Rabindranath Tagore

• Writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, painter

• An educator

Educational Philosophy

   The widest road leading to the solution of all our problems is education.

Aims of Education

1.     Self-realization: Spiritual is the essence of humanism. The manifestation of personality depends upon the self-realization and spiritual knowledge of an individual.

2.     Intellectual Development: It means the development of imagination, creative free-thinking, constant curiosity, alertness of the mind. Freedom of child to adopt his own way of learning, which would lead to all-round development.

3.     Physical development: Sound and healthy physique through yoga, games, sports as an integral part of education.

4.     Love for Humanity: Education for international understanding and universal brotherhood. Education should teach people to realize oneness.

5.     Freedom: Education is a man-making process, it explores the innate power that exists within man, it is not an imposition, but a liberal process that provides the utmost freedom for development.

6.     Co-relation of objects: A peaceful world is only possible when the correlation between man and nature will be established.

7.     Mother-tongue is the medium of instruction: Language is the true vehicle of expression.

8.     Moral and spiritual development: It is more important than bookish knowledge for an integral development of human personality, by encouraging selfless acts, co-operation, sharing, and fellow-feeling among students.

9. Social Development: ‘Brahma’ the supreme soul manifests through men and all creatures. He is the source of all life. Brotherhood should be cultivated from the beginning of life.

System of Education

• Tagore's ideas for creating a system of education aimed at promoting international co-operation and creating global citizens.

• Tagore envisioned an education that was deeply rooted in one’s immediate surroundings but connected to the cultures of the wider world; predicated u Tagore recommended a curriculum for the full man satisfying the spiritual, the creative, the aesthetic, and the vocational aims of education.

• He felt that the curriculum should revolve organically around nature, with flexible schedules to allow for shifts in weather, and with special attention to natural phenomena and seasonal festivities.

Curriculum

Tagore recommended a curriculum for the full man satisfying the spiritual, the creative, the aesthetic, and the vocational aims of education. Besides providing for the teaching of ordinary schools, Tagore developed many educational ideas, years ahead of others. Nowadays educationists talk so much about the educational value of crafts, projects, music, dancing, fine arts, etc. But it is indeed very significant to note that the poet provided for the teaching of most of these subjects from the very beginning in his school at Shantiniketan.

Principles of Teaching

1.     The school should be situated in natural surroundings. There should be an atmosphere of nature’s own beauty with her varied gifts of color and dance, flowers, and fruits, with the joy of her mornings and the peace of her starry nights.

2.     It should cultivate a love of nature among the students.

3.     It should provide spiritual training to students.

4.     It should educate children by providing an environment of freedom.

5.     It should impart education in the mother-tongue of the students.

6.     It should provide an environment after the fashion of ancient ‘taco vans’-forest schools about which he had read so much in the Upanishads.

7.     It should be a community school where there is no distinction of caste and creed.

8.     It should teach crafts like sewing, book-binding, weaving, carpentry, etc.

9.     It should include drawing, art, and music as an integral part of the curriculum.

10.   It should provide students adequate opportunities for choosing their hobbies and occupations.

11.    It should be a self-governing institution-has a dairy farm, post office, hospital, and workshop. Students hold their own courts.

12.   It should provide for close personal contact with the teacher. The number of students in classes should be very small.

13.   It should have a well-equipped library.

1.  It should provide for manual labor.

Methods of Teaching

He stressed the movement of the whole body in various learning activities. He followed the activity principle and advocated constructive and creative activities.

Teachers’ Role

In education, the teacher is more important than the method. Tagore pointed out, “A teacher can never truly teach unless he is learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame.”

Implications on Present Day Education

1.     Tagore established a number of educational institutions at Shantiniketan.

2.     Tagore founded the Visvabharati.

3.     Tagore was a great practitioner. He worked out his ideas and ideals in a constructive way.

4.     Tagore drew attention to the listless environment of the traditional school.

5.     Tagore tried to synthesize the ancient Indian ideals of education and the western arts and sciences.

1. Tagore pointed out the significance of providing an environment of freedom in the school.