Question
Analyse the basis of criticism of colonial education.
Answer
Rabindranath Tagore was a critic of the colonial education system in India during British rule. He opposed the strict discipline enforced by teachers, the fear of failing exams, and the confinement of students to classrooms. He believed that education should enable and promote thinking and evaluation, leading to the all-round development of the mind and ideal character. Rabindranath felt that the Gurukul system of education in ancient India was more effective in allowing the mind to evolve and develop on its own. He believed that the colonial education system ignored Indian history and culture and was more like a chain forcibly keeping Indians in bondage. Rabindranath argued that education should be imparted through the mother tongue to maintain a balance between education and life, and that there was no glory of Indian cultural legacy in the colonial education system. He believed that education should promote inner harmony amongst nature, man, and god, and should not be oppressive to students. Rabindranath’s criticism of colonial education led him to establish the institute of Shantiniketan, which aimed to provide a humanist, creative education within a natural environment.
