Lessons and Imperatives from Experiments of Basic Education in India

By D.M. Diwakar*

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore the relevance of Basic Education experiments in a changing world and the policy implications they have. The paper will endeavour to see whether such experiments have the potential to address the crises in education and create a better society. After a brief description of the conceptual framework, the paper highlights some aspects of education in India. It then looks at the Gandhian understanding of education and the experiments stemming from it. It concludes by saying that changing the market-based system is an imperative, if we are truly conscious of the consequences of the system.

Introduction

Perception of ideals of a society sets goals, evolves philosophy, develops corresponding programmes, works out strategies and creates institutions and structures towards achieving the set goals in a particular time and space. In this process, a consciousness of societal requirements is created. Education has been one such programme. It also further implies that the vision of social reconstruction becomes a determinant for the forms and contents of education that such society requires. Thus, it becomes pertinent to set a larger goal of social vision for which a corresponding education system is required. This may have a structural connotation. Initially, education might have been developed as a code of conduct based on experience with nature. People acquired consciousness in due course, which turned later into structured wisdom and a powerful instrument for development of a code of conduct, transferring knowledge so derived from one generation to another. People learnt to live and coexist with nature and living beings.¹ It may be referred to as multi-dimensional attainment of learning beyond literacy² literacy for life³, strategies and institutions or broadly education system.

Education has been considered as an effective instrument of liberation, equality and justice. Quality of education has been a concern over the ages among the teachers, thinkers, practitioners, policy makers, implementing agencies, and society at large. It is said that education is the science of emancipation. Education liberates from all kinds of bondages; it is not merely a set of skills. It is a much larger canvas than functional literacy. It is rather a science for creating a new human being and society, which in turn is contingent upon the worldview that education seeks to uphold as well as the perspective on social progress. For example, if the perspective is of an egalitarian society, the worldview of education is supposed to be egalitarian. A discriminatory and exclusionary mix of multi-structured and multi- graded education system that India has inherited from the British Colonial Rule, can hardly create an egalitarian society.

Still, the question remains as to whether mainstream education is merely confined to achieve bread and butter or a worldview to create a harmonious and egalitarian social order. This paper is an attempt to understand the relevance of Basic Education experiments in a changing world and their policy implications. Whether it has the potential to address the crises in education and create a better society and world is the moot question. This paper is divided into four sections. Section one deals with the conceptual framework, section two discusses certain aspects of Indian education, section three focuses on Gandhian vision of and experiments in education and section four underlines the need to move in the direction of alternatives to the market-based society.

I. Conceptual Framework

The word education has ever been evolving with varying meaning through time and space. It has been derived from the Latin word educatus, which means “bring up, rear, educate,” which is related to educere “bring out,” from ex- “out” + ducere “to lead.” The verbal form is educare from educere, which, in turns comes from “ducere” “to lead or draw out.” This word has been derived from the verb educe, which means “to draw forth from within.” This was the original teaching method of Socrates of ‘drawing from within to think, write or find their own path'. The noun “education” first appeared in the 16th century in English. It meant “schooling” and is first referred to in the works of Shakespeare in 1588. In Italian, the word “education” still means “upbringing” rather than “instruction.” However, the dominant worldview of mainstream development (i.e., industrialism) is an outcome of industrial revolution, which has its own requirement of market and education, which survived through colonialism. Macaulay was entrusted with the responsibility of designing education for British India, to serve the interests of the colonial masters, which remained for long the mainstream approach to education. Therefore, colonial markets were required to develop for the convenience of the colonial masters, and accordingly, education was designed for the colonies.

