Educational Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi And its Present-Day Implications

Abstract

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, primarily a politician and social reformer, is also known as Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation. Mahatma Gandhi made remarkable contributions to the field of education through extensive educational experiments at Tolstoy Farm. He proposed the theory of all-round development of children through education, emphasizing the training of the heart and the building of character. "Learning by doing" was Gandhiji's guiding principle. The educational experiments he initiated in Africa were continued at Sabarmati and Sevagram in India. The Sabarmati Ashram was established in May 1915, and Gandhiji founded the Sevagram Ashram near Wardha in April 1935. In Sevagram, Gandhiji conceived the idea of his new system of education, commonly known as "Buniyadi Shiksha" or Basic Education. The Scheme of Basic Education is a plan of education formulated by Gandhiji, reflecting his total educational philosophy.