Education is a unique medium for bringing in social changes. But due to social changes, there arises a necessity of introducing changes in the educational system also.
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It is one of the main duties of education to equip man; with the power and abilities with the help of which he may adjust himself in the ever- changing social environment Education should develop a liberal attitude in man towards social changes.
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But this liberal attitude does not mean that he should accept the social changes blindly. He has to make his attitude fully scientific. In a progressive society, researches, investigations and experimentations have to be encouraged.
Towards this goal educational efforts have to be directed. Thus our educational system has to be purposive. It is important to exercise the necessary control on social change, because sometimes some change may be also harmful for society. Therefore bad social changes must be checked in order that social evils may not spread.
Education has to be made a tool for preventing the spread of social evils and blocking their source of origin. Through these tool good points of old traditions and culture may be safeguarded and in place of bad old ones new progressive types may be encouraged. All the social institutions should take the help of education in effecting a balance between various social changes.
It is not necessary that whatever social changes man brings in for making his life happy will be necessarily helpful to him in the ultimate analysis. However, education is the best means for implementing the changes that he desires.
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That is why it is said that education is the dynamic side of our philosophy or ideas. Through education man brings his thinking on the right track and gets a direction for proceeding further. If the efforts are helpful to the society, they should be accepted; otherwise the same should be rejected.
Therefore a thinker and philosopher should use education for making man’s life purposive. Education is the best means for full development of man. Whatever goals of life are determined by society they should be corresponding to the age, experience and environment of the individual in general.
Only then a right direction will be available for social change and progress. The goals of education should be such as to suit to various stages of development of the individual. The goals for one stage of development may not be congenial to another stage. For example, the goals Fixed for the primary stage may not be helpful for the secondary stage of education or for adult or old age of man.
Material culture is also developed through education, but the social elements allied with the material culture have to be transformed through education wherever necessary. For example, language development is not possible without education.
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Language is an element of non-material culture. Language is the best means for interaction of various ideas. Therefore education may develop non-material culture as well.
Education establishes a relationship between knowledge and new investigations and researches. From this it becomes clear how the new knowledge will affect the human life.
For effecting a social changes education acts in two ways:
1. To safeguard the material and non-material elements of culture, and
2. To encourage new investigation pertaining to material culture and to introduce new ideas in social life
Thus education safeguards, develops and spreads the material and non-material elements of culture it is through education that we acquire skill for our successful social life. Education helps an individual in his all sided development and it also makes him social. As a result an individual becomes helpful for society and he contributes towards desirable social changes.
Social change is necessary for development of human society. This social change is brought out by man through education. This social change is brought out by those men who consider the necessity of bringing change.
Social changes come through cultural change without any pre-determined plan. For such a type of social change, a definite direction must be given and goals should be laid down for the same. Only then, that social change may be good for human society.
Educational institutions do the following things in this relation:
1. To create consciousness in the people for the necessary social change.
2. To prepare such leaders who may understand the necessity of introducing desirable social changes and may devise ways for bringing in the same.
It is very necessary to understand the necessity of a particular social change. There are many people who do not understand the meaning of good government, good economic measures for production and distribution, good devices for protection of health, meaning of good moral conduct and good means of recreation.
It is education that may guide the people in these matters. How to fulfill the legitimate need of the people? Education must answer this question properly. The co-operation of the people is necessary in this. Through a well organized educational system it may be possible to elicit the cooperation of the people.
In the beginning the public opposes any social change. Even good social changes are rejected in the beginning. Generally, we very much hesitate in throwing out our old and useless shoes. Even after realizing that a particular social change is good for society, we hesitate in accepting it.
If through education people are told why a particular social change is necessary and what benefits it will yield to society, then people will gladly accept the change.
It is through education that co-operation of all may be obtained for a particular social change.