प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

I] THE CONCEPTION AND IDEALS OF EDUCATION 21
like Montaigne also have advocated that it should develop
virtue, wisdom, good manners and learning. Ancient
Indians agree with this view but add that education must
also fit an individual for a useful profession. JESUITICAL
EDUCATION aimed at creating an army of faithful and
resolute servants of the Catholic Church. Brahmana
priests, who controlled and guided education in ancient
India did not have so narrow an aim; the youths they
trained very often questioned their traditional beliefs and
started new theories of religion and philosophy. The
system also provided for the needs of the laity. MILTON
held that educational system should qualify a youth to
perform skilfully, justly and magnanimously all the
offices, both private and public, of peace and war.
Ancient Indians held that all persons are not versatile
enough to be trained for this ideal; they believed in the
differentiation of functions and trained different classes
for their different duties. SOME MODERN AMERICAN
EDUCATIONALISTS hold that moral character and social
efficiency, and not mere erudition and culture, should be
the aims of education. Ancient Indians accept this view,
but add that the preservation of the ancient national
culture, which naturally does not loom large before a
young nation like America, must also figure prominently
as an aim of education. SOVIET EDUCATION concentrates
its activities on the training and upliftment of the
proletariate. There was no class war in ancient India;
educationalists therefore tried to provide education to
each class, suitable for its own needs and traditions.
MODERN INDIAN EDUCATION is dominated by the aim of
passing examinations with highest honours; this aim was
practically non-existent in ancient India. It will be
shown in Chapter VI how examinations played quite a
negligible part in ancient Indian education.