বাংলার ইতিহাস/History of Bengal

Vocational or Professional Aim of Education

A great American educationist, Dewey, commented that education is significant only when it aims at some vocation or employment. In the present age, some educational qualification is needed for almost all jobs. As a result, very extensive educational qualifications are important for good jobs which carry giant salaries. Economic independence is essential in the present-day world, and for this reason, parents are determined to educate their children so that they can become economically independent. And there can be no reason for denying this. In the case of developing countries like India, technical and professional education has great demand in their society. If the investments made in education do not help in the economic advancement of the country, such expenditure cannot be justified. Every young man is suffering for this bread. If his education does not prepare him for earning, there will be a question of such an education system. No educationist can ignore the vocational feature of education. In India, the earning of one’s livelihood is not just an economic requirement, but a spiritual responsibility.

Advantages

It is clear from the above explanation that the vocational objective of education is an essential thing and has some advantages such as-    

1. Solution of economic problems: India is today facing various problems such as unemployment, poverty, famine, etc. Our economic problems are our greatest difficulties. On the other hand, many countries accept the vocational aspect of education, and they are self-dependent and prosperous. They appreciate great respect and power in the world. Hence, technical and vocational training is of the greatest importance and such training can assist to solve the economic problems of any country.

2. Dynamism: It is the main activity that applies to the vocational goal of education. Dewey has commented that education imparted in his way makes use of the child’s tendencies and habits, pays attention to their interests, and awakens their minds. It examines the mind, excites intelligence, and puts an end to tiredness and inactivity.

3. Moral, intellectual, and cultural development: As far as the vocational aspect of education is concerned, it is connected with earning money. As a result, one can expect a high moral, intellectual, and cultural level from an educated scholar. If the educated individual fails to win economic independence, he tends to be immoral in his behavior, degenerate in his intellectuality, and indifferent to the arts and sciences.

Limitations

Because of these advantages of vocational objectives, most educationists in India are in favor of it. Efforts are being made to enlarge the facilities for technical and professional education in the country. Though Mahatma Gandhi suggested the aim of education is to make the individual financially independent. But if earning one’s bread is considered the sole aim of education, it leads to many difficulties. The major ones are the following:

1. Absence of liberal education: Liberal education shows an important part in the individual’s development since it is responsible for his intelligence and cultural development.

2. One-sided attitude: Although vocational guidance and professional training are formed of economic independence. Additionally, it cannot be ignored that education must be responsible for the individual’s character development, spiritual development, development of his personality, etc. If education objectives are only on professional ability, it denotes a one-sided approach.

3. Materialism: If education has job-related ability, it becomes materialistic, at the cost of religious, moral, and intellectual values. Materialism also leads to an increase in self-interest, violence, and cut-throat competition which are detrimental to society and individuals both.

It is clear from the foregoing discussion that the vocational objective of education is important. This type of education's sole aim is considered earning.

References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma

Impact of social ideals and social life

 a.     Social Life and the Aims of Education: In the history of human civilization, one can see significant progress in the shape and form of social life, as new attitudes and scientific and technological developments made their life easier and happier. Social life today is so different from primitive social life because of technology. The recent significant progress in science and technology has led to essential changes in human values. As a result, the objective of education is to deliver practical and specialized training. In addition to technological developments, economic changes have also influenced social life considerably. Industrialization and urbanization have influenced economic change. Population increases have only added to the complexity of economic problems. For this reason, education is faced with the problem of providing such training as will improve the practical and vocational skills of the individual. In addition, education helps to earn individuals' livelihoods and also make a contribution nationwide.

The democratic values of equality, liberty, and fraternity are the most important part of social life in every country of the world. The social instinct of most people declines to differentiate between one person to another on the bases of community, caste, class, sex, creed, etc. Everyone wants freedom and demands an equal share of opportunities in every sphere of life. It has been experienced everywhere that true liberty and quality are impossible without spreading the feeling of fraternity. Consequently, one of the chief responsibilities of modern education is to generate a character that will help the educand to become a useful member of a democratic society.

b. Relation between Social Ideals and the Aims of Education: In any country, the social standards are firmed by the form of government and the ideas of its pronounced persons. In modern days, social ideals have been formed by the ideas of such great individuals as Aurobindo, Vivekananda, Rabindranath, Mahatma Gandhi, Dayananda, and also different government committees. Much the same can be seen in the case of civilized countries such as England, America, Germany, France, etc. The purposes of education are expressed by the ideas of leading philosophers and the strategies of the government.

