Class 11 Education Chapter 1 — Concept and Aims of Education
Welcome to HSLC Guru! This page offers a complete, exam-ready solution for ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 11 / HS First Year Education, Chapter 1 — Concept and Aims of Education. You will find the etymological meaning of education, narrow and broader meanings, definitions given by leading Indian and Western thinkers, characteristics of education, and a detailed explanation of the various aims of education such as individual aim, social aim, vocational aim, knowledge aim, character aim, complete-living aim, harmonious-development aim, citizenship aim and democratic aim. The page also covers all textbook questions, additional short questions, long-answer questions, MCQs and a definitions table — ideal for AHSEC / ASSEB Higher Secondary First Year Education preparation.
Summary
The English word “Education” has been derived from three Latin roots — “Educare” meaning to bring up, to nourish, to raise; “Educere” meaning to lead out, to draw out; and “Educatum” meaning the act of teaching or training. Another Latin source is the combination “E” + “Duco”, where “E” means “out of” and “Duco” means “I lead” — together giving the meaning “I lead out”. Thus, etymologically, education is the process by which the inner qualities, hidden powers and natural potentialities of a child are drawn out and developed.
Education is understood in two senses — the narrow sense and the broader sense. In the narrow sense, education is identified with formal schooling — the planned instruction given by trained teachers within school and college walls, leading to certificates and degrees. It is limited to the “three R’s” (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) and to information learnt from textbooks. In the broader/wider sense, education is a lifelong process that begins at birth and continues till death. It includes every experience that influences a person — home, society, culture, religion, environment, mass media, peers and life situations — all become teachers. In this sense, education is a continuous process of growth, adjustment and self-realisation.
Many great thinkers have defined education. Mahatma Gandhi said, “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man — body, mind and spirit.” Rabindranath Tagore defined education as “that which makes one’s life in harmony with all existence.” Swami Vivekananda declared, “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man.” Aristotle said, “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” Plato stated, “Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment.” Pestalozzi defined it as “the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers.” Froebel said, “Education is the unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ.” John Dewey defined education as “the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his environment and fulfil his possibilities.” Herbert Spencer said, “Education is preparation for complete living.”
The chief characteristics of education are that it is a lifelong, continuous, dynamic, purposive, bi-polar and tri-polar process; it modifies behaviour, develops personality, and is both an art and a science. The various aims of education include — the Individual Aim (full self-realisation of the learner — Sir Percy Nunn, Rousseau), the Social Aim (preparing the child for social living and service — John Dewey), the Vocational Aim (training for an occupation and economic self-sufficiency — Mahatma Gandhi, Kothari Commission), the Knowledge Aim (acquisition of useful, systematic knowledge — Herbart), the Character Aim (development of moral and ethical character — Herbart, Gandhi), the Complete Living Aim (preparation for all activities of life — Herbert Spencer), the Harmonious Development Aim (balanced growth of body, mind, soul — Pestalozzi, Gandhi), the Citizenship Aim (training good, responsible citizens) and the Democratic Aim (promoting equality, liberty, fraternity and national integration). These aims are not contradictory; they are complementary, since the individual and society depend on each other.