Besides mainstream dominant worldview of development (i.e., industrialism), there are inter alia two alternative worldviews as antitheses, which I am referring to (i) a blueprint of classless society for social transformation ‘from each according to his/her ability, to each according his/her need,'⁴ culminated into a formulation of the Manifesto of the Communist Party,⁵ which was experimented in many countries that experienced social transformation in the then USSR, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, among others. It sought “to rescue education from the influence of the ruling class”⁶ with a programme of “Free education for all children in public schools, abolition of children's factory labour in its present form, and combination of education with industrial production.”⁷ Western Marxist thinkers further elaborated the practical aspects of education.⁸ (ii) A blueprint of non-violent social order⁹, which was partially experimented during Indian freedom struggle. But it largely remained in the realm of hypothesis. This document focuses on free education for inter alia happiness, dignity of labour, social reforms, equality and swaraj through Nai Talim. Gandhi articulated his vision of education and shared it with likeminded people, which are available in his ‘Collected Works.'

It is not important here to underline which one is more relevant, but it is significant that every worldview has its own philosophy, ideology, pedagogy, programmes, strategies, institutions and cadres to achieve its goal. Hence, if we discuss education, we cannot ignore that it is embedded in a worldview. India has not been an exception to this phenomenon.

The Wardha conference of 1937 brought an alternative vision of education through manual training for independent India. The 1948 Education Commission headed by Radhakrishnan, in its report¹⁰ emphasized values, development of basic skills, independence, initiatives for solving problems, discovery and development of humane and constructive talents, and attributes of social responsibility and cooperation. The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) emphasized in 1970 self-realization, human relationships and civic responsibility. In independent India also there was the much discussed Kothari Commission, which took note of Nai Talim. The Acharya Ramamurthy Commission also suggested many reforms.

II. Glimpses of Indian Education

Indian tradition of education was basically Brahmnical, but nonetheless considered it as a means of emancipation. This perception has very much been ingrained in social wisdom which can be traced back to the dictum ‘sa vidya ya vimuktaye' (i.e., education, which liberates).¹¹

Oral traditions of learning literature such as Shruti (Veda), Brahman, Upanishad, Darshana (Philosophy), Smriti (Purana), Dhammapada inter alia and institutions, such as Gurukul, and Nalanda, Takshshila, Vikramshila universities emerged in ancient India and the main texts for references were Panini, Charvak, Charak, Gautam, Chanakya and Aryabhatta.

However, these places and resources of education were meant for upper castes (Brahmins, Kshatriya and Vaishya) and not for lower castes (Shudras). Glorification of tradition of 300 B C with expressions like ‘vasudhaiv kutumkam' (whole earth is one family) or ‘sarve bhantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah, sarve bhadrani pashyanti, ma kashchid dukhbhag bhavet' (happiness, health, welfare for every one and no should be in distress)¹² show hollowness if we look at the status and treatment that was given to the people of lower rungs of society, i.e., shudras, antyaja, asprishya, etc. in brahmnical order of Indian society. The fact remains that the majority of the lower rungs of the society have never been treated at par and remained deprived from education, denied access to resources, and relegated to sub human conditions as historically disadvantaged groups.¹³ Spread of education in medieval and modern India for downtrodden was emphasised by Sreenarayana Guru, Gadge Ji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar, and Ambedkar. But there is still a long way to go. Whatever may have been achieved through mainstream education, contradictory exclusions are also found.

III. Gandhi's Vision and Experiments

Vision of alternative education of Gandhi can be seen in his seminal writing, the Hind Swaraj, consistent with his vision of reconstruction and development, where he argued for education, which ensures dignity of labour as the process of learning in that it reduces the gap between mental and physical labour. It dealt with the objectives of education, which include understanding ethics, character building, observance of duties and happiness rooted in the culture and life of the people beyond mere learning of letters. Receiving such an education makes one worthy to realize ideals and draws the best out of the individual. Gandhi was of firm opinion that true and original education remains natural, environment friendly and useful in life and results in all round development (moral, cultural and material improvement) of individual and society with self-reliance and dignity of labour. Therefore, education through mother tongue is the best medium.¹⁴

