AIMS OF
EDUCATION-INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL.
Aims of Education
Education is a social necessity.It take care of the changing social needs and
aspirations. It is an activity which is directed to some goals. It always acts
with an aim.This aim makes it a purposeful activity.The basic aim of education
is to help each individual to progress towards the attainment of his full
potential, both as a person and as a member of society. Any other human
activities like education should have its own aims and objectives.
Knowledge aim of education
Knowledge has almost been widely accepted as one of
the most important aims of education . It is essential for adjustment to and
mastery of one’s environment.Human progress through ages has been made possible
through the increase and diffussion of knowledge.It is indispensable for the
continuity and growth of society. It is a powerful agent for intellectual
satisfaction and innate curiosity of man.
Vocational aim of education
It says that education is meaningful only when it aims at some employment.It is
the direct outcome of industrial and scientific advancement.The modern
democratic education has placed the vocational aim in its fore front.It
makes the student self sufficient in life.It makes education a
purposeful activity. The vocational aim ,however is narrow and one sided
because it does not consider higher values of human existence.It neglects the
intellectual,aesthetic,cultural ,moral and spiritual aspects of human life.
Cultural aim of education
Preservation, transmission and enrichment of culture
is regarded as the ultimate aim of education. Education for culture attempts to
develop man’s aesthetic sensibilities
to appreciate fine arts and cultivate human powers and virtues.It helps
in inculcation of noble ideas,attitudes and pattern of behavior.Over emphasis
on cultural aim,however will lead to neglect of other aspects of leaner’s
personality.Education with cultural aim alone may be misused by the privileged
group in such a manner that many of the social evils may reappear.
Character building aim of education
Development of moral character is the supreme aim of
education.It consists in the cultivation of values , social attitudes , ethical
conduct and habits of a person.The moral aim of education serves as the basis of
descipline and order in the school system .Over emphasis on the character
building aim of education will,however,deacelerate free thinking,material
prosperity,scientific development and the economic growth of the society.
Citizenship aim of education
Education for citizenship is the outcome of the
sociological approach to education.It involves teaching and inculcating
democratic values in the children.Education for citizenship should train the
individuals to discharge his duties and make him conscious of his rights.This
aim will help the learner to acquire democratic values such as
liberty,fraternity,equality,fellow-feeling,tolerance,co operative living etc.It
prepares the students to upheld the dignity of the individual.
Harmonious Development aim of education
Man is born with many powers and capacities.A
progressive education should aim to develop all these powers and capacities in
a harmonious manner to produce a well balanced personality.It aims to produce
individuals who are personally and socially well adjusted and productive.It s
major drawbackis that,there is no agreement among educationists regarding the
standard of development of various capacities to consider it as ideally
harmonious.Moreover, complete and harmonious cultivation of all powers cannot
be achieved within the limited formative years of an individual.
Spiritual aim of education
Spiritual aim in education seeks to make man morally
sound by developing the spiritual potentialities.It is only through education
that spiritual virtues like generosity,sacrifice,good intention,sympathy, compassion etccan be
awakened.Spiritual aim of education makes a person gentle and pious.It reduces
the problems of indiscipline,conflicts,quarrels,corruption,hatred etc in the
society.
Leisure aim of education
Leisure means free and unoccupied time.The
advancements in science,technology and means of transport and communication has
reduced time and space resulting in the increase of leisure hours. Hence
education should aim at the wise and the proper use of leisure hours.Proper use
of leisure will increase the efficiency
of the students besides providing pleasure to them.Leisure is essential and
helpful in making our life dynamic and rich.One great cause of strikes and
indiscipline among the students is that they are not taught how to utilize
their leisure hours.
INDIVIDUAL AIM OF EDUCATION
Individual aim emphasizes the development of the individuality
of the learner according to his natural tendencies.It holds the central notion
that individual should be in the forefront of the educational process.It wants to
foster the free growth of the individuality of the learner,helping him to
achieve the highest degree of individual development in social context.
Individual aim of education means that education
should develop individuals according to their interest capacities and
specialities.It should be noted that individual aim of education is not a new
aim.In ancient india,Greece and some other countries also this aim was given due
importance and prime position.In the present times also,since the entry of
psychology in the field of education,rousseau,Pestalozzi,Frobel T.P Nunn and
other eminent educationists have again started giving greater emphasis on the
individual aim of education.In the following lines we are throwing light on the
narrow and wider meanings of this aim.