সাৰাংশ
“Education” শব্দটো লেটিন ভাষাৰ “Educare” (অৰ্থ — পালন কৰা, পুষ্টি প্ৰদান কৰা), “Educere” (অৰ্থ — উলিয়াই অনা, পথ দেখুৱাই অনা) আৰু “Educatum” (অৰ্থ — শিক্ষাদান কৰাৰ ক্ৰিয়া) — এই তিনিটা মূলৰ পৰা আহিছে। ইয়াৰ উপৰিও “E” + “Duco” সংযোগে “মই বাহিৰলৈ লৈ যাওঁ” বুজায়। সেয়ে ব্যুৎপত্তিগত অৰ্থত শিক্ষাই হ’ল ছাত্ৰৰ ভিতৰত লুকাই থকা সম্ভাৱনাবোৰ বাহিৰলৈ উলিয়াই অনাৰ প্ৰক্ৰিয়া।
শিক্ষাৰ সংকীৰ্ণ অৰ্থত ই বিদ্যালয়-মহাবিদ্যালয়ত প্ৰদান কৰা আনুষ্ঠানিক পাঠ, পঢ়া-লিখা-গণনা (3 R’s) আৰু পৰীক্ষাৰ মাধ্যমেৰে অৰ্জিত প্ৰমাণপত্ৰৰ সৈতে জড়িত। কিন্তু বিস্তৃত অৰ্থত শিক্ষা হৈছে জন্মৰ পৰা মৃত্যুলৈ চলি থকা এক জীৱনব্যাপী প্ৰক্ৰিয়া — পৰিয়াল, সমাজ, পৰিবেশ, সংস্কৃতি, গণমাধ্যম আদি সকলোৱেই শিক্ষাৰ উৎস।
মহাত্মা গান্ধী, ৰবীন্দ্ৰনাথ ঠাকুৰ, স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ, এৰিষ্ট’টল, প্লেট’, পেষ্টালজী, ফ্ৰৌবেল, জন ডিউই, হাৰ্বাৰ্ট স্পেন্সাৰ আদি মনীষীয়ে শিক্ষাৰ বিভিন্ন সংজ্ঞা দিছে। শিক্ষাৰ লক্ষ্যসমূহ হ’ল — ব্যক্তিগত লক্ষ্য, সামাজিক লক্ষ্য, বৃত্তিগত লক্ষ্য, জ্ঞানৰ লক্ষ্য, চৰিত্ৰ গঠনৰ লক্ষ্য, পূৰ্ণ জীৱনৰ লক্ষ্য, সমন্বিত বিকাশৰ লক্ষ্য, নাগৰিকতাৰ লক্ষ্য আৰু গণতান্ত্ৰিক লক্ষ্য। এই লক্ষ্যবোৰ পৰস্পৰৰ পৰিপূৰক — ব্যক্তি আৰু সমাজ পৰস্পৰ নিৰ্ভৰশীল।
Textbook Questions and Answers
1. What is the etymological meaning of the word “Education”?
Answer: The English word “Education” has been derived from the Latin words Educare (to bring up, to nourish), Educere (to lead out, to draw out) and Educatum (the act of teaching or training). It is also said to come from the combination “E” + “Duco” — where “E” means “out of” and “Duco” means “I lead”, giving the total meaning “I lead out”. Therefore, etymologically, education means drawing out or unfolding the inherent powers, talents and capacities that lie hidden within a child.
2. Define education in the narrow sense.
Answer: In the narrow sense, education is the deliberate, planned and conscious instruction given by trained teachers within the four walls of an institution like a school or college. It begins on a fixed date, follows a prescribed curriculum and ends with examinations and certificates. According to John Stuart Mill, “The culture which each generation purposely gives to those who are to be its successors, in order to qualify them for at least keeping up, and if possible for raising the level of improvement which has been attained, is called education in the narrow sense.” It is essentially formal schooling limited to literacy, numeracy and bookish learning.
3. Define education in the broader (wider) sense.
Answer: In the broader sense, education is a lifelong process which begins at birth and continues till death. It includes every experience and influence — from home, society, environment, religion, culture, mass media, friends and life situations — that helps a person to grow physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. As Dumville observed, “Education in its widest sense includes all the influences which act upon an individual during his passage from cradle to the grave.” In this sense education is not confined to the school, but is co-extensive with life itself.
4. Give the definition of education by Mahatma Gandhi.
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi defined education as — “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man — body, mind and spirit.” According to him, education must develop the head, heart and hand together, leading to the harmonious growth of the whole personality.
5. Give the definition of education by Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore said — “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” For Tagore, education is the process by which the human mind discovers ultimate truth and establishes a rhythm of unity with nature, fellow-beings and the universe.
6. How did Swami Vivekananda define education?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda defined education as — “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man.” According to him, knowledge is inherent in every human soul; the function of education is to bring it to the surface and to build character, strength and self-confidence.
7. State Aristotle’s definition of education.
Answer: Aristotle defined education as — “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” He believed that education prepares man to use his leisure rightly and to attain the highest virtue, which is happiness through reason.
8. State Plato’s definition of education.
Answer: Plato defined education as — “Education is the capacity to feel pleasure and pain at the right moment. It develops in the body and the soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the perfection he is capable of.” According to Plato, education is what gives to the body and to the soul all the perfection of which they are capable.
