DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT
Mr. Tapan Kumar Das has been associated with MIES Institute for the last 5 years as a Skill Development Officer who conceived this awesome write-up DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT. He has extensive experience in teaching WBCS, SSC, PSC, RAIL, Bank, School Service, Primary TET, Upper Primary TET, etc exams. He is very grateful to MIES Management for giving him a chance as a Skill Development Officer at MIES Institute which is one of the best competitive coaching centres in West Bengal. In His opinion, MIES Institute is one of the top competitive exam institutes in West Bengal.
MIES is a renowned coaching center for Govt. Job exams in West Bengal. Thousands of students appeared in Govt. service exam from MIES every year and got Government service maximum of them. MIES is the most popular institute among Government Job aspirants because of its specialty in School Service, WBCS, PSC, SSC, BANK, RAIL, Primary, and Upper Primary TET, etc exams. Students are given a huge number of Class Tests, Model Tests, and Mock Tests and also Practice a huge number of Online Tests through MIES APP in their course curriculum. MIES is a pioneer institute of West Bengal Civil Service coaching in West Bengal.
As per the students’ version, MIES is the Best Training Academy for Govt. Job exam in West Bengal.
DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS INSTRUMENTAL FOR PROGRESSION OF THE SOCIETY AND THE NATION.
Men can become men only by true education idealists emphasize the total development of a man’s personality in and Through a specially selected social environment which would impel him to draw out the best powers and to nurture them for the realization of his intellectual, social, moral and spiritual self. Mahatma Gandhi rightly defined education as “the all-round drawing out of the best in child and man-body, mind and spirit.”
A modern man needs faith in the power of man held by the early Greeks.
Sophocles expressed this faith in the heroic race through the Theban Elders in Antigone.
“Of all the wonders beneath the Sun
The most wonderful is man
He weareth Earth unweariedly
He hath taught himself speech
And wind-swift Thought.
Of the ages in history,
man felt that he was “a little lower than the angels.”
This faith in one’s power and respect for other’s power gives birth to the concept of Democracy which has earned such popularity as an ideology and also as an implementation that modern thinkers cannot but reflect on any aspect of human life as the principle of democracy.
Literal Meaning of Democracy
- The English term ‘Democracy’ has been derived from two Greek words – ‘Demos’ meaning people and ‘Kratos’ implying the power of the people.
- The ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle defined Democracy as a government of many’
- The earlier humanist president of the USA said, “Democracy is a rule of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Uses of Democracy in different contexts – DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT
Modern man, philosophers, and politicians have taken Democracy as the very way of living, under the purview of which comes the social, political, religious, moral, and economic aspects of life.
In this type of social environment, everyone is to develop himself fully obviously without interfering in the development of others. The individual and society thus come closer to each other and stand in perfect harmony, keeping in view the interests of both –the individual and the group.
John Dearey has defined democracy as more than a form of government. It is primarily a mode of essential living conjoint communicated experience.
The most salient feature of Democracy is the equal rights of everyone in thought and action and sharing experiences. The utterance of equality, fraternity, and liberty, which pierced the air during the French Revolution constitutes the lifeblood of Democracy.
The Preamble of the Indian Constitution – DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT
The Preamble to the constitution of India propagates the same message and deals with true democracy such as “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;”
This deal facilitates the progress of both the individual and the society. This deal facilitates the progress of both the individual and the society.
DEMOCRATISING THE INDIAN SOCIETY
We are here concerned with the discussion of Education for Democracy. We should make one thing clear to make education an instrument for democratizing society, education itself must have the principles of democracy.
The whole education program should breathe a spirit of democracy. So we should now consider a few basic principles of democracy in the texture of education.
BRIEFLY FOCUSING THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY.
- Respect for every individual must be ensured. The dignity of labor must be there. Every individual is an asset to the society. He should be given the fullest opportunity to express his powers, satisfy his interests, and utilize his abilities but those must not clash with the interest of others. Education should be directed towards the harmonization of individual and societal interests.
- Equality: Democracy stands on the principles of equality. Equality signifies the total negation of the discrimination between a man & another in respect of caste, creed, economic & social status which means a classless, casteless, equalitarian society.
- Brotherhood: Brotherhood or fraternity denotes the attitude of belonging to a community that gives rise to so many virtues like love, justice, equality, fairness, and above all honesty. Democratized education through a brotherhood attitude can elevate a race, community society, or country from the narrow feelings of provincialism, distinction in respect of caste used or language, religion, etc., etc.
