he was very much concern for improving the quality education in India and believed that student must attain knowledge in the guidance of a good teacher. He highlighted on the need of learning concentration, meditation, study of scriptures, guidance, service units others, congenial atmosphere based on freedom and discipline ,which according to Swamiji, are the requirements for proper learning. However, success of education in the students depends upon the initiatives, self-realisation and self-reliance. But, learning process can’t take place without teacher being the facilitator of the knowledge. So, in the present discourse there is a need to initiate key reforms in the education system in India on the vision of Swami Vivekananda to attain the true meaning of education in India and the onus is on the society as a whole to impart the change in education system.

(The writer is a Director at Centre for Policy Research and Governance)