5 September, 1962: Teacher’s Day
Golden
Jubilee of Nai Talim (Basic Education)
I offer my respectful and heartiest
felicitations on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Nai Talim
by the Gujarat Nai Talim Sangh. It is most appropriate that a convention
of Nai Talim workers is being organized by the Sangh in the
dedicated and inspiring ‘environment’ of the Gujrat Vidyapith founded by
Mahatma Gandhi. Nai Talim we primarily owe to him.
It is apparent beyond doubt that in
the Atomic Age man’s advancement, even survival, depends on effectively linking
with courage and determination education and building of character. It mseans
an integrated training of the body, mind and spirit. This is not
possible without an aspiration for truth and ahimsa. The
character building aspect of education is the central, the key concept of Basic
Education. It adds a new dimension to the teaching profession of the utmost
importance. Says Gandhiji speaking of his experiments at the Tolstoy Farm in S.
Africa (1910-11): “A cowardly teacher would never succeed in making his boys vailant,
and a stranger to self-restraint could never teach his pupils the value of
self-restraint. I saw, therefore, that I must be an eternal object-lesson to
the boys and girls living with me. They thus became my teachers, and I learnt I
must be good and live straight, if only for their sakes.”
Einstein underscores the same thing.
He says (1950): “The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality
in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it.
Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. To make this
a living force and bring it to clear consciousness is perhaps the foremost task
of education.”
Basic Education has a
significance and value as never before. It’s development – theory and practice
-would need sustained and dedicated work involving a great deal of research.
I convey my good wishes and regards to
participants, and wish the convention a most fruitful session.
(D.S. Kothari)
24
November 1988
Source: D.S. Kothari Papers, MSS, NMML
No comments:
Post a Comment