Lokmanya Tilak's Take on Indian Universities: Just Exam Factories? 🎓🤔
- MediaFx
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
TL;DR: Lokmanya Tilak believed that Indian universities during British rule were merely exam-conducting bodies, lacking in genuine education and cultural values. He advocated for a national education system that emphasized religious teachings, vernacular languages, industrial skills, and political awareness to foster true citizenship and self-reliance among Indians.
Back in the day, Lokmanya Tilak was super critical of the British-era Indian universities. He felt they were just "companies to conduct examinations," not really focusing on imparting real knowledge or nurturing our rich culture. Tilak believed that these institutions churned out graduates who were more like clerks, serving the colonial machinery without any sense of national pride or self-reliance.
He was all for setting up national schools that vibed with our own ideals. Tilak emphasized the need for education that included religious teachings to build character, instruction in our local languages to make learning more accessible, and industrial education to boost self-sufficiency. He also stressed the importance of political education, so folks could be aware of their rights and duties.
Tilak's vision was to create a generation that wasn't just book-smart but also street-smart, rooted in their culture, and ready to take on the world with confidence. He believed that true education should empower individuals to think independently and contribute meaningfully to society.
In today's context, while we've come a long way, some of Tilak's concerns still resonate. The focus on rote learning and the pressure of exams often overshadow the holistic development of students. There's a growing need to revisit and revamp our education system to make it more inclusive, practical, and aligned with our cultural values.
At MediaFx, we believe that education should be a tool for empowerment, fostering critical thinking, and promoting equality. It's essential to create a system that serves the interests of the working class and bridges social and economic gaps. Tilak's insights remind us of the importance of an education system that is by the people, for the people, and truly national in spirit.