Hind Swaraj remained a reference point at the level of thought, but still how to go about it remained a question. The Beng Bhang Movement acted as an inspiration to formulate alternative education system for India away from the Macaulay framework. After coming back from South Africa, Gandhi had many offers to settle down in Hardwar, Baidyanathdham, Rajkot, and Ahmadabad. Gandhi was conscious of the need for a strategic location to begin his work in India, and he finally decided to work from Ahmadabad primarily for three reasons: (i) he was confident that he could do better service through Gujarati language; (ii) task of revival of cottage industry was in his mind, for which weaving was historically a part of the legacy of Ahmadabad; and (iii) financial support with several potential benefactors in Ahmedabad. Hence, he started the Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab.¹⁵ He wrote: “We in Ashram believe that the great harm that is being done to the country will continue so long as education is not given along national lines. Accordingly, a National School has been started as an experiment. The aim is to give higher education through the mother tongue and in a manner that will impose no strain.

...In this experiment both mental and physical education is provided. A curriculum extending over 13 years is visualized. This will include, besides training corresponding to a graduate's instruction in the Hindi language, in agriculture and weaving.”¹⁶

Gandhi realized the need for an alternative education system when he returned from South Africa and travelled throughout India. Speaking on education at Allahabad on 23.12.1916 he said: “Education through English had created a wide gulf between the educated few and the masses.”¹⁷ First mention of his experiment of alternative education can be traced to the National Gujarati School in a letter that he had written to Naraindas Gandhi on January 17, 1917. He further elaborated his ideas in his speech at National Gujarati School on January 18, 2017, in which he dealt with aims of education beyond job and money, the curriculum to be taught, the medium of education and so on. In the first three years, oral engagement has to be in three dimensions - physical in fields like agriculture, weaving, carpentry, and ironsmith, intellectual in mathematics, history, geography, chemistry and language, and religious. There has to be free education, paid teachers, and syllabus for the first year. He did not wait for government to offer education, rather he preferred to start his experiment to build public opinion in favour of National Gujarati School which the government could come forward and support.¹⁸

During Champaran Satyagraha, on April 15, 1917 he wrote a letter to Maganlal Gandhi in which he said: “we should make the experiment of the national school as planned… Let somebody from the Ashram help in teaching weaving.” He also managed funds through donation.¹⁹

Gandhi further elaborated his vision on education on 24.3.1917, when he emphasized education in mother tongue, “so long we are not free of our fondness for English, we cannot achieve real swaraj.” He rightly attached importance to education system to attain swaraj: “In my opinion, the key to swaraj lies not so much in the hands of the Government as in our system of education.”²⁰ Therefore, he emphasized on education for a larger goal of swaraj than just earning bread and butter. Speaking at Second Gujarat Educational conference (October 22-23, 2017) Gandhi emphasized on medium of instruction²¹ and love for and faith in mother tongue with numerous examples “by examining the growth and development of various languages,” to save about six years' time of thousands students, which may save thousands years of a nation. He was of firm opinion: “The system under which we are educated through a foreign language results in incalculable harm.”²² It created fear and distrust. Gandhi also dealt with the scheme for national education at length in terms of subjects and languages.²³

Gandhi could realize that basic cause of the exploitation of peasants was their ignorance.²⁴ If they were not properly educated, they might misuse their freedom what they achieved. Therefore, in order to educate them (children and adults) about hygiene, schools should be opened.²⁵ Initially, Gandhi wanted to open four or five schools only in Champaran.²⁶ Writing a letter to Merriman, he explained that basic aims and objectives of schools were to connect men, women and children with the culture and help develop impeccable moral character along with hygiene and preparation for livelihood through upgrading traditional occupations with the help of training and education. Literacy was merely conceived as a means to achieve these objectives.²⁷

Thus, Gandhi was working on many fronts for preparation for freedom and Champaran Satyagraha was a learning experience in the path to freedom and constructive programmes for reconstruction of society.