However, the influence of social ideals can also be seen in the form of the fundamental social philosophy. Thus, social philosophy is seen in the form of materialism, utilitarianism, communism, idealism, democracy, fascism, and other philosophical approaches. These approaches are realized not only in the thinking only of a few people but also as a powerful force when it influences the whole society. These social attitudes influence and change the ideals of education. This is as follows:

1.      Idealism: In idealistic societies, of which one example is the ancient Indian Vedic society, the greatest emphasis is laid upon the propagation of religious, moral, and spiritual ideals. In this case, the permanent objectives are measured as more important than the instant ones. Efforts are made to achieve a complete development of the human personality and also to create the best possible synthesis between the basic elements of the individual and society. Most of the objectives of this education tend to be worldwide.

2.   Realism: The philosophy of realism proposes that in decisive the objectives of education, the instant needs of society should be kept in view. This attitude inspires technological, economic, and scientific education which can help in the physical development of the nation.

3.  Materialis: A society that accepts the materialistic philosophy sets no store by moral religious or spiritual values. Consequently, education is shaped to achieve the physical and mental growth of the individual.

4.   Pragmatism: Pragmatic thinking inspires a pattern of education in which every single gets the opportunity to develop all his abilities and skills to their completest extent.

5.    Fascism: Fascism receives the whole authority of the state, and claims that the state is the end, and the individual only the means to that end. Consequently, education is designed to develop the individual's instinct to serve the state. In this case, he is trained to work for the welfare of the state and to be ready for the greatest expenses he is named to perform.

6.    Communism: Communist societies normally stress the value of the real aims of education. Communist thinking is primarily materialistic in its value orientation, with the result that unswerving objectives are measured as unimportant. Labor is accorded the greatest importance. The aim of education is concerned with labor from every aspect, the economic, political, social, and even aesthetic. Educational institutions are simple devices of national policy. The ideas of the state are propagated among the educands everywhere, and no one has the liberty to oppose or criticize them. Consequently, the objective of education is to advocate collectivist ideals to the educands.

7.      Democracy: One example of a democratic society is the modern American society. The two important principles of democracy are that the individual is an end in himself and that he should conduct himself in such a way that his behavior encourages the welfare of all. Fraternity, liberty, and equality are the principles of democracy. The aim of a democratic society is the maximum good of the number. Consequently, education has the following objectives in a democratic society:

Ø  Creating admiration for human behavior among the generation.

Ø  Helping students to gain the means of education is to gain control over the greatest possible extent of social heritage. Helping the students to pay attention to the general welfare and to learn the difficult art of self-development.

Ø  Developing in each individual the ability to think in terms of established categories of truth.

Ø  Assisting the students in understanding the nature of democracy and in aiming at the progress of society as the goal of life.

It is seen that educational purposes in a democratic society are surrounded by promotion in the spread of democratic ideals. India is a democratic republic. Here, also, education aims at instilling the ideals of democratic life in the educands at every stage of education.

From the changing forms of various social life and social ideals, and the objectives of education compatible with each one of them, it is evident that the aims of education are not enduring but unstable. Hence, it follows that if we want to create a particular pattern of social life and social ideals in a society, the educational pattern must conform to that kind of social life. Most educationists level criticize the existing pattern of education for this reason. As long as the ideals and objectives of education continue to stray away from social ideals, it is necessary to offer criticism to guide them back. This is necessary because, in the final analysis, the single aim of education is to try and make every individual the ideal member of an ideal society.

References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma

Aims of Education in Human Life

The aims of education are warmly connected with human life. The following points are the sectors of the connection:

1. Livelihood: Livelihood is essential for human life everywhere. Hence, one of the main aims of education is to develop men's and women's physical and mental strength according to their abilities. That’s why, they can earn their livelihoods.

2. Development of Personality: A balanced development of personality is essential for the individual’s life both private and social. Without this, he/she can neither satisfy all his/her needs nor lead a successful life. Consequently, all modern educationists consistently agree that the aim of education should complete the development of human personality.

3. Intellectual Development: Man is distinct from all living beings because of his intelligence. It is based on his intelligence that he has become superior to all other forms of life. Through his knowledge and intelligence, he developed science and technology and by using it he has expanded mastery over nature. It will, therefore, be quiet to state that all his future progress depends to an extent upon his intellectual development. This is also one of the key aims of education.

4. Physical Development: In the struggle for survival, man desires a healthy and strong body. Without it, it is difficult to live or satisfy his/her requirements. Hence, education should aim to develop an individual’s body. 