9. State Pestalozzi’s definition of education.
Answer: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi defined education as — “Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers.” Pestalozzi viewed the child as a seed that contains all the powers of life, and the teacher as a gardener who provides the right conditions for natural growth.
10. State Froebel’s definition of education.
Answer: Friedrich Froebel — the founder of the Kindergarten — defined education as — “Education is the unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ. It is the process through which the child makes the internal external.” For him education is creative self-activity guided by the divine principle within the child.
11. State John Dewey’s definition of education.
Answer: John Dewey defined education as — “Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his environment and fulfil his possibilities.” Dewey also said, “Education is the process of living through a continuous reconstruction of experiences.” For him, education and life are inseparable; school is a miniature society.
12. State Herbert Spencer’s definition of education.
Answer: Herbert Spencer said — “Education is the preparation for complete living.” According to him, the function of education is to prepare an individual to perform efficiently the five major activities of life — self-preservation, securing the necessities of life, rearing of children, social and political duties, and the proper utilisation of leisure.
13. What are the main characteristics of education?
Answer: The main characteristics of education are:
- Education is a lifelong process — from birth to death.
- It is a purposive and goal-oriented activity.
- It is a continuous and dynamic process — never static.
- It is a bi-polar process — involving teacher and learner.
- It is also a tri-polar process (John Dewey) — teacher, learner and society.
- It is the modification of behaviour in a desirable direction.
- It develops the complete personality of the individual — physical, mental, moral, social, spiritual.
- It is both an art and a science.
- It is a three-dimensional process — directs, develops and disciplines.
- It harmonises the individual with society.
14. What is meant by “aims of education”?
Answer: An “aim” is a foreseen end that gives direction to an activity. The aims of education are the broad, long-term goals that society wishes to achieve through the educational process. They guide the curriculum, methods of teaching, discipline and evaluation. Without clear aims, education becomes a purposeless activity. Aims of education answer the basic question — “Why do we educate?” They differ from country to country, age to age, and depend on the social, political, economic and philosophical needs of a people.
15. What is the Individual Aim of Education?
Answer: The Individual Aim of Education holds that the chief purpose of education is the full and free development of the individual’s personality and the realisation of his innate potentialities. The leading advocates are Sir Percy Nunn, Rousseau, T. P. Nunn and Aldous Huxley. Sir Percy Nunn declared, “Nothing good enters the human world except in and through the free activities of individual men and women, and educational practice must be shaped to accord with this truth.” This aim emphasises self-realisation, individuality, freedom of expression and personal happiness. Its chief criticism is that it ignores the social context in which the individual lives.
16. What is the Social Aim of Education?
Answer: The Social Aim of Education maintains that education must prepare the individual for social living, social welfare and social efficiency. The chief supporter is John Dewey, who said, “All education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race.” According to this aim, the individual is essentially a social being; without society there is no individual at all. Education must therefore inculcate cooperation, sympathy, social responsibility, civic sense and national feeling. The criticism is that it may suppress individuality.
17. What is the Vocational Aim of Education?
Answer: The Vocational Aim of Education means that education should equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and attitude necessary to earn an honest livelihood. Mahatma Gandhi’s Basic Education (Wardha Scheme, 1937) was based on the vocational aim — “Craft-centred education.” The Kothari Commission (1964–66) also stressed work-experience and vocationalisation. This aim makes education productive, removes unemployment and develops dignity of labour. Its critics say that, taken alone, it reduces education to mere bread-winning.
18. What is the Knowledge Aim of Education?
Answer: The Knowledge Aim — also called the Intellectual Aim — holds that the primary aim of education is the acquisition and assimilation of knowledge. Its leading exponent is J. F. Herbart, who said, “Knowledge is power; without knowledge no man can survive in this competitive world.” Knowledge sharpens the intellect, broadens outlook and enables man to understand and control nature. However, knowledge alone, divorced from values and skill, is incomplete.
19. What is the Character Aim of Education?
Answer: The Character Aim of Education considers the building of moral character as the supreme purpose of education. Herbart said, “The one and the whole work of education may be summed up in the concept of morality.” Mahatma Gandhi remarked, “Character building is the foundation on which the edifice of education must be built.” The Character Aim aims to develop honesty, truthfulness, self-control, courage, sympathy and a sense of duty.
