Skip to Content

Context for Development - Education

 

Maybe the idea that a theory should precede the full utilisation  of a new skill or capacity is already clear. A skill is an isolated achievement. Capacity is its higher level. Initially they remain unconscious. A full utilisation of the capacity should be preceded by a conscious knowledge of that capacity which we call theory. The value of education has been known for a long time. It is now widely used, maybe consciously. Is there a theory about education's role in individual or collective development? No, no such theory has been formulated. Suppose such a theory is formulated, what will follow? Standards, norms and formulas of various effectivity will be created which will help abridge the present education of twenty years to ten years. Before man thinks of such a theory, he must have a purpose before him. Today's purpose is that  'Everyone must have minimum education.' I say the purpose should be that, 'Education should play a role in individual and collective development.'  This purpose is not there yet. This purpose requires a context. The social or political context today is that people should live in peace, law and order must prevail and each man should be free to pursue his vocation and his religion. This amorphous state of collective purpose or 'context' as I call it, should give place to a social context of national development. In Asian countries, the governments have acquired that idea in a feeble way. In the West, it is confined to welfare.

This situation should be elevated to a national context or international context of - 'we the collective should organise ourselves so that collectively and individually we shall make the maximum possible progress.' Such a context has not yet developed. Such a context will need a theory.



story | by Dr. Radut