The Primary Schools

WE may give importance to college education if we like, but if we want education if we like, but if we want education to reach the masses, we should turn it into the thin but pure trickle of Gangotri. After all, the students who pass out are expected to settle down in the villages. Indeed, we have to prepare them with this end in view. It does not matter if we have very few students.

In the end, however, I want to give more importance to the primary schools. We must consider how they should be run. We will be able to do without school buildings; only, we must have teachers of character. The Gurus of yore were such teachers. They taught the students and lived by begging. They would bring in wheat flour and do with it. Of course, they brought in ghee too if it was available. Where these teachers were not good, the education supplied to the students was not quite satisfactory, but where there were good teachers, the education too was of quality. That class of teachers has to-day disappeared. Having good buildings does not help in improving the quality of education given.

— Navajivan : Aug. 3, 1924