Ambedkar
and His Views on Education
Dr.
Andrey Shastri
Assistant Professor
Amity University
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh,
India
Abstract: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was one of the
very few Indians, who struggled to restructure Indian society with the most
egalitarian and humanitarian principles. He focused on social and economic
democracy and also insisted that without them there would be no peace, no
happiness and no prosperity in India. He was an ardent supporter of the
cherished values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, his contribution for the
betterment and progress of women is unique and unbeatable. He not only wanted
to ensure social equality between men and man, but also focused on equal status
and dignity between man and women.
Undoubtedly, it can be said that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a savior
of the suppressed classes, a noted jurist, who architecture our Indian
constitution and a profound scholar, a daring leader, and
overall, a multifaceted personality, and lastly but not least the massiah for
the downtrodden and underprivileged section of Indian society.
Keywords:
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Education, Indian society, Downtrodden and
underprivileged section of Indian society
INTRODUCTION:
Ambedkar in one of his thoughts says,
If you want to develop the society then
you need to spread up the education. Education eradicates the bias of people
which results on to minimize the exploitation, domination, of those people who
try to take the benefit of the so called illiterate people. If the people get
knowledge through education then they can face the problems created by the
dominators. Education reforms opinions, it tries to remove the walls built
among the people. The biggest gift that is given by the education is that it
creates self confidence among us which is considered as the first stage of our
development.1.
Ambedkar
furthermore explains that the work without knowledge is totally unfruitful. He
was of the opinion that when people do work without education it is just like
to waste human power as it is of no use. Education has been the social
privilege of the society in India.
The
improvements in education, however, which most effectively contribute to
elevate the moral and intellectual condition of a people, are those which
concern the education of the higher classes—of the persons possessing leisure and
natural influence over the minds of their countrymen. By raising the standard
of instruction amongst these classes you would eventually produce a much
greater and more beneficial change in the ideas and the feelings of the
community than you can hope to produce by acting directly on the more numerous
class. You are, moreover, acquainted with our anxious desire to have at our
disposal a body of natives qualified by their habits and acquirements to take a
larger share and occupy higher situations in the civil administration of their
country than has been hitherto the practice under our Indian Government.2
Ambedkar always
focused on education, because by education we can defend to any problem in
life. Beyond being a great economist and great architect, he was great
educationist also. While comparing life with competition, Ambedkar in one of
his speeches addresses that,
The people don’t sustain in the struggle
of life until they get educated. Since that they get caught in the clutches of
social problems such as insult, suppression and desecration. So it is the duty
of the existing government to accelerate by providing education.3
The view of education according to Ambedkar as
he stated that,
Education is a weapon of creation of
mental and educational development, weapon of eradication of social slavery of
economic development of political freedom.4
While stressing
on the need of education he puts forth the demand of law of compulsory
education. He knew that the problem of primary education is the problem of
nation. As earlier the education which was started by the Britishers as it was
subjected to very confined upper class and did not focused on the primary
level. While keeping on view the idea on primary education the compulsory
primary education act was made forcibly to implement. As the focus was made on
primary education as it was must for everybody.
He in the conference of Mahabaleshwar
held on May 31, 1929 addressed that
The problem of the spread of primary
education is the most dominating one. In the present days these countries who
bear the maximum Dalit illiterates don’t sustain in the competition of life.
The spread of primary education is the base of national development. It will
take more time if the spread of primary education is dependent on the interest
of common people. So it needs to implement a compulsory Act of primary
education.5
Compulsory Primary Education Act has
made a most extravagant change in the administrative machinery for the control
of primary education. Hitherto the control and management of Primary Education
was entrusted to the Provincial Government and the whole of the expenditure on
primary education was defrayed out of Provincial revenues except a small grant
by the Local boards amounting to one- third of their revenues from certain
defined sources. Under the compulsory primary education act the position is
reversed. The control and management of primary education is now entrusted to
district school boards (which are committees of district local boards) and
instead of the local boards giving grants giving grant to the district school
boards. Such extravagant and wild was the spirit in which this change was
conceived that the act gives to these school boards power to appoint its own
executive officer--- a privilege which is denied even to such an advanced
corporation as the municipality of Bombay.6
So what Ambedkar
wished through this speech was that there should not be the only making of
several Act of education but what actually it needs is to be with effective
implementation and also with positive results. But actually, the position of
our education system is in the hands of those who don’t know about it. Well
Ambedkar always says that the government must take care of moral responsibility
of education that it shouldn’t be very costly so that the poor of our country
should get free education so that the country should gain its achievement very
soon.