Gandhi convened a conference on Buniadi Talim (Basic Education) at Wardha in 1937 and constituted a committee headed by Dr. Zakir Hussain, which submitted its report in 1938 and recommended an independent education system incorporating vision of Mahatma Gandhi. Broad features of the report were to impart education through mother tongue, bridge the gaps between mental and physical labour, infusion of value of dignity of labour, character building, dutifulness, morality, self-reliance, and equality, embedded with life, culture and prosperity in order to achieve integrated personality development.

A. Gandhian Education: Nai Talim

Concept of Nai Talim, although originally articulated in the concept of education in the Hind Swaraj, was later developed though experiments, conferences, discussions and resolutions²⁸ on education in the course of the freedom struggle with categorical emphasis on development of mind through manual training suitable for the requirement of society with state support.²⁹ He emphasized on “education for life that would answer the need of our millions.”³⁰ These discussions can be found in the ‘Collected Works.'

Many national institutions of education were established throughout the country for alternative education for independent India such as Kashi Vidyapeeth, Bihar Vidyapeeth, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Yadavpur National Council, Gurukul Vidyapeeth, Jamia Millia Islamia, Andhra National School of Arts, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, and so on. In 1937, an Education Committee of nine members - Aryanaykam, Asha Devi, Vinoba Bhave, Kaka Kalelkar, Mashruwala, Krishnadas Jaju, J. C. Kumarappa, Khwaja Ghulam Saiyidain, and T. K. Shah was set up under the Chairmanship of Dr. Zakir Hussain, which submitted its report in 1938. In order to develop integrated personality, the Committee recommended adopting a New Education System with psychological perspectives to protect students from the backlash of bookish learning. The New Education System will necessarily remove differences between mental and physical labour and inculcate the value of the dignity of productive labour. This will lead to enhancing production capacity and self-reliance.

The results of the experiments of Nai Talim were initially very encouraging with the support of provincial government. Till 1940 there were more than five thousand Basic Schools, twelve teachers' training schools, two teachers training colleges and seven refresher course centres. But the withdrawal of government support during the Second World War brought these experiments to a phase of decline. Yet many conferences of Nai Talim were organized. Finally, in the name of Common School System, all these initiatives were shelved by the government and all distinctions have been removed. However, experiments of Nai Talim also continued in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal and other parts of the country.

A detailed review of Nai Talim after fifty years (1937-87) of education at Sevagram identified the following four reasons for the stagnation in experiments³¹: (i) shifting of priorities from creating students and teachers for Nai Talim to participation in national calls like Quit India at the time of Gandhi himself or Bhoodan Gramdan by Vinoba (ii) merger of all activities into one banner of Sarva Seva Sangh, where Nai Talim lost its identity, (iii) apathy of the State to provide equal opportunities to all and (iv) teachers could neither be transformed into master craftsmen nor teachers could be recruited from peasants and craftsmen. Hence, teachers were not different from the Macaulay system certificate holders.

B. Experiments in Bihar

During Champaran Satyagraha, Gandhi opened three schools (i) Badharva Lakhansen on 13.11.1917 (ii) Bhitiharva on 20.11.1917 and (iii) Madhuban on 17.01.1918.³² Later, the number of schools multiplied and now the remnants of 391 basic schools are still found in Bihar after the formation of Jharkhand. These schools have teachers, students and infrastructure, which hardly correspond to basic schools of Gandhian concept. However, many steps were initiated intermittently by the Government of Bihar to revive these schools, such as the Bihar Education Minister Plan 1991, Vyasji Committee

1999, I. C. Kumar Committee 2001, A three-day workshop in 2004, which the Education Minister of the State also attended, another workshop in 2009 etc., but nothing substantial emerged from these exercises.

