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EDUCATION FOR LIBERATION AND TRANSFORMATION

Elizabeth Philip

Education today appears to be a means to inculcate a mode of thinking and to transmit a pre-existing set of values to 'sponges' which absorb anything. It has been and continues to be a medium for the propaganda of influential forces in society. The method and aim of education tends to condition the mind and imposes on the individual's independent way of thinking. The growth of creativity, novel and spontaneous thought and ingenuity is more often than not stunted due to the system.

The various policies for education of the government of India has been a means through which the values and interests of the dominant classes can be imposed and the status system of the sub-continent can be maintained.

In "Education in India - Liberation or Oppression", Vinayak Purohit observes the social function of Indian education. He states that it has been designed to form and sustain a comprador bourgeois in India and to train a few members of the bourgeois society. Education is one of the means to gain ideological control and influence the psychology of the masses.

The stress on education has not been great in India. India has half the illiterates of the world and ranks 115th among the nations which spend on education with respect to percentage GNP. The topic of education has always been pushed to the background and not given the importance it deserves.

It has been rightly observed that the educational system shares all the evils of society. Hence, society itself must be transformed to have lasting values in the educational system. The two must develop side by side. Despite many attempts in social reform, the Indian society continues to be plagued by casteism, communal ism, religious fundamentalism and the oppression of women. As these evils seep into the educational system and contaminate it, we must simultaneously seek to improve society as well as the educational system.

The Indian government is making efforts to compensate for the past injuries suffered by the weaker sections of society. One such policy was the implementation of the Mandal Commission which recommended reservations in educational institutions and public employment for the socially and educationally backward classes who are primarily victims of caste discrimination.

Some argue that such reservations are made at the cost of the larger social good. But the equality guaranteed to all citizens of India can only be made practical by measures such as positive discrimination in favour of the weaker sections. In this way the margina-

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lised can be rehabilitated and brought into the national mainstream. It has been rightly said that "equality among unequals only perpetuate inequality".

It is interesting to note that the outcry against the implementation of the Mandal Commission was most prominent in college and university campuses. As the majority of these students come from the middle and upper classes they feel this as a direct threat to their educational prospects and job opportunities. A great concern of colleges and universities ought to be the achievement of social equality and economic justice. Instead, they continue to be the popular voice of the elite.

On this issue, the SCM of India took a firm stand in favour of the Mandal Commission. They had a national consultation and formed a response to the Mandal Commission report. In it was stated that the SCM supports "any political process that would transfer power from the upper caste to the lower caste and to work for a more egalitarian, just participatory society" and they affirmed their solidarity with the marginalised.

One factor contributing to the lack of concern for the backward classes may be the fact that the colleges and universities are located in the city, and their interest are based around the urban areas whereas the majority of the "depressed" classes live in the rural areas. Instead of instilling a sense of responsibility for the masses, the system seems to alienate the youth from their own culture, heritage and people. Even the Kothari Commission which was set up to study the educational policy of India admits that "several features of the educational system promote divisive tendencies; caste loyalties are encouraged; the rich and poor are segregated".

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Another sad feature of the Indian society is the oppression of women. The women are victims of exploitation which is socially accepted. For example, the practice of dowry is not only wrong in itself, it encourages other evils such as bride-burning, physical abuse and mental torture. The fact that a girl child is considered to be a burden is causing an alarming rise in the rate of infanticide and female foeticide.

Transformation cannot take place without empowerment, and education is a means to gain power. In India, however, two-thirds of the children not in school are girls. The girl child is not given the opportunity to study either for economic or social reasons. Unless equal opportunities are provided and the education of women is encouraged, the development of society will be an unbalanced one.

Communal ism and religious fundamentalism is on the increase. The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue clearly illustrates how the ignorant masses are easily manipulated by politicians and other parties with vested interests. This tendency towards religious fanaticism must stop and religious tolerance must be encouraged. A challenging task for educationists is to help young people to respect and appreciate other religions and realize that there exists common good in all religions.

Of course, all this not to say that the mere reservation of seats for education and employment, or the eradication of social evils can bring about social transformation. Social transformation is the net result of ideological transformation of individuals within society. Our goal must be the positive growth and development of the individuals.

We have witnessed in recent times a decadence of moral values. Educationists have a tremendous role to play in finding a remedy for this situation. The need for value education as an integral part of the entire educational process has been stressed by educationists. Students must be encouraged to be more critical, to follow their own convictions, and to be more self-reliant.

Values are closely integrated into the culture of a people -people of one culture share a set of values. The noble traditional values however are dissolving, but what comes in their place? Are the values we find as a replacement the product of critical analysis and creative thought?

The Indian youth live in two worlds, the East and the West, neither of which offers them security. The cultural invasion of the West has not spared a single aspect of our life and has, in a way, cast a spell on our people. The values of former days are no longer accepted nor can replacements for them be found, creating what has been termed as a "value vacuum".

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Education must be utilised for the cultivation of social, ethical and moral values. Though terribly slow, progress is undoubtedly being made. The Kothari Commission states that a "growing awakening (is to be seen) among the masses who, oppressed for centuries, have now awakened to a sense of their rights and are demanding education, equality, higher standards of living and better civic amenities". Thus, there is a greater awareness of fundamental rights among weaker sections of society. Young people like those present here today possess a greater commitment to the cause of justice and social change. It is education that has initiated this process of liberation and social revolution which will someday result in the transformation of society.