The educational culture is one of the significant but within the box practiced tradition in India. From Tols, Madrasas, Maktabs and Pathashalas to modern day schools, education is limited to four walls of the building.
Until the British came to India it was not so.
An individual willing to gain knowledge would go in search of a teacher and study under the teacher. Unlike modern day fee structure, the teacher of ancient times took gurudakshina from their students. It may vary from helping in household chores to seeking any other forms of benefits. In the book Madhavi written by Anupama Niranjan, the teacher seeks a unique coloured horse. When a student failed to fulfill the total number of horses, the princess was gifted as a gurudakshina. In case of Arjuna- Dronacharya’s story Ekalavya’s finger became Dronacharya’s fee. This how schools in ancient India worked.
Students studied under Indian system of education and came out with varied education which included both spiritual and general education. Then the British came up with the formal structure to Indian system of education, the change in culture of Indian system of education deviated with the specific subject based general education. It was oriented by the institutes based on British policies. Here the intention of British was more of imparting western knowledge among Indians rather than formalising the system of education. When providing knowledge with different languages in institutes became difficult for British they emphasised the English as a medium of education, which is continued even today.
With education taking a classroom-based learning, any one could become literate but has no formal education which no value in the society. But slowly with changing time, the classroom and textbook-based learning have made students more bookish and general knowledge is taking a backseat. Gradually the number of graduates increased with enhanced rate of unemployment. Post three decades, the educational structure of India is all set to change with the introduction of NEP. Despite all the criticism how will the system carry forward the cultural history of Indian education is awaited.