Sri Aurobindo's 3 Principles On True Teaching & Education

... Kehte hain kastoori hiran ke pet mein kastoori hoti hai jiski khushboo hiran ko pagal kar deti hai... woh saari umr uss khushboo ki talaash mein baukhlaya, badhawaas, deewana sa daudta hai par kabhi samajh nahi pata ki ye khushboo toh usske andar hi hai... Aur ek din zindagi khatam ho jaati hai par talaash nahi... Hamaari education ki kahaani bhi shayad kuchh aisi hi na ho! 

I think Sri Aurobindo's 3 principles are the best thing ever said on the subject of education and teaching.  The principles are very fundamental in context, very universal in relevance and very Indian in origin. Hardly surprising as Indians are known to be teachers to the world since ancient times, though we might  have lost  our touch a bit in last couple of centuries...

Interestingly, much of the latest research on education and learning the world over resonates very well with these principles, which were proposed some 90 years back in 1920s... 

1st Principle... Nothing can be taught – But everything can be learnt! This principle immediately shifts the focus from the teacher to the student and from 'how to teach' to 'how best can the people learn'

2nd Principle... Mind must be consulted in its own growth - Shifts focus from ‘we-know-what’s-good-for-you syllabus’ (to be drilled into the student) to making the student participate in a flexible delivery and learning process. The teacher is more of a facilitator or a guide here. 

3rd Principle... Take the mind from (work from) what is near to what is far, from that which is to that which shall be – Suggests that the first step in learning is to establish a context which is familiar / relatable / non-threatening / relevant to the student from his own view point. This ensures that the resistance is low and motivation is high. The mind is enthused to take the journey now!

If you think about these, you will realize that these are not merely three principles. They are a complete philosophy, structure, framework and design template for any effective education program at any level anywhere in the world. Most education and training initiatives fail when they fail on one or more of the above principles. 

India has a huge 'demographic dividend' they say. Which means that while the average age in most of the societies is increasing, we have 50% polulation < 25 years and 65% population <35 years of age. That being so, we will be the largest global workforce providers in future (not to mention leveraging this advantage to drive sustained economic growth within India) 

However, for that, these people need to be educated, trained and adequately skilled for the jobs and vocations of the future. If not, there is a serious danger of increasing social inequality and unrest resulting in the 'demographic dividend' turning into a 'demographic disaster' of gargantuan proportions.

Obviously, this is being realized and some initiatives have already been taken. Targets are set and budgets - lakhs of crores of rupees - committed under the 12th five year plan... Millions of kids between 6 to 14 years to be provided free and quality education under Right to Education Act (Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan), about a lakh of crore committed to higher education reforms and increasing its penetration, about 50 crore people are targeted to be trained in various technical, professional and vocational skills by 2022...

And this is where it starts becoming scary. If you sit in any of these high profile seminars, meetings, national round tables and sub-committees organized by the many empowered government, semi-government and quasi-government bodies on various aspects of education and training (as sometimes I do) and listen to the deliberations (or the lack of them) among some of the brightest minds in the country, you are bound to have that sinking feeling that something is amiss... bigtime.

And yet you only have to apply the framework of the three principles and you will see very clearly what is wrong and why most of these and similar initiatives have never delivered on their promise and probably never will.

The way I see it is that nowhere in the world was there ever a need for teaching / training so many people in so many areas with so much of diversity in so many languages with so much urgency... Hence, the solutions that will work for us are just not available anywhere else in the world. We have to create them on our own and in all probability, they will be unprecedented in the world.

And yet we are looking outside for workable models - to US, Europe, Singapore, China, etc. - whereas, in Sri Aurobindo's 3 Principle framework, we already have all the wisdom to find all our answers and solve all our problems. 

But of course, for that we have to open our eyes, apply our hearts and minds, and take responsibility for our own destiny...