What is the Aims of Education According to Rabindranath Tagore?

Rabindranath Tagore.

His Philosophy of Life: Rabindranath Tagore is a poet, philosopher, educationist, spiritualist and a great teacher. He received noble prize for his diamond work “Geetanjali”. Tagore believed in Satyam (Truth), Shivam (Virtuous) and Sudaram (Efficient or beautiful). He had strong belief that the Supreme manifests Himself through men and “nature and men and nature work in close affinity with each other.

Tagore was a humanist. He was a prophet of love, sympathy, compassion, equality and brotherhood. He suggested that it is very much necessary to education leads towards the growth of a balanced and integrated personality of the child. He emphasized that true education must help a child to move towards the ultimate aim of life, Satchidanand (Sat+ Chit+ Anand).

He was an advocate of liberating education i.e. education must liberate the child in all aspects: the senses, the vital energies, imagination, feelings, emotions, sympathy and love. In his opinion, freedom lies in the perfect harmony of the relationships which we realize in the world.

He propounded universalism. He simply believed that all men and women are His children and hence, no national borders can separate them. He taught universal brotherhood. He further suggested that it is very important to develop the skills for self-expression in the child. Self-expression can be developed with the help of music, dance, arts and crafts, handicrafts or theater. He emphasized on activity based learning.

Aims of Education According to Rabindranath Tagore:

Tagore suggested a humane educational system which would develop harmony and artistic self-expression. It is important to make learning joyful and a pleasure. The ultimate aim of education, according to Tagore, is attainment of “Satchidanand” i.e. all-round development of the personality. His aims of education can be summarized as follows:

• Inculcating freedom in thought, imagination and expression, developing free will and spirit.
• Liberation from all bondages.
• Inculcating thinking and imaginative skills.
• Developing an attitude of universal brotherhood.
• Developing rational attitude so that meaningless rituals could be eradicated.
• Stimulating scientific temperament among learners.
• Developing individual personality with social characteristics.
• Cultivating inner feeling through music and indigenous arts.
• Emphasizing on earning a livelihood.