बाल विकास का अर्थ एवं प्रकृति, अभिवृद्धि और विकास

 

Mr.Ashish Singh 

Assistant Professor 

Deptt.of Edu.

M.Ed.II Sem (Unit-II Part-A Vadic education)

DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION

There was a gradual development in teacher education programmes from the period of the Upanishad around 1400-600 BC to the twenty-first century. When the Upanishad was written, the teacher enjoyed high privileges, but as time passed, the dignity and power of teachers declined. Emergence of globalization, social concerns and privatization has led to the reduction of market value of teachers. In this section we will study the developmental stages of these characteristics under two heads, i.e.:

·   Teacher education in pre-Independent India (2500 BC-AD 1947)

·   Teacher education in post-Independent India (AD 1947-AD 2013)

   Pre-Independent India

                                       Teacher education in India starts with the Vedic Age and ends with the modern period. Adetailed discussion on the nature of teacher and its development in various periods are described below:

Vedic Period

                    In the Vedic period, religion played a prominent role in education. The aim of education then was to attain salvation (Moksha). While receiving education, a person was supposed to engage in karmopasana, i.e., work of worship and, thus, purify the inner senses and gain the absolute (Brahma). The soul forgets the absolute due to ignorance and illiteracy and so thinks itself as one who is neither born nor dies and suffers in miseries.

The literal meaning of ‘Vedas’ is knowledge. Hence, Vedas refer to various forms of knowledge. There were four different types of Vedas, namely, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. These four Vedas represent different bodies of knowledge. Students of the Vedic period were supposed to internalize these Vedas from teachers, who were called gurus. The knowledge was transferred to students by the gurus mainly through verbal medium and students were supposed to repeat it.

The students internalized different concepts either through mediation or realization. Once this process was completed, students internalized different bodies of knowledge and they reached the stage of realization.

Chief characteristics of Vedic education are:

  Gurukul

  Ideal of guru

  Duties of shishyas (students)

  Relation between guru and shishyas

  Education

  Women education

  Physical education

                                 Teachers of Vedic Age were men of high calibre in terms of knowledge and spiritual progress. Gurus maintained high reputation in the society. They always paid attention in transmitting knowledge to the shishyas in gurukuls (place were classes were conducted). Gurus considered their shishyas as their sons and shishyas treated gurus as their father. Gurus helped in the all-round personality development of their shishyas. Gurus also tried to impart education to women and also imparted training in physical education, and art and craft. Gurus helped in accomplishing the needs of all their students.

                    Teachers occupied a pivotal position in the Vedic system of education. The teacher was a parent surrogate (parent substitute), a facilitator of learning, exemplar and inspirer, confidant, a friend and philosopher, moral educator, reformer, evaluator, character and personality developer, importer of knowledge and wisdom and above

all a guru—a religious and spiritual guide.

The relationship between the teachers and pupil was regarded as filial in character. A teacher was the spiritual father of his pupil. In addition to imparting intellectual knowledge, gurus were also morally responsible for their shishyas. He was to always keep a guard over the conduct of his shishyas. Gurus were expected to instruct their shishyas how to sleep and what food eat and not eat. During the Vedic period, learning was transmitted orally from one generation to another. Great importance was attached to the proper accent and pronunciation in the Vedic recitation and these could be correctly learnt only from the lips of a properly qualified teacher. The spiritual solution depended almost entirely upon the proper guidance of a competent teacher.

Upanishad Period

The period Upanishad is between 1400 BC and 600 BC, from the end of Rig Veda period to the beginning of Buddhism and Jainism. In Upanishad period, after the spread of Vedic culture, the sacrificial rituals dominated and the Brahmin priests had the highest position in society.

                                                Accordingly, different ritual duties came into existence along with theoretical knowledge.Also the priests were divided into different categories like hotri, udgata, adhwarya and brahmanas. As in the Vedic period, education was for attaining the absolute (Moksha). Practical knowledge in subjects such as physical science, handicrafts, arithmetic, astronomy were also imparted. The aim of education was:

  To enable realization or true knowledge and achieve the absolute

  To meditate and think

In accomplishing the aim of education, gurus played a major role. The teachers during this period were held in high esteem and a job of a teacher was considered a high class job. Since gurus enjoyed special status, the selection of guru was rigorous and followed a strict process. These gurus were appointed to enlighten and to wipe off darkness from the society.

During education, students were made to sit at the feet of the guru, and the gurus recited the lesson to the students. Upanishads describe the Para Vidya (physic knowledge) and this knowledge was considered to be above all knowledge since it enables the unity of soul and absolute.

                            The study of the Upanishad helped students to reach self-realization. However, education was limited to the upper castes of the society. As in the Vedic period, women were also permitted to study. The three methods of teaching in Upanishad period were:

ü Sharvan (learning)

ü Manan (mediation)

ü Nidisdhyasan (realization and experience)

                        According to Rig Veda, a teacher was selected and then educated or trained and was expected to have passed the recognized curriculum and fulfilled all the duties of a Brahmachari. Teachers were supposed to seek knowledge for realization

They were highly respected. In due course, the scholarly class came to be known as Brahmans and teaching became a hereditary profession for them.

                                                                  During this period, the relationship between the teacher and disciple became very intimate. The word Upanishads connotes ‘sit close’. Teachers had the freedom to choose their disciple and once the disciples were chosen, it became the moral duty of the teachers to take care of their disciples. Knowledge during this time was orally transmitted and explanation was the most important way of teaching. The disciples were expected to emulate their teachers and this learning was passed from one generation to another.

                                               Good teachers devised innovative methods of teaching to make the lessons interesting and meaningful. Listening to the spoken words, comprehension of meaning, reasoning leading to generalization, confirmation by a friend or a teacher and application were the five steps to realize the meaning of a religious truth practiced in ancient India.

Brahminical Period

                               During Vedic education, students were supposed to perform ‘Upanayan’ at the age of four to nine, thereafter, they were sent to Gurukuls for brahminical education. Brahminical period is notable for learning brahminical education, whose chief characteristics were:

vReligious elements

vCharacter building

vDevelopment of personality

vSelf-reliance

vSelf-control

vBeginning of education at appropriate stage

vAll round development

vSocial ideals

      The students were sent to gurukuls like in Vedic period and students sat with the gurus to gain knowledge. Education was provided to develop character and an all-round development of the students. The responsibility of boarding and lodging of the student was given to the gurus. ‘Individual system of education’ was followed in gurukuls where the students studied different subjects and in addition had to perform duties like grazing cows, fetching wood from forest, and begging for alms. The instruction was mainly oral, through which students learnt ithihas (history) and puranas in addition to Vedas and Vedanga. The motto of education was ‘simple living and high thinking’