Page 9 - DEDU501_DEVELOPMENT_OF_EDUCATION_SYSTEM_ENGLISH

Unit 1: Education in India During Ancient Period : Vedic and Buddhist Education

(iii) High status of Teachers: Teachers were a highly honoured class-honoured by even by Notes
kings. Kings rose from thrones to receive great teachers such as Narada, Vashishtha and
Vishwamitra.
(iv) Teachers as Parents: Teachers behaved as parent to their pupils and pupils behaved as
members of the teachers' family. The attitude of the pupil was to be one of complete
submission.
(v) Residential Schools: Teachers and pupils lived together and so identified themselves with
one another.

1.1.3 Aims, Ideals and Objectives of Vedic Education
Aims, ideals and objectives of education are always with relation to the ideals of society. While
discussing this aspect, we may keep in mind that modern terms like democracy, secular, social
communism, socialism, autocracy etc. were not in use during the vedic age. Therefore, aims and
objectives of education should not be discussed in the context of these terms. Following were the
main objectives of education:
1. Ultimate objective as moksha or self-realisation
2. Infusion of Piety & Religiousness
3. Education for worldliness
4. Character formation
5. Development of all round personality
(a) Self-restraint (b) Self-confidence
(c) Self-respect (d) Discrimination and judgement
6. Stress on Social duties
7. Promotion of Social Efficiency and Welfare
8. Preservation and promotion of culture
Gurukul System of Education
(1) Education System. (2) Teacher-taught Relationship,
(3) Curriculum. (4) Method of Teaching
(5) Discipline. (6) Women’s Education
(7) Social System.
1.1.4 Teachings in Vedic Period

In Vedic education, meaningless outwardly knowledge has been condemned. A person having
meaningless outwardly knowledge has been compared to a donkey loaded with ‘Chanada wood’.
The mere crammer of Vedic texts has been condemned as Arvak by Rigveda. To maintain the
meditation system well the meritorious students were taught its techniques.
The preceptors, during the age of the Upanishads, used to impart the instructions orally to the
disciples. The pupils are trained in hearing the preceptors’ words attentively. With the training of
their ears. the speech organs were also trained to produce the sounds correctly and at the same
time their memory was also sharpened.
1.1.5 Student in Vedic Education
The student had to get up early in the morning and had to touch the feet of teacher before sunrise
in the last watch of the night. Penances are prescribed for the sin of sleeping when the sun rises,
or sets, or when the teacher is awake.
Then he is to bathe and purify himself. He is not to sport in the water whilst bathing, but must
swim motionless or plunge into the water like a stick. He must not wash his body with hot water
for pleasure, but if it is soiled by unclean things. He might clean it with earth or water in a place
where is not seen by a guru. He is not to use any bathing powder or the like for cleaning himself.

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