By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Education has become a job provider rather than a temple of quality education where children are shaped and groomed to become complete and responsible citizens, observed Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.
The chief minister was addressing a two-day National Seminar on ‘Tagore’s Educational Philosophy and its Relevance in Contemporary India’ to observe the 150th Birth Anniversary of India’s finest poet, thinker and novelist Rabindranath Tagore at Women’s College here on Friday.
While unemployment continues to haunt the state government, Dr Sangma said many policies are being implemented in a hurry thereby creating many loopholes. In the process the students who are at the receiving end becomes the victims of such hasty decisions. “Are we looking at education as a job provider or a temple where we can go and bring out the best?” Dr Sangma questioned.
The chief minister pointed out that over the years, government policies on education were so pathetic that they have stunted creativity in children.
“Tagore’s concept of education was not replicated in our system until recently when the government realized the gaps and introduced various policies like the Right to Education (RTE) which are in accordance with the kind of education long foreseen by Tagore”, he added.
Dr Sangma also stressed on blending learning with doing so that teaching-learning becomes an attractive and interesting pursuit. “There should be alternatives to make learning attractive to the children”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Former Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata Prof Pabitra Sarkar spoke at length on Tagore’s ideas of education.
He said Tagore favoured three types of education—Developmental Education, Higher Education and Mass Education. During the 19th and 20th century, Tagore stressed on women’s education citing that women were as underprivileged as the rural poor at the same time pointing out that children were mainly made to depend on books, thus keeping them away from reality, Prof Sarkar said.
While quoting Tagore’s “Learning is Truth”, Prof Sarkar said learning should not be just about acquiring skills but also awareness of total existence.
The seminar was also attended by teachers of various colleges, philosophers and students.