20. What is the Complete-Living Aim of Education?
Answer: The Complete-Living Aim was proposed by Herbert Spencer. He said, “To prepare us for complete living is the function which education has to discharge.” According to Spencer, education must enable an individual to perform efficiently the following five activities of life:
- Activities directly related to self-preservation.
- Activities related to earning a livelihood (securing the necessaries of life).
- Activities related to rearing and disciplining of children.
- Activities concerned with the maintenance of social and political relations.
- Activities devoted to the proper use of leisure — in arts, literature and culture.
21. What is the Harmonious Development Aim?
Answer: The Harmonious Development Aim — supported by Pestalozzi, Froebel, Rousseau, Gandhi and Tagore — holds that education must develop all the powers of the child — physical, mental, moral, emotional, social, aesthetic and spiritual — in a balanced way. No single side of personality should be developed at the cost of others. Pestalozzi defined education itself as “the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers.”
22. What is the Citizenship Aim of Education?
Answer: The Citizenship Aim of Education seeks to prepare the child to become a good, responsible and active citizen of the country. It develops civic virtues such as obedience to the law, payment of taxes, exercise of voting rights, respect for the national flag, tolerance, cooperation and patriotism. The Secondary Education Commission (1952–53) placed great emphasis on training for citizenship.
23. What is the Democratic Aim of Education?
Answer: The Democratic Aim of Education believes that education must promote the values of democracy — liberty, equality, fraternity, justice, secularism and respect for individual dignity. It develops critical thinking, scientific temper and the spirit of national integration. The Indian Constitution and reports such as the Kothari Commission (1964–66) and the National Policy on Education (1986, revised 1992) have stressed this aim. A democratic citizen is one who is informed, tolerant, cooperative and willing to participate in nation-building.
Additional Short Answer Questions
1. From which Latin words is the word “Education” derived?
Answer: From three Latin words — Educare, Educere and Educatum — and from the combination “E” + “Duco”.
2. What is the meaning of the Latin word “Educare”?
Answer: “Educare” means “to bring up”, “to nourish”, “to raise up” or “to rear”.
3. What is the meaning of the Latin word “Educere”?
Answer: “Educere” means “to lead out” or “to draw out”.
4. What is the meaning of the Latin word “Educatum”?
Answer: “Educatum” means “the act of teaching or training”.
5. What does “E” + “Duco” mean?
Answer: “E” means “out of” and “Duco” means “I lead”. Together they mean “I lead out”.
6. Who said, “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man”?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.
7. Who is regarded as the chief advocate of the Social Aim of Education?
Answer: John Dewey.
8. Who is regarded as the chief advocate of the Individual Aim of Education?
Answer: Sir Percy Nunn (also Rousseau).
9. Who proposed the Complete-Living Aim of Education?
Answer: Herbert Spencer.
10. Mention the five activities of complete living according to Spencer.
Answer: (i) Self-preservation; (ii) Earning of livelihood; (iii) Rearing of children; (iv) Maintenance of social and political relations; (v) Proper utilisation of leisure.
11. Who said “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body”?
Answer: Aristotle.
12. Who said education is “an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man — body, mind and spirit”?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.
13. According to John Dewey, education is which type of process?
Answer: A tri-polar process (teacher, learner and society / curriculum).
14. Who is the founder of the Kindergarten system?
Answer: Friedrich Froebel.
15. Who started the Wardha Scheme of Basic Education?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi (in 1937).
16. Name the three R’s in the narrow meaning of education.
Answer: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic.
17. What does “bi-polar” process mean?
Answer: Education is bi-polar because it involves an interaction between two poles — the teacher and the learner. The concept was given by Adams.
18. What does “tri-polar” process mean?
Answer: The tri-polar concept was given by John Dewey. Education involves three elements — teacher, learner and the social environment / curriculum.
19. Mention any three types of education.
Answer: (i) Formal Education, (ii) Informal Education, (iii) Non-formal Education.
20. Why is education called a lifelong process?
Answer: Because education begins at birth and continues till death — through the experiences a person gathers from family, school, society, occupation and old age.
Long Answer Questions
1. Discuss the etymological meaning of the word “Education”.
Answer: The English word “Education” has been derived from four Latin sources, all of which throw light on the true nature of education:
- Educare — meaning “to bring up”, “to rear”, “to nourish”. From this root, education means physical and mental nourishment of the child, like the way a gardener nourishes a plant.
