General purpose of education

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General purpose of education

Is it academics? Is it being ready for college? Is it to build a human being? There is no one answer to this question. These do not have to be mutually exclusive but the curriculum that would implement it perfectly does not exist so far (Walker, 2016)! There are multiple pathways and literature abounds for each of them. One can say that there is no purpose of education that is agreed upon by all, or even most, educators (Learning in Mind, n.d.). However, we do agree that Education reform is the great social justice because of our times. Hence, we must secure the highest standards of education for all young people, regardless of their background (GOV.UK, 2015).

Education in India over time

Modern Indian education has been shaped by the formal colonial rule by the Great Britain. Pre-colonial times saw education with spiritual growth as the base. It had an ancient tradition dating back to the Vedic Period (1500 to 500 BC). By the time European colonialists arrived, education mostly took place in traditional schools. The British colonialists imposed an education system based on the British system and introduced English as a language of instruction (Trines, 2019).

Education in India presently

The focus of Indian education is economic prosperity as of now. India is a rapidly changing country in which inclusive, high-quality education is of utmost importance for its future prosperity (Trines, 2019). However, it would be hard to give a single perspective on Indian education. We have schools giving the most traditional education to schools that have broken all barriers towards progress. Traditional schools focus on examinations whereas progressive schools focus on building a person with skills for life. The entire spectrum is present in India. There are islands of progressive schools amidst closed structured examination-oriented schools (Trines, 2019).

References

1. GOV.UK. (2015, July 9). The purpose of education. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-purpose-of-education

2. Learning in Mind. (n.d.). The Meaning and Purpose of Education. http://learninginmind.com/meaning-of-education.php

3. Trines Stefan. (2019). Education in India. WENR. https://wenr.wes.org/2018/09/education-in-india

4. Walker, T. (2016, August 29). What’s the Purpose of Education? The public doesn’t agree on the answer. http://neatoday.org/2016/08/29/the-purpose-of-education-pdk-poll/



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