Gandhian Ideas on Education: Their Relevance in the 21 Century

It is widely known that Mahatma Gandhi, Father of Indian Nation, gave us many invaluable ideas on the different aspects of education for national regeneration and progress. His scheme of basic education was enthusiastically implemented in India during the 1940s-1950s, but later on it was discarded by self-seeking and short-sighted educational planners. Now again, the value of his educational ideas is being very much realized by the nation as we enter the 21 century. Many educationists and leaders of our society now strongly feel that there is urgent to take need fresh look on Gandhi’s educational ideas and particularly his favorite scheme of basic education. This has prompted me to compile this collection of 14 select articles on the theme. The first five of these articles were presented as papers at a symposium in the Jamia Millia Islamia on October 30, 1968. Their freshness remains in tact even now. Other contributions critically evaluate Gandhi’s educational ideas and offer us a very a rich food for thought.