- Educere — meaning “to lead out” or “to draw out”. From this root, education becomes the process of drawing out the latent powers, talents and potentialities that lie hidden in a child.
- Educatum — meaning “the act of teaching or training”. From this root, education is the planned, organised and conscious instruction given to the learner.
- “E” + “Duco” — “E” means “out of” and “Duco” means “I lead”. Together “Educo” means “I lead out”. This emphasises that education leads the child out of darkness, ignorance and bondage into the light of knowledge, freedom and self-realisation.
Combining these meanings, education etymologically signifies the bringing up, drawing out and developing of the inborn powers of a child, and at the same time the act of teaching and training him in a systematic way for life. Thus education is both internal unfoldment and external instruction.
2. Distinguish between education in the narrow sense and education in the wider/broader sense.
| Point of difference | Education in the Narrow Sense | Education in the Broader Sense |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Formal, planned schooling within a fixed institution. | All life-experiences that shape an individual. |
| Duration | Limited to school and college years. | Lifelong — from cradle to grave. |
| Place | Confined to school, college and university. | Home, society, environment, mass media, peer group. |
| Curriculum | Pre-planned syllabus and prescribed textbooks. | The whole of life is the curriculum. |
| Methods | Lecture, demonstration, examination, certificate. | Imitation, observation, experience, interaction. |
| Agency | Trained teachers in a recognised institution. | Family, religion, community, culture, mass media. |
| Aim | Acquisition of literacy and degrees. | Total development and adjustment for life. |
| Examples | Class-room teaching of mathematics, science. | Learning manners from parents, values from society. |
| Major exponent | John Stuart Mill, J. S. Ross. | Dumville, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda. |
The two senses are not contradictory but complementary. Modern educationists accept the broader sense as the true and complete meaning of education, while the narrow sense represents only one part of it.
3. Explain the definitions of education given by various Indian and Western thinkers.
Answer: Different thinkers have defined education according to their own philosophical outlook. The major definitions are tabulated below:
| Thinker | Country / Period | Definition of Education |
|---|---|---|
| Mahatma Gandhi | India (1869–1948) | “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man — body, mind and spirit.” |
| Rabindranath Tagore | India (1861–1941) | “The highest education is that which makes our life in harmony with all existence.” |
| Swami Vivekananda | India (1863–1902) | “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man.” |
| Aristotle | Ancient Greece (384–322 BC) | “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” |
| Plato | Ancient Greece (427–347 BC) | “Education develops in the body and the soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the perfection he is capable of.” |
| Pestalozzi | Switzerland (1746–1827) | “Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers.” |
| Froebel | Germany (1782–1852) | “Education is the unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ.” |
| John Dewey | USA (1859–1952) | “Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his environment and fulfil his possibilities.” |
| Herbert Spencer | England (1820–1903) | “Education is the preparation for complete living.” |
| Rousseau | France (1712–1778) | “Plants are developed by cultivation and men by education.” |
| T. P. Nunn | England (1870–1944) | “Education is the complete development of the individuality of the child.” |
| J. F. Herbart | Germany (1776–1841) | “Education is the development of good moral character.” |
From these definitions we can identify three broad views — the idealistic view (Tagore, Vivekananda, Plato — education as self-realisation and divine unfoldment); the naturalistic view (Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel — natural unfoldment of innate powers); and the pragmatic view (Dewey, Spencer — education as preparation for life and reconstruction of experience). All these definitions, though different, agree on one point — education aims at the total development of human personality.
4. Explain the main characteristics of education.
Answer: The chief characteristics of education are as follows:
- Education is a lifelong process. It does not end with the school-leaving certificate. From the cradle to the grave, every experience educates a person.
- Education is purposive. It is always directed towards some pre-determined goal — knowledge, character, skill, citizenship.
- Education is a continuous and dynamic process. It is never static; it changes with society, culture, science and technology.
- Education is a bi-polar process (Adams) — between teacher and learner — and also a tri-polar process (John Dewey) — teacher, learner and the social environment.
- Education is the modification of behaviour. It changes the conduct of the learner in a desirable direction.
- Education is both an art and a science. It is an art because it requires creative skill in teaching; it is a science because it follows definite psychological and sociological principles.
