DR. CH. SUBBA RAO
TEACHING ASSOCIATE
DEPT. OF PHILOSOPHY
ANDHRA UNIVERSITY
VISAKHAPATNAM
EDUCATION MEANS, “TO NOURISH” “TO BRING UP” AND “TO RAISE” THIS MEANS
EDUCATING A CHILD, NOURISHING OR BRINGING OUT A CHILD IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORMS, ENDS OR
AIDS. IT ALSO IMPLIES TO LEAD OUT OR TO DRAW OUT. THIS MEANS EDUCATING A CHILD OR DRAWING
OUT WHAT IS INGRAINED IN CHILD OR TO LEAD OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. ANCIENT INDIAN
THINKERS VIEWED EDUCATION AS IDEALISTIC OR SPIRITUALISTIC WHERE AS THE MODERN INDIAN
THINKERS REGARD EDUCATION FROM THE PRACTICAL STANDPOINT. IN RIG VEDA EDUCATION HAS
BEEN UNDERSTOOD AS SOMETHING THAT MAKES MAN SELF-RELIANT AND SELFLESS. IN THE
UPANISHADIC THOUGHT EDUCATION HAS BEEN REGARDED, AS A MEANS TO ATTAIN SALVATION.
SANKARACHARYA CONSIDERS EDUCATION AS REALIZATION OF THE SELF.
PLATO GAVE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO EDUCATION. ACCORDING TO HIM EDUCATION PLAYS
A VITAL ROLE, WHICH HELPS TO SERVE THE RULER, AND IT GIVES RIGHT DIRECTION TO SECURE A
HARMONIOUS STATE. PLATO STATED THAT IF CITIZENS ARE WELL EDUCATED THEY WILL BE ABLE TO
KNOW THE DIFFICULTIES THAT SURROUND THEM AND FIND SOLUTIONS.
IN THE PLATO’S REPUBLIC EDUCATION HAS ASSUMED GREAT IMPORTANCE. IN THE WORDS
OF ROUSSEAU THE BOOK OF PLATO’S REPUBLIC WAS THE GREATEST WORK ON EDUCATION EVER
WRITTEN. 1
EDUCATION IS A CONTINUES PROCESS WHICH GOES ON WHETHER SCHOOL KEEPS OR NOT.
PEOPLE LEARN ANY THING BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO THE SCHOOL FOLLOWED BY CONTINUITY OUTSIDE
THE SCHOOLROOM. THEY KEEP ON LEARNING EVEN IF THE FORMAL EDUCATION COMES TO AN END.
EVEN DURING THE HOURS OF FORMAL SCHOOLING, THE STUDENTS LEARN MUCH OUTSIDE,
WHICH DOESN’T CONSTITUTE A PART OF THE PLANNED CURRICULUM. THE STUDENT SECURES A
GREAT DEAL OF EDUCATION FROM THE CHURCH, POLITICAL DISCUSSION AND ALSO FROM MAGAZINES,
NEWSPAPERS, RADIO, AND TELEVISION, WHICH ARE EMPLOYED ‘AS A MEANS OF EDUCATING’.
EDUCATION IS A DYNAMIC PROCESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE NATURAL HARMONIOUS
DEVELOPMENT OF