The vision of Nehru: Nourishing the brains of tomorrow


The vision of Nehru: Nourishing the brains of tomorrow

Vidhya Dadati Vinyam Vinayat Yati Patratam, Patratabad vardanamonati Danamvardam Tatah Sukam”, a Sanskrit shloka,  means Education gives humbleness, humbleness gives nobility, nobility gives money and money gives righteousness.  Righteousness gives peace, and highlights the importance and significance of education in India. India has a rich tradition of imparting knowledge.

Well, today India is celebrating Children’s Day. There would be nothing better than to discuss about children’s basic right – Education.

A kind of schooling known as the "gurukula" had students (shishya) living in the same home as the guru. The world's first university system was located in Nalanda. Indian knowledge systems drew students from around the world. India gave birth to many branches of the knowledge system. In ancient India, education was valued more highly than other virtues.

However, during that time, India did not experience the renaissance of scientific thought that occurred in Europe. By that point, the British had taken over the leadership of Indian affairs, and they had different priorities. At first, education in British India lagged far behind.

But afterward, the British created the contemporary educational framework that is still used in India. English methods were used to supplant the country's traditional educational institutions.

India recognizes Children's Day on November 14 to raise public awareness of the rights, welfare, and education of children. Additionally, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, is honored on this day. Children adored him and called him "Chacha Nehru," and he fought for them to receive a thorough education. Jawaharlal Nehru believed that children were a country's true strength and the cornerstone of society. Children's Day is often observed across the country with educational and inspirational events organized across India by and for kids. Following a government decree on formal notice, India initially observed Children's Day on November 14, 1957, the anniversary of Pandit Nehru's birth. Since that time, India has celebrated Children's Day on November 14 every year.

Significance of the day

Children's Day is a significant occasion because it raises public awareness of the value of children's educational rights. The cornerstone of a child's future well-being is education. The education of children opens up many options for them to live better lives. It has the potential to influence society as a whole. A child can assist the nation's growth and advancement at a quicker rate if they have the proper education. The CRC Preamble states that "the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality, and solidarity." Child rights education supports this vision. Education about children's rights is regarded as a crucial strategy for altering how children's rights are viewed and upheld in society. It strives to increase the capacity of duty-bearers to carry out their duties and the capacity of right-holders, particularly children, to assert their rights. It fosters collaboration between adults and kids by creating the conditions and motivating meaningful engagement in civic life.

A fundamental human right, education helps lift both men and women out of poverty, levels inequality, and promotes sustainable development. However, 244 million children and teenagers around the world continue to not attend school for social, economic, and cultural reasons. One of the most effective methods for rescuing excluded children and people from poverty and serving as a stepping stone to other essential human rights is education. The most long-lasting investment is this one. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international legal documents, the bulk of which are the product of the efforts of UNESCO and the United Nations, already have the right to a high-quality education firmly anchored in them. The ability to exercise other human rights depends on having access to education, which is a fundamental human right. The goal of quality education is to guarantee the child's holistic development. It is one of the most effective methods for bringing individuals and children who are socially excluded out of poverty and into society. According to UNESCO estimates, if all adults obtained a secondary education, the population of the poor would decrease by more than half globally.

In all communities and throughout human history, education has been valued as both a means of personal and societal development and as a goal in and of itself. Because education is essential to preserving and advancing the intrinsic dignity of the human individual, it has been recognized as a human right. The right to education is recognized by numerous regional, national, and international legal documents. Education should be considered a leveling factor. In addition to providing the necessary financial and material support, it should also provide equitable access to high-quality education. Equality in society should be promoted through education.

Indian Government Initiatives

Article 21-A, which states that all children between the ages of six and fourteen have the fundamental right to free and compulsory education, was added to the Indian Constitution by the Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act of 2002. Every child has the right to a full-time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school that complies with certain fundamental norms and standards, according to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents the consequential legislation anticipated under Article 21-A.

Children have the right to free, compulsory education in a local school until they complete their elementary education, according to the Right to Education (RTE) Act. It makes it clear that "compulsory education" refers to the obligation of the relevant government to guarantee free primary education and ensure that every child in the six to fourteen age range enrolls, attends, and completes elementary school. Free means that no child will be required to pay any fees, expenses, or other costs that would prohibit them from pursuing and completing their basic education. It includes provisions for the admission of an unadmitted youngster to a class that is suitable for their age. The distribution of financial and other responsibilities between the Central and State Governments, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the relevant Governments, local authorities, and parents in delivering free and compulsory education are all outlined in this document.

In 2017, the RTE Act's Central Rules were updated to include the specified class- and subject-specific learning outcomes. A national SSA sub-program called Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat aims to enhance a comprehensive early reading, writing, and early mathematics curriculum for kids in Classes I and II.

Conclusion

Education and skill development play a significant role in the broader field of human capital. Data on literacy from the 2011 Census give us a fast overview of the state of schooling today. However, literacy is not the only aspect of education. The RTE Act serves as the foundation of Indian education. However, it is the numerous education policies that have been mapped out since Independence that have contributed to the historical evolution of the Indian educational system.