Historical Development of Aims of Education

In an ancient India the model of life was spiritualistic. The purpose of education is determined by the design of life. Thus the aim of the education was self-realization or we may say the realization of Brahma or the Absolute.

In ancient Sparta education was not egocentric but the socialist. Each man was not born for only himself, but was born for the state. The state itself was a school. The instant goal of this education system controlled by the state was to train young people in the barracks away from home, developing a rustic spirit in a robust body to produce brave soldiers. Human freedom was not allowed. Education was primarily physical.

In Athens, the individual occupied the central place in the field of education. Athenian education aimed at harmonious development of personality physical, intellectual, moral and aesthetic. It secured harmony between the people and the state, between the physical and also the mental development, between thought and the action. Its immediate goal was to develop a beautiful spirit in a beautiful body. Plato and Aristotle, Socrates, the Greek idealists, discarded extremely individualistic aim of the education.

Socrates stressed the acquisition of knowledge or the universal and eternal truth.

Plato advocated the harmonious development of all the powers of the individual and personal achievement equated with social solidarity.

Aristotle defended the ideal of harmony between the individual and society, between intellect and character and the theory and practice.

The ancient Romans had no interest in the acquisition of just the theoretical knowledge. Their outlook was materialistic. Their highest aim of life was the attainment of material success. The purpose of the Roman education was therefore to produce a worthy citizen of the Roman state, able to enjoy the rights and perform the duties of a citizen. During the middle ages, education was wholly a priestly affair. Mysticism, monasticism, chivalry and scholasticism dominated life in all areas. Education was absolutely formal and religious character in Outlook.

With the passage of time, this liberal humanistic education has degenerated into an artificial and formal system. Against this false education the Realistic movement started under the leadership of Bacon and Comenius. According to them, lack of knowledge was at the root of all evils. So they pleaded spread of universal and integrated knowledge. The individuality of the child, powers and interests were of utmost importance. For religious, social, psychological and educational reasons, a new educational theory, known as the theory of mental or formal discipline was in vogue. John Locke was the historical representative of this new doctrine. He said the purpose of education should be to create a healthy mind in a healthy body. The purpose of education is to discipline all faculties such as memory, imagination, perception, thought, etc.

A true individualistic ideal of the education came into existence in the 18th century. J.J. Rousseau rebelled against the existing artificial and demoralized system of education. He not only championed the cause of ordinary people but also the cause of the child in the field of education. Thus the naturalism emerged in education. Rousseau’s concept of negative education highlighted education according to the nature. The child was considered to be important and central factor in the field of education. The aim of the education should be therefore, spontaneous natural self-development of the child’s nature in close contact with nature.

Kant was strongly influenced by the individualistic conception of education and identified education as the process by which man becomes human through its voluntary efforts.

Pestalozzi introduced the psychological tendency in the education and with it the movement of the centrique child in education has received a new impetus and boost. According to him, education is the process of spontaneous unfolding of latent powers of the individual towards perfection.

Herbart shouldered this task and has developed a systematic psychology of teaching methods.

Froebel, the German idealist, regarded education as the spontaneous development of a joyful auto business, creative.

From the above survey of educational ideals, it is clear that the objectives and functions of education have been variously defined in different ages by different teachers. Therefore, we can conclude by saying that the goals of education are not fixed and static, but they are subject to constant and dynamic changes.

Education in the Broader Sense

In its wider sense, education is the complete development of the personality. In this direction. Education consists of all those experiences that affect the individual, from birth to death. Thus, education is the process by which a person develops his love freely according to its nature in a free and uncontrolled environment. In this way, education is a long process of the environment of the growth of life.

S. S. Mackenzie shares his thought about it as:

• In a broad sense, it is a process that continues throughout life, and was promoted by almost all experiences in life.

M. K. Gandhi said:

• By education, I mean the all-round development of the best in children and the body, the human mind and soul.

Dumvile said:

• Education in its broadest sense includes all influences, on an individual during his transition from cradle to grave.

John Dewey said:

• Education in its broadest sense is the means of social continuity.

Education in the broad sense is a life-long process. It begins with the birth of a child and it ends with his death. It is a nonstop process. Continuity is the law of life. Education is not limited to class only; it is also not limited to a particular period of life. Education is a life lengthy process and goes on from birth to death. Throughout the life one goes on learning to adjust oneself to the changing patterns of the life. Change is the fundamental law of human existence. Life is a continuous process of growth and development and so education is an ongoing process.

