Primary education means education of child upto his or her fourteenth year. It is the basic necessity of a man and foundation of modern society and of democratic government. The modern world of science and commerce demands that every citizen should be able to take an intelligent and informed interest in what is going on all around. Primary education is the minimum training that creates the proper condition so that the citizen can exercise his voting right judiciously.

A child often tends is forget as quickly as he learn; so there should work a check-up system, i.e. examination. By the time, he is fourteen or reached Class VIII, he will have learnt the essential minimum, so that even when he passed out into active life, he will be able to read the daily newspaper and take a lively and intelligent interest in the affairs of the country. It will make him a better citizen in a democracy; if the he is able to keep his accounts, maintain his correspondence, and read his newspaper, he will be able to use rights to citizenship intelligently.

Primary education, today, is much more than the knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic. As social life becomes more and more complex, the content of primary education is bound to expand. In order to be socially effective, a person must know to read and write: he must be grounded in arithmetic, geography, history and mechanics in rudiments.

In our country, it is necessary to change the present attitude to and outlook on primary education. It is an imperative necessity to educate those who only slowly understand the benefits education.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Hence, Primary education must not only be compulsory but also free. It is a rewarding investment for the state, if it be realized that an illiterate body of workers is the greatest drag on the progress of a democratic state. So legislation has been recently made to make Primary education a fundamental right, as enunciated in the Constitution of India. But the problem of making all boys and girls of the age group of five to fourteen literate and educated, finally has to overcome the problem of finance. It has been estimated that 50 thousand Crores of rupees will be required to implement the scheme. The huge amount has to be gathered, if necessary by cutting down the expenses of overmuch higher education.

The task is not easy in a country where even now about fifty per cent people are illiterate. But, however, difficult, it can be done. It is being done in China. The entire resources of the country must be mobilized to wage war against ignorance and illiteracy. Governments must spend the maximum amount for this object, as they would have done in a war against an enemy. There should be compulsion for students, and conscription of workers. Non-teaching personnel must be mobilized to the utmost. School buildings must be thrown open for the illiterate adults in the evening. A network of primary schools must be opened throughout every state. It was in Bengal that the great Vidyasagar opened primary schools in hundreds of villages for girls against the active oppositions of the foreign government.

Vested interests are afraid of widespread education. Universal Primary education is a national concern. Once this is realized, the hesitancy to spend money for the illiterate people will disappear.

Therefore, public pressure must be put on the Government to open its purse strings. The educational policy of Russia in this respect earned a glowing tribute of praise from Rabindranath (see Letters from Russia). There is the further and more inspiring example of China: within 10 years of her liberation, she made education free and compulsory. Let us hope, India will emulate these examples successfully.