At the initiative of the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI) a Second National Conference of Nai Talim 2011 in collaboration with the Government of Bihar was organised at A. N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, which was coordinated by the present author. The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Bihar, in the presence of the Minister for education and Principal Secretary, Department of Education. The Conference examined the problems being encountered by the Nai Talim institutions, listened to the success stories of a few institutions, analysed the inescapable impact of modern education on the Basic Education system and evaluated the propositions put forward. It finally resolved to carry forward the consolidated agenda towards the making of a self-reliant society. Bihar had seen one of the most effective Nai Talim movements of its time and it was hoped that the state could still play a key role in the resurrection of Nai Talim. The Conference brought a set of important recommendations for revival of Nai Talim. It emphasized contextualisation, comprehensive evaluation, induction of peasants and master craftsmen as guest teachers, implementability, life cycle approach, innovative skills for livelihood, village community school environment, separate syllabus, region specific curriculum framework, specially trained teachers for Nai Talim, separate board for administration, etc., (see annexure 1 for recommendations of Conference). In the Conference the Chief Minister announced a three member Committee consisting of Principal Secretaries of Education, Health and Labour to look into the recommendations of the Conference for revival of Nai Talim. Government of Bihar constituted a three-member committee in 2011, which adopted most of the recommendations of the Conference with administrative exceptions. Teachers have been appointed to some extent but they are not different from general schools. Syllabus and curriculum framework is also not different. Because of their own traditions, a few schools are still carrying out some basic education activities with private support, which are of course different, but they hardly make the type of schools envisaged in Nai Talim.³³

IV. Attainment Paradoxes

Education concerns every conscious mind, intellectual, policy maker and social activist and society across the world, as it is considered as one of the effective tools for resolving problems of unemployment, poverty eradication and an equalizer to create an egalitarian society. Many experiments have been carried out, which contributed significantly to the development of civilizations and humanity. Modern education system marked many monumental achievements in terms of institutions, agencies and hard and soft infrastructures of education, training, research and development.

In 1901, only 5.36 per cent of 23.6 crore population was literate in India, where female literacy was merely 0.6 per cent. India has travelled a long way since then. It could achieve 74 per cent plus literacy rate and female literacy has also improved significantly from 0.6 per cent in 1901 to 65.46 per cent in 2011. Besides elementary and secondary schools were established in every village or nearby areas with a few exceptions. The number of universities and colleges, which were merely 25 and 700 respectively in 1947, has increased to 799 and 39071 respectively by 2011. Out of 799 universities, India has 101 technical institutions, 50 medical universities and institutes, 64 agriculture universities and institutes, 20 law universities, 14 women universities and 7 language universities, besides standalone institutions of national importance.³⁴ These institutions have contributed remarkably towards development of society and the nation.

Education has contributed substantially towards generation of knowledge, create better human conditions and amenities, skills, opportunities for better employment, etc., but quality remains an issue so also the question of inclusion Quality concerns of elementary education have been acknowledged through series of Annual Status of Education Reports.³⁵ The World Bank Report 2017 on education also expressed concerns on quality of education in India. Concerns of discrimination and exclusion are far more serious; instead of self-confidence, fear, distrust³⁶ and depression often result, which have often led to suicides.³⁷

On the one hand, the country is burdened with a vast pool of unemployed army of deprived people devoid of opportunities to work, on the other hand a handful of elite educated people with non- comparable salary and wealth thrive despite over seven decades of democratic development in our country. One of the reasons inter alia behind such failures is continuation of the colonial system of elitist education. “The foundation that Macaulay laid of education has enslaved us… It is worth noting that, by receiving English education, we have enslaved the nation... It is we, the English knowing Indians, that have enslaved India.”³⁸ Although modern education has been addressing many complex problems of a small section of the people, at the mass level, it has been compounding unemployment, accentuating discriminations, poverty and misery as an inevitable outcome. India has been creating many excellent institutions for redress of the chronic poverty, unemployment and intra-regional disparity. However, these efforts are insufficient. Education has largely remained production centric rather than employment centric. Moreover, instead of eradicating gaps of mental and physical labour, modern education has widened such gaps.