An individual learns through his experiences, which are acquired throughout his life. Education is not just collection of some information. It is achievement of experiences through life in the social and the natural environment. It includes all the knowledge and experiences, acquired during childhood, infancy, adolescence, boyhood, youth, manhood or old age through any organization of education, the travels, the press,  the club, and the nature- formally and informally. Therefore, the education becomes the sum of all experiences that the child obtains either in the school or outside in life. In this broader sense, life is the education and the education is life. Whatever broadens our horizons, deepens our knowledge, refines our responses and stimulates thought and feeling, educates us. In other words, education is the process by which a human being himself gradually adopted in various ways to the physical, social and spiritual environments. It is the development of all the capabilities of the individual, which will allow him to control his environment and fulfill its potential. “Education, in the broader sense, is transmission of life by the living, to the living, through living and for living”. Education is a means for the development of balanced all-round harmonious development of personality. Personality includes not only body and mind but also spirit.

AIMS OF EDUCATION

Need of Aims of Education

Education is a determined activity. Through education we intend to bring certain desirable changes in the students. The education is a conscious effort, and as such, it has specific goals and objectives. In the light of these objectives, the program is determined and the educational outcomes of students are measured. Education without aims is like as a boat without its rudder because aims give us a direction to activity. With the absence of an aim in education makes it a blind alleyway. Every stage of human progress had some aim of life. The aims of the life determine aims of the education. The aims of the education have changed from age to age and therefore it is dynamic because the aims of the life are dynamic.

Nature of the Aims of the Education

With the aim to know the aims of the education, we must know the nature of the aims. The aims of the education are not fixed, eternal and the universal. These are changeable and relative. The nature of the aims of education can properly be understood in the light of two distinct philosophies of life-idealism and pragmatism. Idealism stands for ultimate, absolute, eternal and the universal values. It promotes high standards of life, which are mostly spiritual in nature. Idealism implores “knowledge for knowledge’s sake.”In idealist society, the education is for the general and for the moral development of a person. According to the idealism, the aims of the education are spiritual and idealistic in nature and they are absolute, predetermined, unchangeable and the universal. The aim of idealist education is to realize these pre-existing, absolute and the universal values. It is “The Education for complete living.”

Pragmatic deals with life as it is and not as it should be. It is also known as the realistic approach to the life. Realism in the social, the political and the economic circumstances or force of life is considered. The current conditions of the life establish the objectives of the pragmatic education. Pragmatism does not believe in absolute and eternal values: philosophy of life is always reflected in the goals of education.

Plato measured that the guardians of the state should have high theoretical ideals.

Locke emphasized that “the disciplined and well-ordered mind.”

Hegel stress on idealistic the aim of the education, that is glorification of the state and the fulfilment of the will of the absolute.

Marx was a materialist. Therefore he emphasized material the aim of the education, that is, the practical economic needs of a man. In a materialist society, the educational aims are based on the materialistic outlook of the people. In such a society moral or the spiritual values have nothing to do with the education. The idealist society tries to glorify those values and emphasize moral upliftment of personality.

The socio-political ideology also determines the aims of the education. A fascist government, A democratic government, A communist government each one formulates its own split ends and means of the education. The democratic ideals of the life are flexible and change with the changing conditions of the life. Thus, in a democracy, the goal at the highest development of innate potentialities of the individual. In fascism the personality exists for the state and the education aims at glorification and the welfare of the state. Man is seen as the creature of the State Social and economic issues are also critical of the goals and objectives of education. Education must prepare to the future generation for the economic and the social system of the country. To determine its educational goals, each country must consider its economic conditions. Therefore we find variability is the nature of the educational aims. The Secondary Education Commission (1952) place it: “As the political , social and economic conditions change and new problems arise , it becomes necessary to thoroughly review and re- articulate the goals of education for the final stage should keep in view.”

LOGICAL MEANING OF EDUCATION

In the following lines, we are annoying to create the meaning of education more clearly by explaining its constituent issues in better details:

• Not restricted to knowledge imparted in Schools:

Education cannot be limited to the processes of giving knowledge to children in the schools only. Its program goes on from birth to till death. In other words, every one learns something or the other throughout life by different experiences and activities. All of these counted in Education.

• Education as the Development of Child’s Innate Power:

Education is developing the native endowments of a child rather than something forced into the mind from outside of the children.

• Education as a Dynamic Process:

 Education is not static but a self-motivated process, which develops the child’s activity and mind according to changing situation and times.

• Education as a Tri-polar Process:

1). John Dewey regards:

                                     Education is a process of development.

According to John Dewey education has two features:

1)    Psychological and (2) Sociological.

He declares that the development of a child does not take place just in vacuum. It takes place through the society in which the teacher and the child both live together in school life. Thus, it depends more on society, which will determine the aims, contents and methods of teaching. Thus, the process of education contains three poles, namely, (1) The teacher, (2) The child, (3) The society. These three features actively cooperate in the efficient and successful working of the educational process.

THE CYCLIC PROCESS OF EDUCATION

Education should be a continual repetition of these cycles. Each lesson in its minor way should form an eddy cycle concerning in its own subordinate process. Longer periods should issue in exact attainments, which then form the starting-grounds for fresh cycles. We should drive out the idea of a mythical, far-off finale of education. The pupils must be continually enjoying some fruition and starting anew, if the teacher is inspiring in exact proportion to his success in satisfying the rhythmic cravings of his pupils.

