Education is an important activity in society, it gives an opportunity to man to understand the world around him and his place in it In ancient times man was completely at the mercy of nature which was a complete mystery to him.
The dark forces of nature were beyond the comprehension of man and to console himself he had to depend upon the existence of supernatural powers and this led to the growth of religion and superstition.
The invention of tools, domestication of animals and growth of agriculture led to organization of society and along with this, developed social sciences.
Thus, in education we combine the study of natural laws with the laws governing the development of society- Knowledge and understanding come to us through the study of natural sciences (chemistry, physics, biology, etc.) and the social sciences (history, political science, etc.).
The acquisition, interlinking and the transmission of this knowledge and understanding is the primary function of education.
Ideally speaking, it is through education that members of society, particularly the youth, come to understand the working of society. Education should enable the youth to improve the working of the society.
Seen in this light, the purpose of education is not just to help students acquire degree and obtain jobs. If the society is not organized properly, jobs become difficult to acquire, degrees lose their meaning and education becomes a national waste as it is happening in many countries in the world today.
Education, properly speaking, should develop a spirit of inquiry and rational thinking in the youth so as to enable them to understand the society and change it wherever it is found lacking.
Ever since India attained Independence in 1947, we have been following, for inexplicable reasons, Lord Macaulay’s system of education. This system has since lost its relevance to the changed