- Freedom:
Spirit of Democratic education ensures freedom for every individual. Freedom is the basic need of the human soul. Nothing good enters into the human world except in and through the free activities of individual men & women. So education must be tinged with the spirit of freedom such as freedom in thought, action and movement which means not the freedom, whatever one wishes to do with his emotion & sentiment of whimsical impulse, but whatever one does, must be a ___________ action not affecting any pain or loss to another person\s.
Tolerance:
The democratic ideal is harbored best in an atmosphere of tolerance. Everyone is from his sphere but Everyone must have a feeling of tolerance for other’s views, thoughts & actions. The present state of restlessness all over the world is the outcome of a lack of such tolerance. So democratic education system shapes individual students’ quality of tolerance.
Co-operation:
Democracy or democratic education teaches cooperation between man & man, Man & Woman, and woman & woman which means all individuals of a society or a nation must have the spirit of cooperation with each other in doing deeds and duties, become prosperity and progress in human socially rest on cooperation.
Democracy and educational aim
The educational process and its aim should be directed to democracy. All should keep in mind that democracy is not an extreme force; this is a way of life. So Education must be so oriented that it will develop the basic qualities of character that are necessary for the functioning of democratic life.
Democracy and Curriculum
We know that the objectives of the curriculum are reflected in the subjects of studies. Curriculum means the Total of the activities and experiences of the individual learner. So the democratic curriculum must be dynamic, diversified, living, activity-oriented, experience-oriented, and integrated. The curriculum must be a synthesis between the core and periphery. The general and special catering to the needs, demands, aptitude, interests, propensities of children, and the dreams of the society.
Democracy and teacher
All the required features in a democratic education system will be fruitless if the educational environment does not have good teachers. A teacher is the artificer of a child’s mind, as they are the manipulators of the whole educational environment. So every teacher must be an integrated personality with all qualities –innate & acquired, to fit into the profession of technical the teacher has a great part to play in helping & growing individuals to bring out their posers and nature them in a suitable sociocultural environment.
Democracy and discipline
Discipline, the watch word of good democratic education must be free discipline. Freedom must be the very breath of academic atmosphere. This freedom will ensure the establishment of discipline. To day students’ unrest is a global phenomenon. This problem can be solved if students are made to shoulder their own responsibilities. The present system of students’ participation in college & university administrative bodies is a positive step towards democratising the educational environment. But there must be the inculcation of the ability of free thinking, judgement, critical enquiry and self-criticism in the minds of the growing generations. There must be freedom of students provided their thought, plan, action and words must be of discipline oriented, so that teacher- pupil relationship, democratic administrative set-up, congenial teacher-teacher relationship, free academic atmosphere becomes the salient lectures of much a discipline. Punishment and reward do not have any place in such discipline.
Democracy school and mass media – DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT
All there aspects of formal education system will have no bearing upon the development of an individual if the agencies of education are not patterned after the democratic ideal. School, the epitome of society, should be an ideal place of the individual and the group to reach the soul of obtaining full-fledged personality. School should be simplified, purified, better-balanced, graded vitalised society based on democratic principles. Other than schools, there are other social agencies of education which are to be fully about their duties and obligations towards the young people. The mass media, like newspaper, cinema, radio, T.V. have broadened the horizon and ensured the people to be acquainted with the multifarious socio-cultural, economic and political conditions, which have, to some extent, made education accessible to all. Though, This is a stupendous achievement of science too.
Conclution of DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IS AN INSTRUMENT
Today, the intellectuals, planners & implementers have the scientific & inevitable option and opportunity to suggest conclusive & extensive the democracy for education is to be practical very fruitful if all the aspects of education are effectively used & if there is an amicable relation between State and education. For fighting out the exciting evils coming out of inequality democratic ideal must come to shelter the derogatory forces and to open a new societal chapter.
Therefore, Education is the means the much, and the end. We should help the advent of a society, filled up with the high ideals of equality, solidarity, fraternity, and freedom. Therefore, The universal man will come out of such a society, strengthening the power of humanity. Nevertheless, Let a new world be enacted out of the equal and able participation of easy individuals in the march towards the day of glory and abundance of faith in the spirit of Democracy.
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