Himalayan Times (1962)

EDUCATION MUST BE MOST MODERN

Prof. G. C. CHATTERJI

" I see a hopeful sign
in a recent move of the
Ministry of Eduoation at
the Centre in appointing
four standing Committees
to go into the state of
Primary, Secondary, Uni-
versity and Social Edu-
cation in the country and
after a thorough survey,
to recommend measures
of reform." These obser-
vations were made reoently
by Prof. Q- C. Chatterji
in bis talk on "Educa-
tion" in the general A.I.R.
National Programme series
entitled "Tradition and
Modernity".

Following is the text
of his talk:

In this talk, I shall
use tradition as equiva-
lent to the factor of con-
servation, and modernity
as equivalent to creativity
in human aooiety.

The problem I am
asked to face is, whether
at this junoture in our
national life we hava
succeeded in bringing about
a proper balance between
tradition aod modernity
in cur educational system,
and if nut, wherein lies
our failure, and how best
wo oat) overcome it. These
are very difficult ques-
tions and I cannot claim
to have a ready made
anawov for all of theBi0 The

views tint I shall express
are only tentative and
open to correction. I
should also make it olear
that these are merely my
own personal opinions and
do not in any way re-
present any institution or
organisation with which :.
am associated.

With the advent of
freedom, or even earlier
the system of eduoation
prevailing in this oountry
came in for severe casti-
gation from several quar-
ters. Some condemned it
wholesale and clamoured
that it should be sorapped
from top to bottom. It
was acoused as being an.
tinational, as breeding
slaves and not free-men,
as cultivating a materia,
listio outlook in our young
people, which was out of
harmony with our ancient
tradition. But while suoh
critics were vociferous in
their destructive s*»al,
there is little they had to
offer when asked what we
should replace it with
Id a vague way ilicy
urged us to go back *o
something which existed
in the golden past, and
which wo had lost through
misguided pursuit of mo
deroity.

Such oriticiom still
goes ou oftor fiiteea yearo

of independence It in
the outcome of prejudice,
end no amount of rea-
soning will prove effective
against it. It represents
the views of the purs
traditionalists, ths people
who want no change.
They forget that ohangs
in the law of Ufa and
there is no way of meet-
ing it, except through fresh
adjustments, through no-
velty and creation. Assum-
ing that India did ones
enjoy a golden age, how
is it that it has passed
away and not s vestigB
of it is left, except a
few arohaeological remains?
Purely its deo&y was dun
to its over-emphasis oo
conservation and its neg-
lect of novelty ? Leaving
aside suoh whole-hoggers,
let 'is turn to mere mo-
derate critics. These while
not condemning the exist-
ing system of education
whole-sale, urge that wo
have gone in for too
much modernity and have
scrapped too much of
what wae of value ia out
old tradition.

Some of them wo-Jid
have us abjure all western
ways including its seisnti>
fio achievements, its in-
ventions, its mechanisa-
tion of industry, & a they
put it. India should re-
main wedded to its bul-
lock cart oivilisatKH and
not hanker after aevo-
planeo and tractors, end
rstomio weapons. Others