Education in the Process of National Development
This article throws light upon the eleven catalytic roles of education in the process of national development. The roles are: 1. Increasing production 2. Development of Talents and Virtues 3. Development of Human Resources 4. Development of Individual Personality 5. Promotion of Social and National Integration 6. In Respect of Modernisation and Others.
Catalytic Role # 1. Increasing production:
Education helps in increasing production by equipping men and women with the latest knowledge of science and technology. Education must be related to productivity to increase national income i.e. total output of final goods and services expressed in real terms.
Following are the ways by which education is related to productivity:
(i) Making science as a basic component to education and culture.
(ii) Introducing socially useful productive work (S.U.P.W.) as an integral part of general education.
(iii) Vocationalizing education, particularly at the secondary school level to meet the needs of industry, agriculture and trade.
(iv) Improving scientific and technological education and research at the university stage with special emphasis on agriculture and allied science.
Catalytic Role # 2. Development of Talents and Virtues:
The key to the development of nation lies in cultivation of talents and practical virtues. The awakened mind, right knowledge, sophisticated skills and desirable attitudes are the indicators of national development. Education helps in unfolding the latent powers or talents for the purpose of harnessing the process of national development and personal development.
Full-flowering of talents and virtues by a suitable programme of education surely contributes to the pace of progress of a nation. Thus, education is considered as a means to harnessing talents and virtues for achieving development of a nation in all its facets.
Catalytic Role # 3. Development of Human Resources:
Human resource development is essentially a key indicator of socio-economic development of a country and the quality of life of its people. It is the maximization of the realization of the potential of human beings as well as promotion of its optimum utilization for economic and social progress.
The NPE (1986) beautifully states, “The human being is a positive asset and a valuable national resource which need to be cherished, nurtured and developed. The catalyst action of education in this context needs to be planned and implemented meticulously”.
Development of sound human resource is sine-qua-non for the development of nation. Although, physical resource development is essential but development of physical resource is possible by the development of human resource. Thus, the need of the hour is to develop an army of skilled man-power to meet the challenges of time and the requirements of the nation.
The man power needs to be elevated by, means of development of skills, knowledge and training. Therefore, traditional knowledge is not required but the need of the hour is the introduction of scientific and technological knowledge. As such, a sound base of human resource is the foundation of economic growth and national development.
Catalytic Role # 4. Development of Individual Personality:
Education aims at all round development of individual personality in all its manifestations— physical, mental, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic. Without development of individual, national development cannot be possible.
Development of individual includes certain qualities— development of self-confidence, generation of scientific temper, attainment of self sufficiency, sense of devotion to duty, discipline and decency, sense of dedication, promotion of social and ethical values, fostering a positive attitude towards unity and integrity of nation, and cultivation of social efficiency.
Therefore, education helps the individuals in developing and fostering the aforesaid qualities required for the resurgence and development of a nation. Education should be expanded to cover all segments of population. Education transforms people socially, culturally and economically to establish a socialistic, democratic and secular social order.
Catalytic Role # 5. Promotion of Social and National Integration:
Social cohesion is a stepping-stone to achieve national integration which in turn helps in the process of national development. Our education and other activities should be a geared to strengthen unity and solidarity of the nation.
The following steps are recommended by Kothari Commission in order to reinforce national development:
(i) Introduction of a common school system of public education.
(ii) Organisation of social and national service programmes.
(ii) Organisation of community life in the schools.
(iv) Developing all modern Indian languages.
(v) Encouraging participation of students in community living on the school campus.
(vi) Taking necessary steps to enrich Hindi as quickly as possible.
(vii) Regional languages should be gradually adopted as the medium of instruction in higher education.
(viii) The teaching and study of English should continue to be promoted right from the beginning.
Catalytic Role # 6. In Respect of Modernisation:
Modernisation is said to be the royal road to national development.
Education plays an important role in national development by performing the following:
(i) Awakening of curiosity, proper interest, attitudes and values; and building up proper skills as independent study and capacity to think and judge properly.
(ii) Adopting novel methods of teaching.
(iii) Changing the composition of the intelligentsia and educated people of all strata of society.
(iv) Emphasizing vocational subjects, science based education and research.
(v) Establishing major universities/institutions of excellence in the country.
Catalytic Role # 7. Developing Democratic Values:
Fostering democratic values like co-operation, mutual understanding, freedom, equality, justice, mutual help, sharing of experiences, shouldering of responsibility, taking leadership etc. is essential for the progress and development of a nation.
Education helps in development of democratic values through the following:
(i) Organizing student self-government in schools.
(ii) Decentralizing educational management and administration.
Catalytic Role # 8. Establishing a Socialistic Pattern of Society:
Education helps in achieving national development by establishing a socialistic pattern of society through the following:
(i) Equality of educational opportunities.
(ii) Common school system of public education.
(iii) Compulsory social and national service.
(iv) Liberal provision of scholarships.
Catalytic Role # 9. Developing Secular Outlook:
Fostering secular outlook is essential for the development of a nation.
Education helps in fostering secular outlook in the following ways:
(i) Provision of instruction in moral, spiritual and social values.
(ii) Incorporating well-fitted information about each of the major religious of the world.
(iii) Presentation of high ideals of social justice and social service before the students.
(iv) Helping students in applying rationality to all religions.
Catalytic Role # 10. Promotion of International Understanding:
For the national development like national integration, internationalism is of crucial importance.
It can be promoted by education in the following ways:
(i) Stressing the solid contribution given by various nations in the progress of humanity.
(ii) Reinstating text books in proper perspectives by eliminating hostile material about other communities.
(iii) Helping in fostering cosmopolitan outlook.
(iv) Eliminating negative attitude in the minds of students towards other communities or races of the universe.
Catalytic Role # 11. Synthesizing Cultural and Scientific Values:
Education brings a synthesis between cultural and scientific values which is essential for development of a nation. Science should not be isolated from the main stream of our hoary tradition and moorings of the past. The blending of cultural values with that of scientific values paves the way for national development.
So, the need of the hour is the reflection of cultural and scientific values in the curriculum at every stages of education.
In this way, education plays a very pivotal role in bringing about national development. It is education which acts as a powerful instrument to bring about national development in its true sense. A nation cannot sit idle ignoring its role towards education.
It should invest on education today and tomorrow for a better life of the nation and her people. NPE (1986) conceived education as a “unique investment in the present and the future.”
