ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ECCD PROGRAMMES

Lesson 03: Application of educational philosophies / theories to ECE

Mahatma Gandhi

Education is an all round drawing out of the best in child and man, in body, mind and spirit. Nai Talim should be the self supporting aspect of education, otherwise education will be like a lifeless body. Gandhiji’s Nai Talim approach includes:

• Physical activity, Mother Tongue, Social Studies and General Sciences, Art, Arithmetic, Craft work including study of correlated subjects.
  
• Free and compulsory education should be given in 8 years i.e. from 6-14 years in two phases.
  
• Mother tongue as the medium of instruction for mental development.
  
• External examinations are to be abolished. The day to day work of students is to be the determining factor.
  
• Text books to be avoided as far as possible.
  
• Cleanliness and health, citizenship, play and recreation are to be given sufficient importance.
  
• Useful manual labour, intelligently performed is the means of ‘para intelligence’ for developing the intellect (Value of dignity of labour).
  
• Opposed corporal punishment (Discipline).
  
• Student’s mind should not be caged and he should be allowed to think freely (Freedom in education).