5. Moral Development: Ethical and moral values are measured as important parts of human life. Character is the most respected thing of the individual. In addition, moral laws help to succeed in human life in every sphere, be it the family, the neighborhood, or society at large. The importance of moral qualities and obedience to moral laws. The importance of moral values is even more evident in the modern world due to the unprecedented improvement in the means of transport and communications and the remarkable power of destruction possessed by modern weapons. In the absence of ethical values, the world will be engaged in catastrophic wars. That’s why to live in a peaceful world, moral and ethical development has also become an important object of education.

6. Aesthetic Development: Like other living beings, man is not pleased just by maintaining his presence. He seeks to raise his life above the level of survival, and the things he needs for these requirements must not only be useful but also attractive and aesthetically satisfying. Cultural development includes the development of sensibility and awareness of the aesthetically satisfying in art and literature. Education also seeks to develop aesthetic sensibility.

7. Social Development: Most of man’s life is spent in a social environment, and to accommodate this environment, the individual requires many social qualities. Education tries to improve these social abilities to enable the child’s social amendment.

8. Cultural Development: Human beings are said to be cultured because they are to be great from other living beings. Culture is man’s entitlement since it is not found among other animals. It is a culture that maintains a man’s relationship with his ancestors and ensures his connections with the succeeding generations. He becomes it as his social inheritance and passes it on. Cultural development is also a significant characteristic of education.

9. Spiritual Development: Another distinctive feature of human life is the precedence of the spiritual element. It is for this reason that religious texts state that human life is granted to the soul after it has lived the life of other living beings. Man’s advantage is thus the result of his religiousness. He is not merely an effective animal. He even seeks to identify himself with heavenly power. His future depends on this spiritual development. Thus, spiritual development is also believed as one of the important aims of education. 

10. Total Development: Man is a complex being, made up of various physiological parts, such as the motor organs, sense organs, nervous system, etc. In addition, man has intelligence, emotions, feelings, etc., as well as the social, cultural, and other aspects of personality. Because of this complexity, it is believed that education must seek to develop every aspect of the human individual. He is qualified to make the best use of his body. Moreover, efforts are made to develop human aesthetic, intellectual, moral, cultural, and, social, aspects. Some people trust that this is the ideal of human excellence. 

11. Training for Civic Life: It has already been explained that, in civilized societies, human life is identical to social life. Hence, education is considered to train the individual as a citizen and to fulfill all his responsibilities to society.

12. Training in International Living: Today, the individual is not restricted in his movement by the borders of the country. In the West, people commonly travel from one country to another. It is now commonly felt that if a man is to rise above his present level, he must be prepared to discard his narrow nationalistic leanings and adopt a more universal or international attitude. Since this is a new situation, another objective has been imported into the mandate of education, and that is, it must prepare education for international living.

 References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma

Formal vs Non-Formal Education

S.L.	Formal Education	Non-Formal Education
1.	Limited to a period taught.	Life is long and not limited to any period of being taught.
2.	Generally not integrated with work.	Integrated with work.
3.	Has fixed points of entry and exit.	Has flexible points of entry, exit, re-entry, and re-exit. It continues throughout the life span of the individual.
4.	Has fixed points curriculum.	Has a diversified and varied curriculum.
5.	In it the ‘giver’ dominates and the ‘receiver’ is rather passive.	A process of sharing, exploring, analyzing, and judging together.
6.	Geared to knowledge acquisition	A process of enabling the individual to understand his needs, the environmental situations, and mutual relationships.
7.	Foster's uncritical obedience.	An open-end process of education that develops self-reliant awareness.
8.	Works within a fixed social frame.	Anticipates and prepares for change.
9.	Associated with traditional schooling, schooling confined to a school or a college, etc.	Not confined to any educational set-up.
10.	Rigid concerning various aspects of education, i.e., admissions, curriculum, place of instruction, mode of instruction, the time and duration of instruction.	Very flexible concerning various aspects of education.

 References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma

Agencies of Non-formal Education

The various agencies for organizing programs for non-formal education are as follows:

1.      Institutions for formal education.

2.      Special agencies for non-formal education such as Nehru Yuvak Kendras, training centers in factories, public libraries, centers of correspondence education, etc.

3.      Charitable non-government organizations such as clubs and societies.

4.      Radio and television.

Non-formal education is one of the methods of education which ought to be perceived and designed in coordination with formal and informal education systems. It will demonstrate insufficient and ineffective tools for solving complex problems or for achieving concrete goals if it is not properly organized. Again, it must not be incomplete to the imparting of basic skills only. It must be calculated as a combined system in the context of the total socio-economic environment. To make it effective in the modern societal context, a more integrated community-based program of innovation and change is needed to which various forms of education may contribute. This recommended filling the gaps between the learning systems as well as the community's needs.

References: Sociology of Education by S.S. Chandra & R. K. Sharma