- Education develops the complete personality — physical, mental, moral, emotional, social, aesthetic and spiritual.
- Education is a three-fold process — it directs, develops and disciplines.
- Education is goal-directed and value-loaded. Every act of education aims at some good — truth, beauty, goodness.
- Education is a social process. It is conditioned by society and in turn improves society.
5. Discuss the various aims of education.
Answer: The aims of education are the broad goals that guide the entire educational process. The major aims discussed in modern educational literature are:
- Individual Aim — Sir Percy Nunn and Rousseau hold that the supreme aim of education is the full and free development of the individual personality. Each child is unique, and education must enable him to realise his innate potentialities.
- Social Aim — John Dewey emphasises that man is essentially a social being. Education must prepare the learner for social living, social efficiency and social welfare.
- Vocational Aim — Mahatma Gandhi and the Kothari Commission stress that education must enable the learner to earn an honest livelihood through some craft or vocation.
- Knowledge Aim — J. F. Herbart and the ancient Indian rishis held that education is the acquisition of true knowledge — knowledge of the self, nature and ultimate reality.
- Character Aim — Herbart and Gandhi place character formation as the supreme aim. “If wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; if character is lost, everything is lost.”
- Complete Living Aim — Herbert Spencer’s classic view: education must prepare us for the five activities of complete living.
- Harmonious Development Aim — Pestalozzi, Froebel and Gandhi insist on balanced development of all aspects of personality.
- Citizenship Aim — emphasised by the Secondary Education Commission (1952–53). Education must train responsible citizens.
- Democratic Aim — emphasised by the Indian Constitution and the Kothari Commission. Education must promote liberty, equality, fraternity and national integration.
- Spiritual Aim — Indian seers like Vivekananda and Tagore emphasise the realisation of the divine within.
These aims are not mutually exclusive. A truly educated person is one who has realised his individuality, serves society, earns his livelihood, has firm character, is a good citizen and is committed to democratic values.
6. Discuss the Individual Aim of Education with its merits and demerits.
Answer: The Individual Aim of Education was strongly advocated by Sir Percy Nunn, Rousseau, T. P. Nunn, Aldous Huxley and Naturalists. According to this aim, the chief purpose of education is the full, free and harmonious development of the individuality of the child.
Sir Percy Nunn declared, “Nothing good enters the human world except in and through the free activities of individual men and women, and educational practice must be shaped to accord with this truth.” Rousseau said, “Everything is good as it comes from the hand of the Author of Nature, but everything degenerates in the hands of man.” So education must follow nature and respect the individuality of the child.
Merits:
- Recognises that every child is unique and has his own pace of growth.
- Promotes self-realisation, creativity and originality.
- Gives full freedom of expression and thought.
- Inspired great progressive movements in education such as Montessori and Kindergarten.
Demerits:
- Ignores the social context — no individual can live in isolation.
- May lead to selfishness and individualism.
- Practically impossible to plan curriculum and timetable for each individual separately.
- Society also has rights and duties on the individual; the aim ignores them.
7. Discuss the Social Aim of Education with its merits and demerits.
Answer: The chief exponent of the Social Aim is John Dewey. He said, “All education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race.” According to this aim, the individual is essentially a social being; without society there is no human personality. Education must therefore make the child a useful, cooperative and responsible member of society.
Merits:
- Develops social qualities — cooperation, sympathy, fellow-feeling, tolerance.
- Inculcates national integration and civic sense.
- Provides a meaningful purpose to education by linking it with society.
- Recognises the social nature of human beings.
Demerits:
- May suppress individuality and creativity.
- Treats the individual as a mere means and society as the end.
- In totalitarian regimes, the social aim has been misused for indoctrination.
- Ignores the special abilities and interests of the child.
Reconciliation: Modern educationists believe that the Individual Aim and the Social Aim are complementary, not contradictory. The individual develops only in society, and society progresses through the contribution of educated individuals. Hence the true aim of education is the harmonious adjustment of the individual to society — what Sir John Adams called “Individuality in society”.
8. Discuss the Vocational Aim of Education.
Answer: The Vocational Aim of Education holds that education must equip the learner with the knowledge, skill, attitude and habits required to earn an honest livelihood and to render productive service to society. The chief supporters are Mahatma Gandhi (Wardha Scheme, 1937), Herbert Spencer, Maria Montessori and the Kothari Commission (1964–66).