Moreover, at the lower level of technology, the professions were considered menial and were left the so-called lower castes, but with the arrival of better technology, the skilled labour was often appropriated by the higher castes. There are numerous examples of these phenomena. Wooden ploughing with oxen is a social taboo for upper castes, but not ploughing with the help of tractors. Weaving is another example. We hardly find weavers children becoming textile engineers or managers in textile industry. Civil engineering and leather engineering are also other areas where the profession has attained respectability making the upper castes to take them up. We can hardly find engineers and managers in Bata or Khadim from the cobbler community who have traditional skills. Similarly, manual scavenging and sweeping have always been left for particular sub groups of scheduled castes, but they can hardly find places ranging from engineering, managers of Sulabh International or Minister of Sanitary Department. Excluded group of tribes known as Nuts have been surviving on gymnastic demonstrations, but hardly gets chance to become modern athletes. It is precisely because of complete disconnect between professional expertise and the traditional occupational skills in education.

Other stories are far more dangerous. Bhill tribes of Sarguja district of Madhya Pradesh may have skills in metallurgy and may understand how to melt iron ore at the right level of temperature just by feeling heat directly, but they do not have the literacy of thermometer or the required certificates; hence they cannot get a professional job for survival. A metallurgy engineer trained with tools can be helpless without them, unlike those with traditional skills. A person trained in swimming pool may not swim against the current in a river to save a drowning person; still may have a certificate to participate in athletic competitions. But the son of a fisherman can save a drowning person from the river but may not have a certificate. A midwife in the village having no formal certificate has been serving the society on the basis of her traditional skills, but can hardly get an opportunity of formal training on the basis of her traditional skills. ANM workers have replaced them from their jobs. Exceptions apart, those who have certificates hardly possess the skills, and those who have skills hardly possess certificates.

Let us ask ourselves questions for this mismatch between having certificates and skills. What certificate did Kabeer have who contributed so much for humanity? Had he been with us today, can the present system of formal education appoint him a teacher? Unlikely. Noble laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was not having any formal degree. So is the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Even Sachin Tendulkar did not pass matriculation. Larry Paes was denied opportunity to work on web search engine. Can we calculate the skills of Dashrath Manjhi, the mountain man? What certificate did he have? Numerous such examples can be cited.

V. Imperatives

If we round-up the discussion, industrialism has certainly produced more than what can be purchased, as purchasing power is the function of employment and earnings. Uncritical technological drive resulting in labour saving devices has compounded the problems of unemployment further. So-called certificate holders are jobless in clerical and managerial job markets and in the absence of livelihood skills, they are losing their confidence. Those who have livelihood skills even at lower level, are not entitled to enter the labour market and suffer from lesser wages and low or zero opportunity cost syndrome. As a result, farmers, who feed others, are hopeless and in distress, often trapped in a hand to mouth existence; masons are homeless, weavers have insufficient clothes for their families and certificate holders themselves are unemployed. If this is the result of growth process and its education system, it needs major corrections. Those, who advocate integrated market and world-class infrastructure, will hardly contemplate any kind of serious overhauling. The powers that be, in politics and policymaking, need to be contested through structural arguments for pro-poor macro policies and social mobilization to create the necessary pressures.

Annexure 1

Recommendations of Second Nai Talim Patna Conference, December 1-2, 2011.

The highly incisive analysis of each and every aspect of the sub-themes and an intense interaction between the speakers and members of the audience finally culminated in the following conclusions:

