Wardha Scheme of Basic Education
- 1. Prepared by Nimitha Jose PKM College of Education Madampam
- 2. The Wardha Scheme Of Education , popularly known as ‘Basic Education’ occupies a unique place in the field of elementary education in India. This scheme was the first attempt to develop an indigenous scheme of education in British India by Mahatma Gandhi. As a nationalist leader he fully realised that the British system of education could not serve the socio-economic need of the country. At round table conference in London(1931), he point out the ineffectiveness of the system of primary education in India and the alarming low percentage of literacy among Indian people. He held the policy of the British as responsible for this painful situation in the field of mass education. It was at this context the concept of basic education emerged in the mind of Gandhiji.
- 3. WARDHA SCHEME OF EDUCATION This was a scheme of basic education introduced by Zakir Hussain Committee in October 1937 in Wardha (Maharastra). The main principle behind this scheme was ‘learning through activity’. It was based on Gandhian ideas published in a series of articles in the weekly magazine Harijan
- 4. Inclusion of basic handicrafts in the syllabus. Free and compulsory education for first seven years of schooling Teaching to be in Hindi from class 2 to 7 and in English only after class 7 Ways to be devised to establish contact with community around schools through service. A suitable technique to be devised to implement the main idea of basic education – Educating the child through the medium of productive activity of a suitable handicraft.
- 5. Nai Talim is a spiritual principle which states that knowledge and work are not separate. Gandhi promoted an educational curriculum with the same name on this pedagogical principal. It can be translated with phrase “Basic Education For All” Nai Talim aimed at preparing a good society. In Gandhiji’s words and vision, Nai Talim was aimed at becoming the spearhead of a silent social revolution
- 6. For holistic development of body, mind and soul, he firstly emphasised on useful and purposeful physical labour. Handicrafts, arts and drawing are the most fundamental teaching tools in Nai Talim pedagogy. Spinning and weaving were Gandhijis’ favorite technique for implementing Nai Talim. The Nai Talim pedagogy sought to create free and enlightened individuals, who would then constitute a good society , not just a free country. Cont….
- 7. Gandhiji’s Views on Education Use the real world as your classroom and learn through life. This real world is the world of adults, their relationships and occupations. He experienced an urgent need to integrate the physical labour and intellectual work for a new social order.
- 8. Learning by doing is the best method of learning ever-known. Learning inputs are spread over the entire surrounding environment and the society which can easily be harnessed. To students, this should be “learning through earning” at later stage, as students have to get into earning through the acquired learning. This parameter was added mainly to ensure the quality, skills and intellectual abilities of learning. Cont…
- 9. Sevagram Experiment (Anand Niketan) The Anand Niketan Nai Talim school at Sevagram together with teacher’s training institute and various levels of learning from pre-primary to rural university was a unique and path breaking experiment. Anand Niketan aims towards holistic development of a child, i.e., head, heart and hand. It equally aims for the development of a responsible citizenship, the development of intellect with compassion, humility and respect for all life forms and the mother earth is considered important. It believes in the transformation towards a just and sustainable world.
- 10. A school of say 51/2 hrs could roughly be divided on the following basis Physical activities ----20 minutes Mother tongue ---- 20 minutes Social studies and general studies ---- 60 minutes Art ---- 40 minutes Arithmetic ---- 20 minutes Craft work including study of correlated subjects --- 2 ½ hrs Free and compulsory education to be given for 8 years in 2 stages, the junior stage covering 5 years and the senior stage covering 3 years. Medium of instruction is to be in the mother tongue. Education is to center round some form of productive work. The social and physical environment to be used for correlation in addition to craft.
- 11. External examination are to be abolished. The day-to-day work of the student is to be the determining factor. Textbooks to be avoided as far as possible. Cleanliness and health, citizenship, play and recreation are to be given sufficient importance.