The earliest recorded system of education per se is found in the Rig Veda, which broadly deals with the philosophy of life and the practices in learning (generally speaking, the word Veda means” to know. ”) It is called the Vedic Era in the history of education in India and is thought to be almost 5000 years old. During this period education revolved around the system of Gurukuls. These Gurukuls or Rishikulas were the seats of learning and students were required to live with their “guru” or teacher and learn by precept as much as by actual study and debates.
In this ancient system of education (the guru-shishya parampara) all children were taught together, be it under a shady tree or in the Gurukul (school ) ,whether normal, gifted or physically or intellectually disabled and were seen as worthy of the benefits of education, each according to her or his abilities. It was inclusive education in the truest sense. There were no special schools catering exclusively to specific disabilities or learning difficulties.
Students found incapable of academic learning were given options to learn other occupations, which they could do easily, such as tending cattle, gardening or housework. This was rightly seen as an opportunity to be usefully employed and was not thought derogatory but prevented the hierarchy of the educated and the uneducated. It is argued that providing for persons with disability was based on the theory of Karma and a way towards a better life in the next birth .
The Term Paper on E-Learning Information System
It is important to notice that e-Learning will not replace the classroom setting, but enhance it, taking advantage of new content and delivery technologies to enable learning, and With e-Learning you can empower learners, and the learner, as well as the mentoring system, is held accountable. Objectives The main objective for this project is that by changing to e – learning instead of Traditional ...
Whatever the motivation the fact remains that even as far back as 187 BC mention has been made of mental retardation (Garba Upanishad) ,Patanjali included disabled persons for yoga therapy, and in the 4th and 5th C BC . during the Maurya Dynasty, Kautilya passed an edict banning both verbal and behavioral abuse of persons with disabilities recognizing their right to property and employment . Later King Ashoka established hospitals and asylums . But a significant milestone was around the 1st
C B. C according to a legend which tells us the story of a king who was told that his three sons were “dull witted”. The crucial question now was “Who would look after his kingdom after the king was no more? ” So, he began a nation wide hunt for someone who would be able to tutor his dull witted sons. The search ended, we are told , with Visnusarman a courtier who assured the king that he would devise special ways of teaching the royal pupils .
The legend goes on to tell us of how Visnusarman developed his strategy for education using a collection of animal fables , which taught the princes matters related to diplomacy and values honored universally This resulted in “The Panchatantra ”, the ancient Indian collection of animal fables from around 1000 BC, and is perhaps the first book on special education. So, in India, we have a rich cultural legacy for inclusive education and India has always been and is still today an inclusive society in the sense that a very wide variety of cultural and religious beliefs exist side by side.
Even today, small rural schools provide education for all children under one roof, little realizing that they are following a system of education newly rediscovered in the West termed “Inclusive Education”. The tragic fact seems to be that somewhere on our way towards modernization we have lost this unique system of education. The Vedic Period was followed by a period when Brahmanic influences took gradual control and the unfortunate caste system took root ,which undermined the earlier inclusive approach to inclusive into one of discrimination .
American Education System Versus Asian Education System
Today the American education system is no longer the best in the world. With declining test scores and poor academic achievement, people have questioned whether our current educational system is working for us? On the other side of the Pacific, the situation is totally different. Students of Asian countries achieve higher academic achievements, and they rank at the top on math and science tests. ...
The spread of the caste system introduced unhealthy attitudes and practices and was at least in part the cause for the reforms preached by the Buddha . Buddhist philosophy and Budha’s teachings influenced the education system giving rise to Viharas or Maths and became the centers of learning replacing the Gurukuls . In 712 A. D. when Mohamed Bin Kasim (an Arab) invaded India, he brought with him the Muslim influence and this can be seen as the beginning of the Muslim Period. Many Madrasas (schools) and Maktabs attached to Mosques) were established, primarily to teach the religion of Islam but gradually replaced the ancient Indian institutions of learning, which at that time was considered so highly by the outside world that many illustrious visitors flocked to these schools of learning . The main digression from the established system of education, both during the Vedic as well as the Buddhist period was the shift from a completely independent system to one dependant on the largesse of individual rulers and philanthropists.
