The Agenda for a National Education
1. What was the primary objective of national education, according to Aurobindo Ghose?
a) To prepare students for government jobs
b) To awaken the spirit of nationality among students
c) To promote English as the main language of instruction
d) To introduce Western religious teachings
2. What did Aurobindo Ghose emphasize regarding the medium of instruction?
a) English should be used exclusively
b) Sanskrit and Persian should be promoted
c) Education should be imparted in vernacular languages
d) Only oral education should be encouraged
3. How did Aurobindo Ghose believe students should be educated?
a) Through strict memorization of texts
b) By integrating modern scientific discoveries with traditional knowledge
c) By focusing only on military training
d) Through religious teachings alone
4. What additional skills did Aurobindo Ghose believe students should acquire?
a) The ability to recite ancient texts
b) Training in law and governance
c) Learning useful crafts for employment
d) Mastery of European languages
5. How did nationalist thinkers view the role of education in shaping India’s future?
a) Education should create clerks for the British administration
b) It should focus only on religious instruction
c) It should create a sense of national pride and self-sufficiency
d) It should follow the exact model of British schools
Answers & Explanations
1. b) To awaken the spirit of nationality among students – Aurobindo Ghose wanted education to instill nationalism .
2. c) Education should be imparted in vernacular languages – He believed that education should reach the largest number of people .
3. b) By integrating modern scientific discoveries with traditional knowledge – He supported a blend of modern and traditional education .
4. c) Learning useful crafts for employment – He emphasized skill-based education for economic independence .
5. c) It should create a sense of national pride and self-sufficiency – Nationalist thinkers sought education that would empower Indians .
English Education Has Enslaved Us
1. Why did Mahatma Gandhi oppose English education in India?
a) It did not provide any economic benefits
b) It made Indians feel inferior and distanced them from their own culture
c) It was not widely available to Indian students
d) It lacked a proper examination system
2. What did Mahatma Gandhi believe about literacy?
a) Literacy alone was not real education
b) Reading and writing were the most important aspects of learning
c) Oral knowledge had no value in education
d) Education should be based entirely on British textbooks
3. According to Gandhi, what was the ideal approach to education?
a) It should be based on memorizing texts
b) It should include hands-on learning and craftwork
c) It should follow the British schooling system strictly
d) It should be limited to religious instruction
4. What impact did colonial education have on Indians, according to Gandhi?
a) It helped them understand British governance better
b) It created a class of people who admired British rule and felt disconnected from Indian society
c) It improved their agricultural skills
d) It helped them gain independence sooner
5. What action did Gandhi encourage students to take against colonial education?
a) To work harder in British schools
b) To write more books in English
c) To leave British-run educational institutions
d) To demand more British scholarships
Answers & Explanations
1. b) It made Indians feel inferior and distanced them from their own culture – Gandhi believed English education made Indians “strangers in their own land†.
2. a) Literacy alone was not real education – He argued that education should develop the mind and soul, not just reading and writing skills .
3. b) It should include hands-on learning and craftwork – Gandhi wanted education to be practical and skill-based .
4. b) It created a class of people who admired British rule and felt disconnected from Indian society – He believed colonial education enslaved Indian minds .
5. c) To leave British-run educational institutions – During the national movement, Gandhi urged students to boycott British schools .
Tagore’s “Abode of Peaceâ€
1. What was the main reason Rabindranath Tagore established Santiniketan?
a) He wanted to create a school based on strict British discipline
b) He disliked traditional schooling and wanted an alternative education system
c) He aimed to train students for government jobs
d) He wanted to promote military education
2. What did Tagore believe about traditional British-style schools?
a) They were the best model for education
b) They encouraged creativity and free thinking
c) They were too rigid and killed children’s natural curiosity
d) They should be implemented in all Indian schools
3. How did Tagore’s Santiniketan differ from regular schools?
a) It focused only on religious education
b) It combined creative learning with a natural environment
c) It was exclusively for upper-caste students
d) It followed a strict exam-based curriculum
4. What kind of education did Tagore advocate at Santiniketan?
a) A blend of Western scientific knowledge with Indian traditions
b) A purely traditional Indian education
c) A focus on British political thought
d) A military-based training system
5. How did Tagore’s approach to education compare to Mahatma Gandhi’s?
a) Gandhi rejected all Western influences, while Tagore integrated modern Western knowledge with Indian traditions
b) Tagore promoted strict discipline, while Gandhi encouraged creative learning
c) Both completely rejected British education systems
d) Gandhi focused only on literacy, while Tagore emphasized memorization
Answers & Explanations
1. b) He disliked traditional schooling and wanted an alternative education system – Tagore found conventional schools oppressive and restrictive .
2. c) They were too rigid and killed children’s natural curiosity – Tagore believed that British schools discouraged creativity .
3. b) It combined creative learning with a natural environment – Santiniketan promoted free-thinking in a rural setting .
4. a) A blend of Western scientific knowledge with Indian traditions – Tagore valued both modern science and Indian traditions .
5. a) Gandhi rejected all Western influences, while Tagore integrated modern Western knowledge with Indian traditions – Gandhi was more critical of Western civilization, whereas Tagore sought a balance .
