Abstract
Mahatma Gandhi is famously known as the “Father of the Indian Nation.” People closely associated with him also lovingly call him “Bapu,” which means father. His contribution to the Indian freedom movement has been immense and noteworthy. His educational views were transformative and provided the first blueprint on which modern India’s national education system was based. Gandhi’s educational endeavors were preserved with the values of truth and nonviolence. The aim of this paper is to shed light on Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), one of the significant adult education figures in India, who should be honored not only for his contributions to the adult education field but also for his educational philosophy. It also examines Gandhi’s reflections on teachers’ training, vocational, and women’s education, with a separate section devoted to the timeless nature of Gandhian thoughts and principles that are still applicable in the contemporary era, as demonstrated by the inclusion of varying Gandhian measures in the current national educational policy. Gandhi’s thoughts on adult education, which he called education for all, are inseparable from his thoughts on education as a whole. In addition, Gandhian education focuses on personality development, making learners self-financing and ready for employment. He acknowledged that since Indian villagers come to school with previously acquired knowledge and ideas, they should be taught relevant fundamental basic craft skills to be economically independent by enhancing their critical and creative thinking abilities, which he labeled as a “learning to know” concept, which recommends that knowledge must be correlated with activity and practical experience. In addition, Gandhi introduced the Nai Talim educational program, which has been described as “education for life.” The first phase of this educational program is adult education, in which Gandhi wanted to teach adult learners the laws of health, hygiene, happiness, and self-reliant life. Moreover, Gandhi wanted teachers to act as role models for the students, represent their society, and set an example of simple living (free from any addiction) and high thinking. Hence, in his new scheme of education, he highlighted teaching learners the pride of labor and handicrafts, which will help them to pay for their training and accordingly pay the cost of the teacher and the production materials expenses. Lastly, Gandhi was keen on women’s education. He was against early marriages, dowry, and purdah systems; he encouraged women and other marginalized sections to improve their living conditions by fighting for their self-development.
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