“The artist is not a special kind of man but every man is a special kind of artist” -Ananda K. Coomaraswamy.
JAMESMON PC OFM
The most satisfying memories I had from my school days were the hour for art and crafts. Many of us used to look forward to that period, where we could indulge in creativity with a kind of freedom that other subjects could never provide. Of course, we had an art teacher, till we finished our 8th standard. We had two art teachers and both had their own unique way of conducting art classes.
I never realised at that time that art was actually the basis of any learning. Most probably the authorities in school too might have had the belief that artistic endeavours were supposed to be a compartmentalised affair, and to be given as a separate dose of education, may be even considered as a leisure time, to have a break from more serious study. Little we had known that artful learning was the basis of everything.
I recently came across a book, “Art: The Basis of Education” by Devi Prasad. It was published in Hindi in 1960 or 61 and because of the interest shown by non-Hindi speaking teachers across the world, who were really interested in finding the true meaning of learning, Devi Prasad got it published in English language. The book might be an eye-opener for many a teachers. His experience of being a teacher for almost 16 years gives this book the aura of a classic. In the foreword to this book, Zakir Hussain (the former President of India) says that, ‘The kind of art this book deals with is not that which is taught two or three days a week in classes for an hour or so. It is that art which is a lifelong discipline —a "sadhana". The author has experience of Tagore's world as well as Gandhi's and has the courage of putting life into art and transforming life into an art.’
Real learning, it seems, is not consisted of just reading and mugging up a lot of knowledge, devoid of any real time experience. I was fascinated by the behaviour of my grandnephew recently, when I visited home for my holidays. One of his aunties gifted him with a toy car and within few minutes, he had dismantled it into pieces. He was curious to know the working of that little machine, if we could call it. His parents, my niece and her husband, told me that he had a fascination for earth movers. There is a certain guy, in a Youtube channel, who keeps on presenting all kinds of earth movers in an interesting manner, that could be understood by kids. My grandnephew, gifted with a toy earth mover, now mimics this act with his toy, trying to move sand or tiny stones around his home.
There is another programme, that too in a Youtube channel, a big hit among the kids, where the kids themselves review toys that they have come across. The presenting kids are quite serious about the way they talk about each toy and millions of kids around the world watch this programme. What is happening is something beyond the class room. Devi Prasad in his book on Art as basis of education points out: ‘The principles of education worked out by Tagore had totally rejected the notion and practice of teaching based on textbooks. For Tagore, education was a process of learning rather than a mechanical method of thrusting information into, what are supposed to be, the empty minds of children and adults. According to Tagore, the best textbook is life itself, and nature, of which we are an integral part; so also our cultural heritage and its significance in the ongoing processes of our lives. May be a time has come where our children should be redeemed from their class room routine and ordeals, the so-called education.
The best learning experience in India, to this day, is provided by the dream project called Shantinikethan by Rabindranath Tagore, where a holistic and inclusive approach to education that emphasizes the integration of arts, humanities, and nature is found. At Shantinikethan , the approach to learning is unique, flexible and individualised, unlike the rigid and one size fits all approach we see elsewhere. There is always an effort to avoid rote memorization of learning materials. Students are encouraged to experiment and explore a spectrum of disciplines that includes literature, music, dance, fine arts and social sciences.
The curriculum at Shantinikethan integrates academics with creative arts. The point is, art is not an option that one can opt out, considering it as unimportant or not serious enough. Every student is asked to engage in a wide range of cultural activities, including theatre, music, dance, art exhibitions. Over all, the learning atmosphere at Shantinikethan is characterised by its harmonious blend of nature, arts, education. So, Devi Prasad says, ‘Given the social structure and values nurtured by the so-called modern educational system, which ignores the role of art in the development of the personality of the child, his or her natural creativity tends to end with the beginning of adolescence. If that quality in children is to be retained, the educational system that exists today must be totally overhauled, nay, revolutionized. (Devi Prasad in ‘Art: The Basis of Education’)
From pre-historic times, humans have tried to communicate their inner world and world around them, not through words or any other medium but through scribbling on cave walls. Scribbling or doodling is one of the most basic means of human expression, exploration, and understanding of world around us. Children do it spontaneously and it’s not simply being playful, but an activity by which they express what is within them and their way of communicating their inner world to the world around them. We need to place art (whether, fine arts, music, dance or theatre) at the core of our education. It fosters a deep appreciation for beauty, cultural diversity and interconnectedness of all knowledge.
There is an anti-aesthetic movement that we find among the people who indulge in terrorism. The best example we find today is the destruction of works of art at museums, mosques, churches and archaeological sites by the ISIS. Rot learning or mugging up of anything, be it secular or religious materials can only create monsters out of our institutions. Aesthetic sensibilities (like art), are to be given the importance that it deserves in order to mould individuals who are integrated and well balanced.
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