EDUCATION AND NATION BUILDING Rishabh Kamal ------------------It is said that what sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human

soul. We can determine the importance of education by this quotation. It has a great impact on a life of an individual, group, class, society and nation as a whole. Education contributes to a large extent in laying the foundation of a nation and it is also a pathway to nationbuilding. Education is normally the acquiring of knowledge as well the skills that are accepted by a given society. On the other hand, nation-building is the implementation of processes that are geared towards recomposing the nations institutions so that they can reflect the wishes, needs and aspirations of the wider society. In the life of every child, three important institutions play a crucial role in shaping its outlook and future prospects. These are the family, the school and the community. It is these institutions that socialize, inculcate values and norms, as well as anchoring the child. They educate, train and shape the young, both formally and informally into a valuable adult. There is no education system in the world that is culturally, politically and ideologically neutral. Every system in every country serves the philosophical, economic and cultural needs of its society. But, whether or not the service is appropriate in every country, including our own, is a matter for debate. The process of nation building presupposes the prevalence of progressive transformational values. There is no country in the world that has progressed without paying sufficient attention to food and nutrition security, healthcare and education. General education has also been recognized as a pillar in nation building. Education, in the largest sense, is an act that has a formative effect on the mind, character and physical ability of an individual. It is one of the building blocks of a nation. Education helps in building a strong nation; it helps in shaping the personality of a child. A country cannot reach maximum potential without education. To be able to live and survive, both body and mind must be nurtured from birth to death. Education is food for the mind. Out of education, comes the human capital that has capacity and responsibility for conducting research to assist us to find solutions to pressing natural problems. As long as we do not prioritise the improvement of our knowledge, base and skills, we will continue to be exploited by other nations that have woken up to the importance of developing human skill. Unless we help our people out of this quagmire, our efforts at nation building will be severely hampered. Illiteracy excludes people from the mainstream activities that are geared towards building the nation. They become marginal to the nation building project. To break the backbone of illiteracy is a mammoth that requires commitment and dedication from all of us; otherwise, the noble project of nation building is immensely weakened.

Education is essential in nation-building in the following ways: Firstly, education creates an enlightened society. This is a crucial prerequisite to nation-building because the more they would refrain from doing practices that will endanger the nation-building efforts. For example, educated elites will always tend to be responsive and responsible citizens. Secondly, nation-building requires a bureaucracy which has a strong merit, in order to make the states institutions effective. Therefore, with education, the country will have the best human resources that are competent enough to carry the day-to-day affairs of the state. Most states collapse as a result of a low level of education, because the human resource is so weak that it is incapable of filling state institutions. But with education, the problem is averted. Thirdly, nation-building fulfills the requirement of a democratic society, where contribution of all is counted, ranging from rich to poor. Hence, it will enhance nation-building initiative. Fourthly, education creates a large middle-class (professionals, teachers, doctors, technicians etc). This class is very important to nationbuilding because they provide the necessary expertise that is needed to building a nation. Overall, therefore, education co-relates with nation-building. Both of them complement each other. A nation cannot be built without education. With education, there is nurturing of professionals that will enhance nation building. In the same way, education leads to efficient usage of a nations resources which in-turn is very crucial to nation-building. This is evident in case of developed nations. To continue to build their nations, they educate their citizens, because education shapes the attitudes and behaviours and values of citizens. These are qualities that are needed for nation-building and it is only education that will bring those mechanics. It must be noted that in South Korea, teachers are known as nation-builders. Education is a critical factor in nation building. If we look at the history, then we find that most advanced civilizations were built on the strong foundation of knowledge which is not possible without basic education. Education helps to mould the character of the citizen. Education empowers the individual; it makes the person think beyond the known realms. It instigates people to think beyond. Education, for a child leads to an opening of new horizons on the intellectual and knowledge plane. Under proper guidance and with good parental supervision at home, the child during the education cycle undergoes a gradual metamorphosis with values of good morals, leadership qualities, civic responsibilities, integrity and character being imbibed in his personality. This leads to a