EDUCATION AS A MEANS OF EMANCIPATION
Born in 1891 into a Dalit (formerly
"untouchable") family, Ambedkar faced severe caste-based
discrimination from an early age. He was often made to sit separately in school
and denied access to water or equal treatment. Despite these humiliations, his
determination to learn never waned. He went on to earn multiple doctorates from
prestigious institutions like Columbia University and the London School of
Economics. His educational journey was not just a personal achievement but a
radical act of resistance against the deeply entrenched caste system.
Ambedkar believed that education was the primary means
of achieving social and political freedom. For him, knowledge was power—power
to break the chains of caste, to fight inequality, and to build a just society.
He famously said, “Cultivation of mind
should be the ultimate aim of human existence.” Education, in his
vision, was not just about literacy but about critical thinking, social
awareness, and moral responsibility.
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH KNOWLEDGE
One of Ambedkar’s most famous slogans was: “Educate, Agitate, Organize.” This
tripartite call to action emphasized that education must lead to awareness, and
that awareness must lead to collective action. Ambedkar saw education as a
prerequisite for meaningful participation in democracy. He believed that only
an educated citizenry could challenge injustice and demand their rights.
For the Dalit community, education was a pathway to
dignity and self-respect. Ambedkar established several educational institutions
and scholarships to promote learning among the oppressed. He also urged the
state to take responsibility for providing free and compulsory education,
especially to the marginalized sections of society. His advocacy laid the
groundwork for many of the affirmative action policies that India has today.
AMBEDKAR'S
EDUCATIONAL RELEVANCE
Ambedkar's
educational relevance lies in the fact that he identified knowledge and power
as the main elements in the construction of modernity in India. Ambedkar's
project of educating the Dalits began when he started the fortnightly 'Mook
Nayak' in 1920. His mission was revealed through publications of various
magazines and journals, representations to government and related bodies for
passing of legislatives helpful to promote the education of the depressed classes.
He mainly wanted to help the depressed class of people who were denied from
education, including women also. It finally culminated in the establishment of
schools, colleges, hostels and other educational institutions under the aegis
of the People's Education Society which established in 1945. Ambedkar wanted
that the Dalits first to be awakened so that, they should become aware of their
own social realities also about their social rights, and the basic elements
which were helpful in their development. Therefore, Ambedkar wanted the Dalits
to develop consciousness among themselves and thus become educated or self
reasoned of their conditions and to act upon accordingly to emancipate
themselves. All his efforts then concentrated on educating the Dalits. He urged
the government's road to education must be open to all including -males as well
as females. As Ambedkar was much concerned about the development of women.
Education is the fountain head for the advancement of any society. Ambedkar encouraged untouchable youth to acquire
education in order to raise their social status and image among themselves and
also in society.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
He
believed that, lack of education was the main cause for the backwardness of
poor people. Educate, agitate and organize are three final words of our savior
which was mainly stressed by him. According to Ambedkar one must get educated
before he is conducting agitated thoughts for the movement, so that people can
organize with his support. A singular role that Ambedkar played in the
upliftment of the untouchables in the early 20th century and the importance
that he gave to modern education for their betterment deserves special
emphasis.
After the
several years of Independence, Indian government realized the importance of
thoughts of Ambedkar and wanted to bring them into reality. If a country wants
to sustain their existence in modern period, then it needs to have an proper
and effective educational system which could benefit to every section of our
society. When this educational system becomes effective, then only the
scientific and technical development will be possible. If the base of primary
education is weak, then what is the use of higher education?
