Secularism and its relevance to education

Secularism and its relevance to education

1. Secularism and Its relevance to Education Presentation by Dr. Syed H ayath Basha, Ph.D. Department of Education Aligarh Muslim University Centre Malappuram, Kerala-679340 Mob: [phone] Email: [email protected]

2. Various meanings of Secularism in Various Languages Malayalam Meaning മതനിരപേക്ഷത (Matanirapeksata) Hindi meaning धर्मनिरपेक्षता (dharmanirapekshata) Telugu meaning లౌకికవాదం ( Laukikavādaṁ ) Urdu meaning لادینیت

3. …Continued. According to Chamber’s Dictionary, “Secularism is the belief that the state morals, education etc, should be independent of religions”. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Anything non- spiritual, having no connection with religion or spiritual matter, any thing that is distinctly opposed do not connect with religious or ecclesiastical thing temporal as oppose to spiritual or ecclesiastical”.

4. The  British  writer  George Jacob Holyoake  (1817–1906) coined the term "secularism" in 1851

5. The original text of the  Preamble , (before the  42nd Amendment ) of the Constitution

6. Various definitions and views on Secularism According to Vinoba Bhave, “The days of religion and nationalism are gone, the days of science and spirituality have come”. According to Holyoake, “Secularism is a system which seeks the development of physical, moral and intellectual nature of man to the highest possible point as the immediate duty of life, which inculcates the practical sufficiency of natural moralty apart from atheism, theism or the Bible, which selects as its methods of promotion of human improvement by material means”.

7. …Continued. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Anything non- spiritual, having no connection with religion or spiritual matter, any thing that is distinctly opposed do not connect with religious or ecclesiastical thing temporal as oppose to spiritual or ecclesiastical”. According to Oxford Dictionary, “Secularism means the doctrine that morality should be based solely on regard to well-being of mankind in the present life, to the exclusion of all the considerations drawn from belief in God”.

8. According to Brubacher , “Secularism has no religious point of view while it has a theory of moral education. B.R.Ambedkar: “All that secular state means is that this parliament shall not be competent to impose any particular religion upon the rest of the people”. S.Radhakrishnan : “Secularism does not mean anything irreligious or atheism or even stress on materials comforts, rather it lays stress on the universality of spiritual values which may be obtained by a variety of ways”. Mahatma Gandhi: “ The soul of religion is one but it is engaged in a multitude of forms. Wise men will ignore the outward crust and see the same soul living under a variety of crusts”.

9. Concept of Secularism The real concept of secularism is that the sate shall not impose any religion on people and it should pay equal respect to all religions. George Jacob Holyoake (13 April 1817 – 22 January 1906), was a British secularist, co-operator, and newspaper editor. He was the first man to use the term ‘secularism’ to restructure a pluralistic society based on democracy and tolerance where equal opportunities were to be given to all, irrespective of caste ,creed, colour ,race or culture. The term secularism has been derived from the Latin word , Seculum meaning “this present age” or “this present generation”.

10. History of Secularism in India Emperor Ashoka was the first great emperor to announce, as early as third century B.C. that, the state would not prosecute any religious sect. In his 12th Rock Edit, Ashoka made an appeal not only for the toleration of all religion sects but also to develop a spirit of great respect toward them. He pleaded for restrain of criticism of other religious sects. He asked people to become perfect in the scriptures of other religions. The religious tolerance expressed by Ashoka more than 2,300 years ago has been one of the cherished Indian Social Value. Ashoka’s secular outlook is one of the landmarks not only of Indian civilisation but also of the human civilisation itself (Yerankar, 2006). Even after the advent of Jainism, Buddhism and later Islam and Christianity into the Indian soil, the quest for religious toleration and coexistence of different faiths continued.

11. …Continued. The spirit of secularism was strengthened and enriched through the Indian freedom movement too. In the initial part of the Indian freedom movement, the liberals like Sir Feroz Shah Mehta, Govind Ranade , Gopal Krishna Gokhale by and large pursued a secular approach to politics.

12. …Continued. The Mughal emperor the great Akbar also to a great extent promoted the policy of toleration of different religions. His propagation of Din-e- Illahi (Divine faith) and Sulh -e- kul (Peace with all) were highly inspired by the spirit of secularism.

13. Constitutional Provisions Article 28 states that, “ No person attending any educational institution recognized by the state or receiving state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such situation or any premises attached thereto unless such person is a minor or his guardian has given his consent thereto”. Article 25,28 and 30 of the Indian Constitution emphasise the concept of secularism. The idea Secularism is one of the fundamental aspect of the Indian has no national religion and it provides all religions with equal opportunities. Two of the great Indian leaders, Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, were principal advocates of secularism. Their ideology of secularism was based on commitment to the principles of brotherhood and truth, and respect for all individuals. They practised these values and set examples before the people. Pandit Nehru was a leading supporter of the concept of the secular state. His proposal and efforts for making India a secular state is acknowledged as one of his greatest achievements. He disliked any kind of relation between religion and politics. He wanted to transform India into a Nation State that would embrace people of all castes and religions without any discrimination.

14. Secularism relevance to Education Secularism in education means making public education free from any religious dominance, especially in its learning environment. Those institutions which dominance, especially in its learning environment. Those institutions which impart pure religious education should be brought to the national mainstream by adding new scientific and technological knowledge to the curriculum of these institutions. What ever religious tenets are taught to students ,they are judged on a scientific basis.

15. What is the significance of Secular Education in India? To fulfill the requirements of democratic India. To strengthen secularism and human relationship in India. To inculcate in the youth social, moral and cultural values. To train the youth to be good citizens. We need secular education due to the erosion of values, narrow mindedness, selfishness etc. Equality, liberty, fraternity, national outlook and international understanding need to be propagated. Communalism and regionalism are on the increase. India is a multi religious and culturally varied society.

16. Role of Teacher promoting values of secularism by creating relevant opportunities and encouraging children of different castes, communities and religions to celebrate, appreciate, and respect each others’ festivals, cultural practices and ways of life. can establish and nurture cordial feelings among people belonging to different cultural backgrounds. Should create an atmosphere for integration and mutual co-operation. Trips to different centers of religious study. A particular religious faith should not be emphasized. Celebration of festivals of different religions. Religious instructions from different religions with stories and models from epics. Teaching effectively to promote values through subjects. A well planned syllabus containing essential moral values.

17. References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism#/media/File:Holyoake2.JPG retrieved on 16.2.2018.

18. Thank you