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

II] SOME EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND POSTULATES 35
family played a still greater part in the educational
system. At that early period, the professional teacher
was yet rather rare; so generally the father was the usual
teacher and the home the usual school. Several examples
are preserved in Vedic and Upanishadic literature of
fathers themselves teaching their own sons.¹ Nay, the
father himself was to begin the Vedic education, because
it was he and he alone who was regarded as eligible for
teaching the Gāyatrī Mantra to the boy; recourse was had
to another teacher only if he was unavailable for the
purpose. In course of time, owing to greater specialisa-
tion that became inevitable, home education became
possible only in the case of a few cultured families.
Remaining families were however expected to take prompt
steps to send the children to a teacher or a school at the
proper time and supervise their lessons at home if neces-
sary. Supervision of the education of the family wards
was one of the most important duties of its head.²
Family and the Female Education: In the case
of the education of girls, the family played an important
part. We do come across rare cases of girls being educat-
ed at boarding schools or colleges; for instance, we read
in the drama Mālatīmādhava how Kāmandakī was educated
at a college along with Bhūrivasu and Devarāta (Act I).
These cases were however exceptional, for there was a
general prejudice against sending girls outside for their
education. Dharmasūtras insist that they should be taught
at home by their male guardians like the father, the
brother or the uncle. This was of course possible only in

1. Prajāpati was the teacher of his sons, Devas, Asuras and Men,
   Br. Up. V. 2.1. Āruni had initiated his son Śvetaketu in the
   study of philosophy. Br. Up., VI. 2. 1; Ch. Up., V. 3.
2. Rv., I, 24