Anaupcharika Shiksha Sankalpana Evam Swarup

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Anaupcharika Shiksha Sankalpana evam Swarup" (Informal Education: Concept and Nature) by Shivcharan Manoriya, based on the provided pages:

The article critiques the limitations of traditional, formal education in India, particularly in the context of rapid scientific and technological advancements, burgeoning population, and persistent illiteracy and poverty. It argues for the necessity of informal education as a complementary and crucial system to address these challenges and foster holistic development.

Key Problems with Formal Education:

• Lack of Practical Relevance: Formal education is criticized for being disconnected from the real-life principles and problems that students face. This leads to confusion, aimless wandering, and an inability to navigate the complexities of life.
• Purpose-less Ambiguity: The current education system is described as being caught in a web of aimlessness, leaving students bewildered about their life's purpose.
• Scientific and Technological Lag: The rapid pace of scientific and technological development means that any curriculum will quickly become outdated and irrelevant. The author cites predictions that a significant portion of the future workforce will require highly specialized skills.
• Population Growth and Resource Strain: India's massive population growth has nullified economic progress, leading to a decline in per capita resources like food. Despite improvements in literacy percentages, the absolute number of illiterate people has increased.
• Exclusion of Working Populations: Formal education is accessible only to those who can dedicate full-time to schooling, excluding working individuals. Correspondence and night colleges are deemed inferior, and their graduates are often looked down upon.
• Artificial Segmentation: The division of education into primary, secondary, higher secondary, and adult education, with separate teachers and staff, creates an unnatural and disconnected system.
• Waste and Redundancy: A significant portion of the substantial annual expenditure on education is wasted due to inefficiency and dropout rates, largely attributed to the system's lack of clear objectives. Students often fail to return to their ancestral professions.
• Failed Attempts at Reform: Past government initiatives like community development programs, Panchayati Raj, and social education, intended to integrate public participation, ultimately lost their momentum and significance, with specialized institutions failing to maintain their unique focus.

The Imperative for Informal Education:

The article strongly advocates for informal education as the solution to these shortcomings. It posits that true education is that which empowers individuals to solve their daily life problems and is easily accepted as a natural part of living.

Key Characteristics and Goals of Informal Education:

• Flexibility and Adaptability: Informal education is designed according to the needs and conveniences of learners, free from the rigidity, uniformity, and strict regulations of formal systems. It is adaptable to place and circumstances.
• Complementary to Formal Education: It is not an alternative but a complement to formal education, differing in its nature, organization, and approach.
• Addressing the Unreached: It caters to the vast majority of the population that cannot be accommodated in formal institutions and those who are constrained by busy daily schedules.
• Bridging the Gap: It aims to equip citizens of developing India to cope with rapid socio-economic changes.
• Target Audiences:
  • Children aged 8-14 who are working or have dropped out of formal schooling.
  • Youth aged 15-25 who are settling into family life and professional responsibilities.
  • Farmers and laborers, vital for national progress.
  • Housewives and women.
• Core Objectives:
  • Active Literacy: Enabling functional literacy.
  • Vocational Interest: Fostering interest in village industries for productive use of leisure time.
  • Agricultural Advancement: Familiarizing citizens with advanced agricultural methods and resources.
  • Ideal Citizenship: Developing qualities of an ideal citizen.
  • Socio-Economic Empowerment: Enabling social and economic progress.
  • Women's Welfare: Providing essential knowledge for housewives (maternity, childcare, family planning).
• Content: Content is selected based on the needs of specific groups. Common themes include literacy, numeracy, public health, maternal and child care, and family planning. Specific content will focus on vocational and economic needs, such as improved seeds, intensive farming techniques, dairy farming, sheep rearing, fishing, and beekeeping. It also aims to equip individuals with the courage to face challenges and overcome difficulties in their development.
• Centers and Timing: Programs are not confined to school buildings. They can be organized at workplaces, homes, or community spaces like temples, mosques, panchayat houses, village squares, or under trees. Programs are flexible, offered part-time or at the convenience of learners.
• Methods and Media: Methods will be planned based on learners' needs and backgrounds, including classroom teaching, on-site demonstrations, correspondence, and guided self-study. Mass communication media like radio and film will be utilized, but the importance of indigenous learning materials is stressed.
• Instructors: Professional teachers may not suffice. The involvement of workers from development agencies and educated youth from the community as part-time instructors is crucial. This requires strong coordination and flexibility. Training and motivation for instructors are essential.
• Evaluation: Evaluation will primarily be through observation and oral examinations, allowing for self-assessment by children, teachers, and supervisors. There will be opportunities for learners to progress at their own pace.

The article concludes by emphasizing that informal education is a relatively new concept in India with immense potential. It calls for dedicated efforts, innovative experimentation, and careful planning to connect its programs with the nation's needs for its success. The underlying sentiment is that true education should be integrated into life, be practical, and empower individuals for self-reliance and societal contribution.