Gandhi’s Basic Education made handicraft the centre of the curriculum. The Kothari Commission stated, “Work-experience and vocationalisation should be an integral part of all stages of education.” The National Policy on Education (1986, revised 1992) and NEP 2020 also emphasise vocational skills.
Merits:
- Develops dignity of labour and self-reliance.
- Solves the problem of unemployment.
- Makes education productive and practical.
- Brings education close to life.
Demerits:
- If exclusive, it reduces education to mere bread-winning.
- It may neglect the cultural, moral and spiritual sides of personality.
- Vocational training requires costly equipment and skilled teachers.
9. Discuss the Democratic Aim of Education.
Answer: The Democratic Aim of Education holds that education in a democratic country must promote the values and ideals of democracy — liberty, equality, fraternity, justice, secularism and respect for the dignity of every human being. The Indian Constitution, the Kothari Commission (1964–66), the National Policy on Education (1986/1992) and NEP 2020 emphasise this aim.
The democratic citizen is informed, tolerant, cooperative, scientific in outlook and willing to participate in nation-building. The democratic aim of education seeks to develop:
- Faith in liberty, equality and fraternity.
- Respect for the rule of law and the Constitution.
- A scientific and rational attitude.
- National integration and emotional unity.
- International understanding and the spirit of universal brotherhood.
- Active and responsible citizenship.
It is rightly said that “Democracy and education are inseparable.” Without educated citizens, democracy degenerates into mob-rule.
10. Why are the aims of education important? Explain.
Answer: The aims of education are important for the following reasons:
- Direction: Aims give direction and purpose to the entire educational process. Without aims, education becomes blind activity.
- Curriculum construction: The selection of subjects, books and content depends on aims. A vocational aim demands a different syllabus from a knowledge aim.
- Methods of teaching: Methods are chosen according to aims — a democratic aim demands discussion methods, while a religious aim demands lecture and reflection.
- Discipline: The kind of discipline maintained in school depends on the aim — strict regimentation for citizenship, free discipline for individuality.
- Evaluation: The success of education is judged by how far it has achieved its aims.
- Teacher’s role and outlook: A teacher who knows the aims teaches with a sense of mission.
- Social progress: Aims connect education with the larger purposes of society and the nation.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The word “Education” is derived from which language?
(a) Greek (b) Sanskrit (c) Latin (d) French
Answer: (c) Latin.
2. The Latin word “Educare” means —
(a) To bring up (b) To draw out (c) The act of teaching (d) None
Answer: (a) To bring up.
3. The Latin word “Educere” means —
(a) To bring up (b) To lead out / draw out (c) To train (d) To learn
Answer: (b) To lead out / draw out.
4. The Latin word “Educatum” means —
(a) To bring up (b) To draw out (c) The act of teaching (d) Knowledge
Answer: (c) The act of teaching.
5. “E” + “Duco” means —
(a) I learn (b) I lead out (c) I teach (d) I write
Answer: (b) I lead out.
6. Who said, “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body”?
(a) Plato (b) Aristotle (c) Socrates (d) Pestalozzi
Answer: (b) Aristotle.
7. Who said, “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man”?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) Tagore (c) Vivekananda (d) Aurobindo
Answer: (c) Vivekananda.
8. According to Mahatma Gandhi, education is —
(a) Acquisition of knowledge (b) An all-round drawing out of the best in child and man (c) Preparation for war (d) Religious instruction
Answer: (b) An all-round drawing out of the best in child and man.
9. Who said, “Education is preparation for complete living”?
(a) Herbart (b) Spencer (c) Dewey (d) Froebel
Answer: (b) Herbert Spencer.
10. Who is the chief exponent of the Social Aim of Education?
(a) Sir Percy Nunn (b) Rousseau (c) John Dewey (d) Spencer
Answer: (c) John Dewey.
11. Who is the chief exponent of the Individual Aim of Education?
(a) Dewey (b) Sir Percy Nunn (c) Spencer (d) Aristotle
Answer: (b) Sir Percy Nunn.
12. The Wardha Scheme of Basic Education was started by —
(a) Tagore (b) Vivekananda (c) Mahatma Gandhi (d) Aurobindo
Answer: (c) Mahatma Gandhi.
