INTRODUCTION
You must have heard or read that travellers from various regions
having different climates and cultures began to visit parts of India from early times. To them, India was a land of wonder! The fame of Indian culture, wealth, religions, philosophies, art, architecture, as well as it educational practices had spread far and wide. The education system of ancient times was regarded as a source for the knowledge, traditions and practices that guided and encouraged humanity.
SALIENT FEATURES OF ANCIENT EDUCATION SYSTEM
From the time of Rigveda onwards, our ancient education system evolved over the period and focused on the holistic development of the individual by taking care of both the inner and the outer self. The system focused on the moral, physical, spiritual and intellectual
aspects of life. It emphasised on values such as humility, truthfulness, discipline, self-reliance and respect for all creations. Students were taught to appreciate the balance between human
beings and nature. Teaching and learning followed the tenets of Vedas and Upanishads fulfilling duties towards self, family and society, thus
encompassing all aspects of life.
Education system focused both on learning and physical development. In other words,the emphasis was on healthy mind and healthy body. You can
see that education in India has a heritage of being pragmatic,achievable and complementary to life.
SOURCES OF EDUCATION
The ancient system of education was the education of the Vedas,Brahmanas, Upanishads and Dharmasutras. You
must have heard the names of Aryabhata, Panini, Katyayana and
Patanjali. Their writings and the medical treatises of Charaka and Sushruta were
also some of the sources of learning. Distinction was also drawn between Shastras (learned disciplines) and Kavyas (imaginative and creative
literature). Sources of learning were drawn from various disciplines such as Itihas (history), Anviksiki (logic), Mimamsa (interpretation) Shilpashastra (architecture), Arthashastra (polity), Varta (agriculture, trade,
commerce,animal husbandry) and Dhanurvidya (archery). Physical education too was an important curricular area and pupils participated in krida (games, recreational activities),
vyayamaprakara (exercises),
dhanurvidya (archery) for acquiring
martial skills, and yogasadhana (training the mind and body) among others. The Gurus and their pupils worked conscientiously together to become proficient in all aspects of learning.
In order to assess pupils' learning, shastrartha (learned debates) were organised. Pupils at an advanced
stage of learning guided younger pupils. There also existed the system of peer learning, like you have group/peer work.
ANCIENT EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA — A WAY OF LIFE
In ancient India, both formal and
informal ways of education system
existed. Indigenous education was imparted at home, in temples,pathshalas, tols, chatuspadis and gurukuls. There were people in homes, villages and temples who guided young children in imbibing pious ways of life. Temples were also the centres of learning and
took interest in the promotion of knowledge of our ancient system.
Students went to viharas and universities for higher knowledge.
Teaching was largely oral and students remembered and meditated upon what was taught in the class.
Gurukuls, also known as ashrams, were the residential places of learning. Many of these were named after the sages. Situated in forests, in serene and peaceful surroundings, hundreds of students used to learn together in gurukuls. Women too had access to
education during the early Vedic period. Among the prominent women Vedic scholars, we find references to Maitreyi, Viswambhara, Apala, Gargi and Lopamudra, to name a few. During that period, the gurus and their shishyas lived together helping each other in day-to-day life. The main objective was to have complete learning, leading a disciplined life and realising one's inner potential. Students lived away from their homes for years together till they achieved their goals. The gurukul was also the place where the relationship of the guru and shishya strengthened with time. While pursuing their education in different disciplines like history, art of debate, law, medicine, etc., the emphasis was not only on the outer dimensions of the discipline but also on enriching inner dimensions of the personality.
