PRIMARY EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Abstract
‘The Destiny of India is now being shaped in her classrooms’, this is very first sentence in
the huge Report of Kothari Commission(1964-1966) on Education high points the importance of
Education as being a latent instrument for social change and National rebuilding. Every country has
its unique system of education expressing its unique socio-cultural and political identity. It’s a first
and foremost duty of every nation in the world, to build a system of education reflecting its national
goals and ideologies and making students ready to meet demands of tomorrow. Properly crafted and
diligently implemented educational curriculum and policies at a primary level, has a potential of
bringing positive social change in developing countries.
Education especially primary education has an important role to play in the service of the
nation. Skill materialization through primary education is vital in a competitive world to secure
the so called demographic dividend. Laws are supported by the monetary policy and status of
the country and when things are going well, especially economically, more experimentation
with education is anticipated, and more idealistic objectives are chased, such as parity of
educational opportunity. Primary Education can initiate social changes by bringing about a
change in outlook and attitude of man and thereby help in bringing positive social change.
Human mind at a budding stage is capable to be moulded easily, if values like gender equality,
social equality, democratic way of thinking, good citizenship, morality etc. are incorporated in their
curriculum, it can produce a mature generation of law abided citizens, value abided bureaucrats able
to change society and nation.
“Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education
is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them” – Henry
S. Commager.
Introduction
Change is the unchanging law of Nature, and the same law is applicable to society as well.
Human society keeps continuously changing and evolving. Social change is sometimes revolutionary,
sometimes evolutionary, sometimes creeping in or sipping in and percolating down to remotest strata
of society. Amongst all other means of social transformation slow and gradual change, reaching at
a value level is capable of altering and moulding human thinking, is the most powerful one, and
Primary education is one of those means.
It is the most important lever for social, economic, cultural, technological and political
transformation. Education in a given country must be framed according to its social and cultural
values but at the same time it must be capable of building quality human resources capable to cater
needs of the changing world. Primary Education ,when offered as a matter of right helps in the
understanding of other human and constitutional rights,helps in internalisation of social reforms and
law. Primary education is required for everybody even an agrarian, craftsman or a fisherman etc.