An infant's first romance is its awakening to the apprehension of objects and to the appreciation of their connections. Its growth in mentality takes the exterior form of occupying itself in the co-ordination of its perceptions with its bodily activities. Its first stage of precision is mastering spoken language as a tool for classifying its contemplation of objects and for strengthening its apprehension of emotional relations with other beings. Its first stage of generalisation is the use of language for a classified and enlarged enjoyment of objects.

This first cycle of intellectual progress from the achievement of perception to the acquirement of language, and from the acquirement of language to classified thought and keener perception, will bear more careful study. It is the only cycle of progress which we can observe in its purely natural state. The later cycles are necessarily tinged by the procedure of the current mode of education.

There is a characteristic of it which is often sadly lacking in subsequent education; I mean that it gets complete success. Finally of it the child can speak, its ideas are confidential, and its perceptions are sharpened. The cycle achieves its object. This is much more than can be said for most systems of education as applied to most students. But why should this be so? Definitely, a new-born baby looks a most unpromising subject for an intellectual progress when we remember that the difficulty of the task before it. I suppose it is because of nature, in the form of surrounding circumstances, sets it a task for which the normal development of its brain is exactly fitted. I do not think there is a particular mystery by the fact of a child learning to speak and think as a result all the better; but it has to think about.

Into further education, we have not sought for cyclic process in a finite time their course and their own limited sphere get a complete success. This is the end of an exceptional nature in the natural cycle for infants. Later, we start a child on a topic, say Latin at the age of ten, and the hope of a uniform system of formal training to achieve success at the age of twenty. The natural result is failure, both in the interest and acquisition. When I speak of failure, I compare our results with the brilliant success of the first natural cycle. I do not think it's because our tasks are inherently too hard when I remember that a child's cycle is the most difficult of all. This is because our tasks are defined in a natural way, without rhythm and without intermediaries’ success and without concentration stimulus.

The whole being of the infant is engrossed in the practice of its cycle. It has nothing else to divert its mental development. In this respect there is a striking difference between this natural cycle and the subsequent history of the student's progress. It is perfectly obvious that life is a very different and that the mind and brain naturally develop so as to adapt themselves to the many-hued world in which their lot is cast. Still, after making allowance for this consideration, we will be prudent to preserve some measure of concentration for each of the subsequent cycles. In particular, we should avoid a competition of diverse subjects in the same stage of their cycles. The fault of the older education was unrhythmic concentration on a single undifferentiated subject.  Our modem system, with its emphasis on a preliminary general education, and with his easy tolerance of the analysis of knowledge in different subjects is a collection unrhythmic equally troublesome waste. I am importunate that we shall endeavour to weave in the learner's mind a harmony of patterns, by coordinating the a variety of elements of instruction into subordinate cycles each of intrinsic worth for the immediate apprehension of the student. We must garner our crops each in its due season.

Capabilities of computer

Speed:

A computer can process data/information faster than any other machine designed to perform a similar task.

Repetitions:

A computer can tirelessly perform the same operations million times in exactly the same way without getting bored and tired of the way a human clerk would.

Accuracy:

The high-speed processing of a computer is accompanied by high-precision results. No other system can have as much precision as a computer system.

Logical Operations:

The computer can make decisions based on certain conditions and take alternative action plan accordingly.

Store and recall information:

The computer is like human brain as it can store facts, instructions and information and recall them when needed.

Self-checking:

The computer verifies the accuracy of its own work by means of a parity check.

Self-operating:

Once the data and the program are fed into the computer memory, the computer is able to execute the instructions alone without human intervention.

Use of Punched Cards by Hollerith

A step in the direction of automated computing was the development of punched cards, which were first successfully used with computers in year 1890 by Herman Hollerith (left) and James Powers, who worked for  US. Census Bureau. They have developed devices that could read the information that had been drilled in the cards automatically, without the human help. Because of this, reading errors were reduced significantly, work flow increased and most importantly stacks of punched cards could be used as easily/with no trouble accessible memory of almost unlimited size. Moreover, different problems could be stored on different stacks of the cards and accessed when needed.

These great advantages were seen by the commercial companies and soon led to the development of improved punch-card using computers developed by International Business Machines (IBM), Remington (the same people that make shavers), Burroughs, and other the corporations. These computers used electro-mechanical devices in which electrical power offered mechanical motion like turning the wheels of an adding machine. Such systems included characteristics to:

•   feed in a specific number of cards automatically
•  add, multiply, and kind
•  feed out cards with punched results

As to compared to today’s machines, these computers were slow, usually processing 50-220 cards per minute, each card holding about 80 decimal characters (numbers). At the time, however, punched cards were a massive step forward. They offered a means of I/O, and memory storage on a vast scale.

For more than 50 years after their first make use of, punched card machines did most of the world’s first business computing, and considerable amount of the computing work in science.