Rich Heritage Of Employable Skills Through Kalas Lost in Macaulay Education System

The 64 forms of arts, which are called “Chausat kalas”, were integral elements of the traditional education system of India. Pupils were provided the knowledge about these kalas, which equipped them with the skills necessary to earn their living and become successful. The competencies that individuals developed, by learning the Chausat kalas, ensured that they were able to make great careers without deviating from Dharma.

Singing, painting, dancing, cooking delicacies, metallurgy, and carpentry are just a few of the 64 ancient Indian arts. For a person skilled in any of these kalas, employability was not at all an issue.

But the introduction of the Macaulay system of education in the nineteenth century significantly weakened or destroyed these 64 kalas from the curriculum.

The Macaulay education system in brief
Thomas Macaulay was among the members of The East India Company’s Supreme Council. His first visit to India was in the year 1833. Just within two years after that, Macaulay used his position of power to convince the British rulers in India over a salient aspect. He argued that the traditional Indian Education format needs to be replaced with the English system of education. He maintained that that was in the best interests of the British Empire.

Shortly after that, Macaulay English education was introduced; the medium of instruction compulsorily was English. All forms of governmental assistance to traditional methods of teaching were stopped. The primary objective of the act was to make the Indians lose their cultural identity. It is perturbing to see that Macaulay’s education is continuing even to this day.

Flaws of Macaulay education- Negligence of Chausat Kalas and ancient Indian system
These are some major flaws of the system of education introduced by Macaulay.

• Macaulay’s approach considered Indian Chausat Kalas and the conventional education of India to be of no value in real-life situations. Macaulay’s flawed contention was that it’s only English literature and other subjects taught in Europe that help a student achieve big things.
• The seeds of commercialization of education were first sown by Macaulay almost 200 years back. Indian society is facing the negative effects of that even to this day.
• Macaulay education gives only theoretical knowledge, and it doesn’t emphasize on development of vocational skills of students. These are the skills that help people constructively contribute to both their interests and the welfare of society. Chausat kalas include all the arts that assist students in realizing that objective. But, this English education just pushed them aside, to further the ulterior motives of the British regime.
• In the Gurukul education system, students were taught the basics of all the 64 kalas. It is accepted that Bhagwan Krishna learnt the Chaturdasa vidhyas and Chausat(64) Kalas in Rishi Sandeepani’s Ashram. It is very likely that based on the demand for various skills in the economy, young students learnt in-demand kalas different from their parents for better livelihood.

But, Macaulay de-emphasized the vocation education through kalas. His education neither respects the interests and skills of students nor accepts the fact that the same standards can’t be applied to all pupils. The English method of teaching gives very few choices to students; the children are literally forced to study things uniformly even if they have no capability, interest or talent for that subject.

After India attained Independence, there was the chance of reviving the form of education based on Chausat kalas and the ancient Indian texts. But the government chose to continue with Macaulay’s education. Had it not been so India would have probably been the powerhouse of manufacturing for the global economy.

Suggested Reading:

India at the Time of Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay – A Brief Biography
Demerits Of Macaulay Education System