All of us have read about the history of the Indian education system in schools. Many of us used to be fascinated with the idea of the Gurukul, a residential school where the shishyas (students) would reside in the Guru’s home and acquire knowledge. According to the Guru-shishya tradition, the values of Hindu culture and the values arising out of modernity were inculcated together. The students were not just supposed to learn and memorize the teachings of the Guru. Instead, they lived with the Guru and helped him in his everyday life, even taking up mundane chores. These activities became an essential part of their learning and stood as the basis of the education system.

The insistence on living with the Guru was not just responsible for inculcating values and transforming the mind of the disciple but also contributed to the status of the sacred relationship between the Guru and the shishya. This sacred relationship is seen in the concept of Dakshina, whereby the student acknowledged his debt to the teacher by paying him respect or undertaking a special task assigned by the teacher.

While the Gurukul education system was limited and transgressive in some aspects, it proves to be an effective mode of teaching if modified according to today’s day and age. If we ignore the aspects which seem to be discriminatory in not allowing girls or those from the lower castes to attend the Gurukul, we can devise a modern equivalent for the ancient system which had its goods as well as evils.

The Gurukul system flourished because of its fundamental requirement of staying away from home. Every student, whether he was a King’s son or a normal Brahmin’s child, resided with the Guru and carried out the same tasks irrespective of their station. Inside the Gurukul, children were treated with absolute equality. While the modern schooling system aims to propagate equality within the school premises, the dependence on capitalism disallows it to retain this essence in its full force. There are clear distinctions made between students who are seen as “assets” to the institution, and they are given special treatment. Similar malpractice is asking parents or guardians for donations. Many a time these donations play a part in determining the admission status of the child. Implementing the insistence of the Gurukul system on equality will surely be a good modification to the current education system.

While it is not practical for the students to live with their teachers nowadays, the focus should be on the basic spirit of the Gurukul. The Gurukuls insisted that students derive values from daily tasks, physical labor, and undertaking their own chores. This made them self-reliant and taught them the essence of doing their tasks, no matter how menial. They were educated in various arts, of the mind and the body, and were assisted in their development into open-minded and resolute individuals. Assimilation of this spirit in the modern education system will make the youth an even more useful asset for the country, while also retaining our value system.

Recently, many gurukuls have been opened up here with the aim to uphold tradition and inculcate moral values and ethics in the children. Many researchers have been pondering over the effectiveness of the Gurukul system through these newly established gurukuls. These gurukuls aim to be a proper mirror image of the age-old tradition, however, they have tried their hand at breaking traditional bounds as well. They have done so by allowing women to get access to education based on our ancient scriptures. While this is a laudable step, much more needs to be done to make education efficient for and accessible to all.

It is not surprising that many foreign countries have taken an interest in our rich tradition and system of education and have opened Gurukul-inspired schools abroad as well. The reason for their popularity is their insistence on sticking to cultural values which make an individual stay connected to their roots. Gurukuls used to teach humanity and brotherhood along with imparting knowledge on fine arts and technology. Subjects like science, mathematics, sports, and mantra chanting were deemed important for the growth of the developing mind. The theoretical was accompanied by the practical, a concept that seems to be disappearing from modern education. The current schooling system has become a rat-race of individuals who do not care for anything else other than a façade of success. There is very little focus on the moral, physical, and intellectual growth of an individual as teachers fail to pay the required level of attention to their students.

While the Gurukul system might seem to be bizarre to some, it is essential to realize that it was built on a value-based system that made perfect use of the relationship between the teacher and the students. Its focus was on a balance in life between various extremes, a concept many of us might benefit from if we get to experience it.