Hence to remove
all these obstacles central government declared ‘Right to Education’ as a
fundamental right from April 1, 2010. On the occasion of this day, it felt that
the ‘dream’ of Ambedkar came into reality when the prime minister of India
declared that the right to education is one of the fundamental rights to
everyone irrespective of any caste, religion, creed, sex. It could be achieved
by anyone. When we study about ‘Right to Education Act 2009’, then we found
that it has many similarities of Ambedkar’s thoughts with the provisions in it.
This “Right to
Free Education Act 2009” has been implemented since April 1, 2010 (No.35 of
2009).”7. There are some provisions of this Act which shows its
roots in the thoughts of Dr. Ambedkar:
1) The Act makes
free and compulsory education to all children of India at the age between six
to fourteen.
2) No child
should be held or expelled or required to pass board examination until the
completion of elementary education (up to eighth class).
3) It provides
25% reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in all private and
minatory schools.
4) There should
be combine education both for boys and girls and there should be no
discrimination.
5) The financial burden will be shared
between state government and central government on the basis of ‘Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan’.
Thus, from the
provisions which made in “Right to Education Act” it proved that the thoughts
of Ambedkar of before independence are now brought in reality as in the form of
‘Compulsory and Free education Act’ in India as to bring children in the flow of
education and it can be used by a large numbers of people. Ambedkar had already
suggested that right to education should be compulsory and while implementing
this government and central government have to make compromise of revenue among
them.
Apart from these
Dr. Ambedkar highlights on higher education system. According to him,
The education in university should be
society oriented. It should be scientific and away from prejudice, it should
not be limited with the benefit of certain classes in society. He also adds
that the aim of education is not only to teach thermos but it should enable to
teach them how to develop the personality, to increase their intellectual
capacities…8
In another
speech Ambedkar says that,
In the present system university has
given very less powers to control the colleges. For him in spite of power of
discipline, rejection of approval of college, university needs more powers. If
these powers are endowed to University then the colleges will be treated neatly
under the supervision of university…”9
However, when we
see the statute of university, we come across the various powers endowed to
university. By the result of this we have management council, Senate, Academic
council and various faculties of university.
CONCLUSION
In short,
whatever Ambedkar had wished in his time now it was brought in reality in
modern period to make India a powerful country in terms of education through
the different Acts in terms of education. Ambedkar’s educational thoughts seem
to be the milestones for present situation. Moreover, it can be said that under
the obligation of Dr. Ambedkar India is going to become a world power through
intellectual human resources which are brought only through education. Dr. Ambedkar
emphasized on practical value of the things. His ideas and educational
doctrines have been successfully demonstrated through the age, sex, through the
best educational system of the world and their cherished ideals have already
been incorporated directly or indirectly into educational system of modern
India. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s unwavering belief in the power of education remains
one of his most enduring legacies. He saw education as both a right and a
responsibility—a means to personal growth and collective empowerment. In a
world where inequality persists in new forms, revisiting Ambedkar’s vision is
not only relevant but essential. His life reminds us that education is not just
about individual success, but about transforming society. To truly honor his
legacy, we must strive to make education inclusive, critical, and
liberating—for every child, from every background. Dr. Ambedkar philosophy has
great ideas for practical fulfillment and these ideas have the relevance to
modern society.
References
1. Anjanikar Bhagwan. Thoughts from Siddharth
College papers, Vidya Upasak Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (Trans.), Nanded, Nirmal
Publication, 1999, page 23.
2. Dr. Babashaeb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Vol.
2, compiled and edited by Vasant Moon, First Edition by
Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra: 14 April, 1982. Re-printed by Dr.
Ambedkar Foundation: January, 2014.
3. Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, (Trans) vol. 19, Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar’s Biography means publishing committee, Mumbai, 2005, page 283.
4. Dr.
Lulekar Pralhad. Anant Pailuncha Samajik Yoddha, (Trans.) Pune, Sayas
publication, 2011, page 77.
5. Ibid
, page 77
6. Narendra
Kumar and Sukhadeo Thorat, B. R. Ambedkar
Perspective on Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies, Oxford University
Press, 2008.
7. The
Gazette of India, New Delhi, August 2009, part 2.
8. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Speeches and Thoughts,
(Trans.) ed. Dr. Dahat Dhanraj,
vol.2, page 142-143
9. Ibid.