1. Keeping in view the pressing demand of today's normative needs, and indispensability of modern technology, curricula of Nai Talim institutions ought to be contextualized to ensure its acceptance and sustainability without succumbing to the menace of growing consumerism.
2. Teaching and learning should be spontaneously guided by the philosophy of constructivism and not to be seen as independent water tight compartments.
3. The teaching and learning in Nai Talim institutions should adopt both conformist and reformist approaches as cardinal principles depending on the temporal context keeping in mind its implementability.
4. The traditional marks based grading system be replaced by a continuous and comprehensive evaluation.
5. Any attempt to impose the syllabus on Nai Talim institutions framed independently of these institutions should be forthrightly resisted.
6. Artisans, farmers and people involved in other vocations be inducted in the guest teachers' roll of Nai Talim institutions to impart skills in respective fields.
7. In the context of Bihar, Nai Talim institutions should accord priority to rural areas where the populace is likely to be more receptive to Nai Talim agenda.
8. The learning in Nai Talim institutions should follow the life cycle approach to education by giving adequate weightage to cerebral growth, compassion, and livelihood based skill, environment protection, austerity and frugality.
9. The syllabus of Nai Talim should not only arouse the inquisitiveness of its pupils towards the unknown, but also enable them to learn by self with the teacher assuming a facilitator's role.
10. The traits of accountability be imbibed to the Nai Talim pupils and they be trained in forming correlation with their immediate as well as neighbouring surroundings.
11. Gram Viswavidyalaya be conceived of where the entire village will form the canvas of a university.
12. Applicability of revised syllabus be tested in selected schools under government patronage.
13. Teachers trained under the Macaulay system are not attuned to teach under Nai Talim environment and therefore a scientific teaching learning pedagogy should be designed.
14. National Curriculum Framework 2005 based on a metropolitan approach with a disproportionate stress on information be thoroughly revised.
15. A sound strategy to be formulated to gainfully exploit the land resources of the Buniadi Vidyalay.
16. Promotion to technology innovation and dissemination of technology innovations at the grass-root level must be done in active collaboration with different institutions working in this field (eg., National Innovation Foundation).
17. Nai Talim institutions be able to permanently simulate community life in school environment.
18. Nai Talim institutions excelling even in isolation in the remotest areas should be documented to inspire the defunct ones to emulate the former's success stories.
19. The incompatibility between village governance under Panchayati Raj institutions and Nai Talim calls for securing an unbridled autonomy for the latter.
20. Nai Talim system should not be confined to primary and middle school level educations only and be incorporated beyond.
21. Separate Teachers' Training Institutions for Nai Talim teachers be set up to train them become the embodiment of the values ingrained in Nai Talim manifesto.
22. Nai Talim system of education be fully residential for both the teachers and students.
23. Modern subjects like computer and IT should be incorporated in Nai Talim syllabus as elective subjects.
24. Surplus teachers of Nail Talim institutions be transferred to teacher -deficient Nai Talim schools.
25. Nai Talim system in a well-structured form be popularized abroad to foster and disseminate this unique Indian system of traditional value and skill based education
26. Some of the basic features of Nai Talim institutions such as morning prayer and afternoon gamea be introduced in mainstream schools as an effort to inculcate the Nai Talim values among the mainstream pupils.
27. English must be incorporated as a compulsory subject in Nai Talim institutions for the benefit of Biharis intending to migrate to other States.
28. Skill imparting courses must be designed keeping in view the needs of the present market.
29. Along with bringing up a complete human being, Nai Talim institutions should also bring up customized human resources keeping in mind the need of the society and that of self.
30. Nai Talim institutions should design their curricula and methods of instruction to enable the States to cash in on their demographic dividend.
31. A statutory board under the nomenclature of State Board of Basic Education be set up to oversee the functioning and growth of Nai Talim institutions.
32. Gujarat Vidyapeeth should be entrusted with the responsibility to train the teachers in small manageable batches.
33. Nai Talim Sangh following the Gujarat structure be constituted to protect the interest of Nai Talim institutions through collective effort across the State.
34. Nai Talim institutions should devise a method suitable for imparting instruction to those who cannot afford it during normal working hours.
35. Instructions in Nai Talim institutions at the primary level be handed over to women instructors exclusively.
36. Pan-Indian form of Nai Talim (universalisation of Nai Talim syllabus) be discarded with and instead the regional cultural and socio economic diversities be the foundations of Nai Talim institutions across the country.

Acknowledgement: This paper is a modified version of the paper presented at the National Discussion Meet on Gandhian Educational Ideas in Policy Perspective: Relevance, Challenges and Prospects organised by NUEPA from October 3 to 5, 2017.