13. Education according to John Dewey is a —
(a) Uni-polar process (b) Bi-polar process (c) Tri-polar process (d) None
Answer: (c) Tri-polar process.
14. The bi-polar concept of education was given by —
(a) Adams (b) Dewey (c) Spencer (d) Plato
Answer: (a) Adams.
15. Education in the narrow sense means —
(a) Lifelong learning (b) Formal schooling (c) Self-education (d) Cultural learning
Answer: (b) Formal schooling.
16. Education in the broader sense begins —
(a) At the time of admission to school (b) At birth (c) At the age of six (d) After getting a certificate
Answer: (b) At birth.
17. The founder of the Kindergarten system is —
(a) Pestalozzi (b) Froebel (c) Montessori (d) Dewey
Answer: (b) Froebel.
18. “Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers” — was said by —
(a) Pestalozzi (b) Froebel (c) Rousseau (d) Dewey
Answer: (a) Pestalozzi.
19. “Education is the unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ” — said by —
(a) Froebel (b) Pestalozzi (c) Tagore (d) Aristotle
Answer: (a) Froebel.
20. Spencer’s five activities of complete living do NOT include —
(a) Self-preservation (b) Earning livelihood (c) Religious worship (d) Use of leisure
Answer: (c) Religious worship.
21. The Kothari Commission was constituted in —
(a) 1948 (b) 1952 (c) 1964–66 (d) 1986
Answer: (c) 1964–66.
22. Which is NOT a type of education?
(a) Formal (b) Informal (c) Non-formal (d) Semi-formal
Answer: (d) Semi-formal.
23. Which aim emphasises self-realisation of the individual?
(a) Social aim (b) Individual aim (c) Vocational aim (d) Citizenship aim
Answer: (b) Individual aim.
24. Which aim emphasises preparation for an occupation?
(a) Knowledge aim (b) Vocational aim (c) Character aim (d) Spiritual aim
Answer: (b) Vocational aim.
25. The Individual Aim and Social Aim of Education are —
(a) Contradictory (b) Complementary (c) Same (d) Useless
Answer: (b) Complementary.
Definitions of Education — Quick Reference Table
| Sl. No. | Thinker | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahatma Gandhi | “By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man — body, mind and spirit.” |
| 2 | Rabindranath Tagore | “The highest education is that which makes our life in harmony with all existence.” |
| 3 | Swami Vivekananda | “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection already existing in man.” |
| 4 | Aristotle | “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” |
| 5 | Plato | “Education develops in the body and the soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the perfection he is capable of.” |
| 6 | Pestalozzi | “Education is the natural, harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers.” |
| 7 | Froebel | “Education is the unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ.” |
| 8 | John Dewey | “Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control his environment and fulfil his possibilities.” |
| 9 | Herbert Spencer | “Education is the preparation for complete living.” |
| 10 | Rousseau | “Plants are developed by cultivation and men by education.” |
| 11 | Sir Percy Nunn | “Education is the complete development of the individuality of the child.” |
| 12 | Herbart | “Education is the development of good moral character.” |
Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Educare | Latin word — “to bring up, to nourish”. |
| Educere | Latin word — “to lead out, to draw out”. |
| Educatum | Latin word — “the act of teaching or training”. |
| E + Duco | “I lead out” — leading the child from ignorance to knowledge. |
| Three R’s | Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic — basics of narrow education. |
| Bi-polar process | Education involving two poles — teacher and learner (Adams). |
| Tri-polar process | Education involving teacher, learner and society (John Dewey). |
| Formal Education | Planned, institutional education with fixed curriculum. |
| Informal Education | Spontaneous learning from family, society, environment. |
| Non-formal Education | Organised but flexible learning outside the formal system. |
| Wardha Scheme (1937) | Mahatma Gandhi’s Basic Education centred on craft. |
| Kothari Commission (1964–66) | Indian Education Commission that emphasised work-experience. |
| Self-realisation | The fullest development of the individual’s innate powers. |
| Social efficiency | Capacity to live and work usefully in society. |
| Complete living | Performing the five major activities of life (Spencer). |
| Harmonious development | Balanced growth of body, mind, soul, society and spirit. |
End of Class 11 Education Chapter 1 — Concept and Aims of Education. Continue with Chapter 2 on HSLC Guru.