The late Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was a well-known educator. He founded the People’s Education Society in Bombay and Aurangabad to educate Dalit pupils. His lectures, the articles he has written for numerous journals, and his work in educational institutions all demonstrate his commitment to education. Every educational institution, according to him, ought to be a force for social change.
Dr. Ambedkar was adamant that education should be prioritized by society and used to develop morally upright people. Dr. Ambedkar envisioned a system of education in India that teaches citizens about human dignity and justice in addition to human rights awareness and observance. He believed that education may encourage those who are oppressed to fight for justice and an end to the exploitation they have endured for a long time. He saw that the fundamental factor contributing to the backwardness of the poor was a lack of knowledge.
The goal of primary education, in the words of Dr. Ambedkar, is to ensure that every kid who joins a primary school leaves it only after he or she has attained literacy and remains literate for the remainder of his or her life.
Dr. Ambedkar distinguished between two uses for knowledge: first, acquiring it to benefit others, and second, applying it to one’s own improvement. He has also opposed professional education (the British Educational System), which tries to mold workers into clerical roles. He placed a strong emphasis on secular education for societal liberation.
The only goal of education is to uplift the downtrodden classes’ cause for social, economic, and political uplift. Dr. Ambedkar’s social and ethical philosophy attempted to educate depressed people about the need to alter their old thought patterns and behavior patterns in order to advance toward freedom and oneness. To instill the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity, justice, and moral character in boys and girls of all religions, regions, classes, and castes was the central goal of his educational philosophy.
“School is a holy institution where the brains of the pupils are cultured,” said Dr. Ambedker. The daily operations in the classrooms ought to be structured in a systematic way. The factory for producing excellent citizens in the classroom. The competent foreman of this establishment transforms the raw material into a high-quality finished output.
Dr. Ambedker worked as a lecturer for years in various educational institutions. He, therefore, had a thorough comprehension of the students’ brains. According to him, students’ self-confidence should be increased through education, and they shouldn’t suffer when taking tests or applying newly acquired skills. He emphasized the importance of education and advised students to instill independence, intelligence, manners, and tight discipline into their behavior and character.
Both civility and knowledge are necessary, yet knowledge alone is meaningless. Additionally, he stated that social emotions should be taught to pupils through the educational process. According to Dr. Ambedker, “To be cultural, knowledgeable, and educationist is entirely different from achieving good marks in the examinations and getting the degree. The teacher needs to be aware of the fundamental issues and gaps in the pupils’ education. The students lack the fundamental understanding of the concepts as well as the ability to innovate, solve problems logically, express themselves with confidence, present their inner thoughts in an appropriate manner to an audience, and express themselves creatively.
As a teacher, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was inventive and imaginative. He holds that learning is a continual process, with the instructor serving as its true foundation. Education and ability are therefore entirely dependent on the teacher’s delivery skills, self-reliance, and true knowledge. A teacher ought to have many skills. He ought to be discerning and sharp-witted. He is the national builder since teachers are in charge of education and educated labor is essential for a country’s prosperity.
The main key to unlocking the gates of light, vision, and wisdom, according to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, was education. His fundamental message to the nation and society is to “take education, be united, and do the struggle.” Because education is the sole means through which society can advance and grow, he claims that education and society have a limited relationship. Education has the ability to liberate a man from slavery and exploitation. In his view, education can bring about social change and promote equality. He had done a lot to raise the voice of the oppressed class, awaken them from their slumber, and show them the way to their political, economic, and social upliftment through education.
With the motto “teach, agitate, and organize,” he encouraged the Dalits to assimilate with the upper caste in social, economic, and political spheres. Additionally, he protected the right to an education for all segments of Indian society by granting certain rights under Articles 30 and 29 of the Indian Constitution.