fully developed character, which when it attains adulthood is channelised to the overall good of the individual, hence the society and thereby the country. Thus it is the building brick on which the national edifice stands. Stronger the foundation, the more resilient and capable is the country. Education is the key for awakening in India and any country. Education is the root for tomorrow's tree. Education has the power to transcend all barriers of country, religion, language, caste, creed, rich & poor. In the context of India, there is a saying in Sanskrit that can summarise the role of education in India's progress in education: "Swadeshe pujyate raja vidyan sarvatra pujyate: Meaning: A King is respected and acclaimed only in his country, but a scholar is respected and acclaimed everywhere. The pivotal role of education in shaping the destiny of the country has been realised ever since the days of the freedom struggle. Soon after independence Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru underlined this crucial link between education and the re-building of India when he emphasized the need to revolutionise the entire education system. It is this urge to harness education for the fulfillment of national aspirations which was embodied in the recommendations of many a commission and committee on education during the postindependence period. The Education Commission (1964-66) symbolised this hope when it said that "the destiny of India is now being shaped in her class room". The National Policy on Education (1968), endorsed this view when it stated that "The Government of India is convinced that a radical reconstruction of education on the broad lines recommended by the Education Commission is essential for economic and cultural development of the country, for national integration and for realizing the ideal of a socialistic pattern of society". The nation's resolve to harness education for productive purposes and national well-being had been continually reiterated by the late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. The late Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi in his first national broadcast gave expression to this concern of the national leadership when he emphasized the need to review the education policy and reconstruct the education system as a dynamic force for national growth and integration. Other Primary Ministers, including Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee also passed various enactments pertaining to education. Issue of education has also been taken by many Presidents, from the time of Shri Rajendra Prasad to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Many political leaders have voiced their views regarding implementation of education policies, realizing its importance. Over the years, with the increase in population and literacy, the number of educational institutes for higher learning has also increased, but not sufficiently to meet the demand. The influx of private institutes has taken place because the government was unable to meet the demands of the growing population and higher education needs. This is a good sign since this will largely contribute to nation building. With the IT revolution and technology development, changes are slowly taking place especially in the last five years. We (India) also need more private institutes, but of the right kind. Funds that are being

allocated by the government to the education sector will mainly go to the primary and secondary levels. This is a good move, as it will strengthen primary education. In case of higher education, the government would like to leave the responsibility to the private sector. Which is why deemed universities and autonomous universities are being set up. In a way, we can say that the future belongs to India. Logically, with the increase in the number of students the number of educated and talented manpower entering the economy is also large and this leads to the development of the nation. The challenge is to ensure that nation-building has real substance. More fundamentally, it will also require us to know what kind of nation we are seeking to build. New players have secured a significant foothold in the education system and operate as a highly effective lobby. Many have made a significant investment and proved that private education can make a significant contribution. They will fight hard to extend, rather than roll back, its participation. The decline in job security challenges educators to provide a foundation of knowledge and skills that is durable and transferable, and which can avoid the waste and frustration of repeated retraining in job-specific skills. Rapid technological change has made new demands on curriculum at all levels and heralds new techniques which challenge our traditional pedagogy and definitions of quality education. Harnessing that technology at a local and global level, whilst maintaining educational integrity will not be easy. Knowledge workers, from teachers to university researchers, have better opportunities in private and overseas jobs and struggle to maintain a sense of vocation and public service in a system that currently treats them as a liability. Along with deeply indebted students, they have little incentive to stick around and enhance the intellectual capital on which the countrys future depends. International commitments to open trade in education services impose constraints on education policy choices, of which few are aware. While institutions and governments seek to maximise new education export opportunities, liberating education from the trade theorists and reasserting the primacy of national education interests has become an imperative for educators all over the world. A genuinely alternative path will need a principled foundation and vision for the entire education system, within which each level, from preschool to tertiary, has a defined and valued role. It must recognise the governments responsibility to provide an education system which can meet the countrys future needs role which implies the capacity to research and to plan, and a strong and stable public system that treats education as an intrinsic good, and not as a tradeable commodity. The challenge here is to identify the committed institutes and eliminate the selfish black sheep. The right kind of private institutes are the ones that are purely driven by the passion and commitment towards imparting quality education. Aristotle has rightly said that, The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, As much as the living are to the dead.