Narrow Meanig of Individual Aim
In It’s narrow sense, individual aim is known as
self-expressin,all-round development of the child is natural development
also.In it’s narrow sense,individual aim is based on the philosophy of
naturalization’ according to which education should develop the unique
individuality of a child in accordance with his instincts.History reveals the
fact that it was roussaeu who first of all advocated this aim though his
insistence on education in the lapse of nature according to the nature of the child, but after him some other
educationists also emphasized the importance of this aim.Amongst such
educationists sir Percy Nunn of England
is the chief-supporter and hence ranks at the top of the list.He holds that the
cental aim of education is ‘the autonomous development of the individual’.In
his famous book Education, Its Data and the first principles’ he says “Nothing
good enters in to the human world except in and through the free activities of
individual men and women, and that the educational practice must be shaped to
accord with its truth”.In the second chapter of his book Nunn further remarks that each specie is moving towards
perfection .Hence,individual aim is according to nature.Thus, in it’s narrow
sense,individual aim of education emphasizes self-expression or natural
development of the child so that after
receiving education according to his interests,inclinations,capacities and needs, the child is able to choose a
vocation according to his nature.
Wider Meaning of individual Aim
In its wider sense,individual aim is known as self-realization. Psychology
also corroborates the development of individuality. This is because
psychological researches have clarly
established the fact that each individual is born with his own peculiar and
distinct innate tendencies and capacities. Hence,it is the prime function of
education to develop each individual fully and completely according to his or
her interests, inclinations, aptitucles and capacities in such a way that he or
she becomes an able and capable person. Inother words, education of the
individual should be planned with a view to individual good as well as the good
of the society of which he is an integral part.
sir Percy Nunn reveals himself as a naturalist when
he argues in favour of individual aim on
the basis of biological phenomena in the second chapter of his book. But this
is not the reality. Actually Nunn believes that if an individual is cut away
from society, he can not develop himself in any way.
Social am of education
The social aim of education is based on the
assumption that the society is superior to the individual. Thus the aim of
education should be the good of the
society. It should aim to meet the needs of the society and ensure the welfare
of the state. The social aim of education will help to strengthen social
qualities like loyality, co-operation, sacrifice equity etc. it will make man
civilized and bring secucity, peace and justice in society.
Some educationists have laid greater emphasis upon
the social aim of education so that education develops in the children social
feeling which will make them contribute their utmost to meet the demands of society
after meeting their own needs. These educations evaluate the society higher
than the individual. They believe that man is asocial being. He cannot live
without society.In case he is cut off from the society, it will be very
difficult for him to remain alive.
Narrow meaning of social aim
In its narrow meaning ,social aim of education is
equated with state socialism. In this sense,liberty of the individual is
totally curtailed and all aspects of individual can not even dream of his
individual life are socialized.Any individual can not even dream of his
individual identity.He is expected to sacrifies his everything,even his life
for the good welfare to the state.As such the state frames such a scheme of
education thought which it is able to control the aims, curriculam and the methods
of teaching. Individuals are subjected to rigid discipline to cueb their sense
of identity and individualism.
Wider meaning desire one of social aim
In its wider sense the social aim is equated with
democratic socialism.In this sense it does not accept the importance of state,
but at the some time does not agree with the insignificance of the individual
before the state. Thus in its wide meaning, the social aim grants liberty to
the individual to enjoy certain rights to develop his personality but at the
same time expects from the individual to serve the state to best of his ability
and capacity. India and other democratic countries where democracy has been
combined with socialism. It may be noted that true citizens are greatly essential
for the progress and prosperity of the state.Therefore all the democratic
states having accepted the individual aim of education in its wider meaning,
indifferent forms.The American educationist John Dewey and Bagley have also
accepted the wider meaning of social aim. Prof.Bagley in his book ‘Education
values’ have mentioned three chief characteristics of a socially efficient
individual.They are 1)Ecoomic efficiency,2)Negative morality and3)positive
morality.By economic efficiency he means ability to pull one’s onen weight in
the economic life.By negative morality he means willingness to sacrifies one’s
desire when their gratification would interfeace with the economic efficiency
of others.By positive morality he means willingness to sacrifies one’s quen
desires when their gratification would not contribute, directly or indirectly
to social progress.In this way socially efficient individual is not a parasite
on any member of society.He is a good citizen to understand and appreciate the
world and is ready to sacrifies his own desires if they are harmful for others.
ANILA
NATURAL SCIENCE
