Class 12 CHSE Odisha Education: Chapter 1 - Foundations of Education
I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
The term 'Education' is derived from the Latin word 'Educare' which means:
a) To lead out b) To bring up or to nourish c) To draw out d) To instruct
Answer:
b) To bring up or to nourish
Explanation:
'Educare' refers to the act of bringing up or nourishing a child, emphasizing external guidance.
Which of the following best describes the 'narrow meaning' of education?
a) Lifelong learning process b) Learning in informal settings c) Instruction received in schools, colleges, and universities d) Development of innate potentialities
Answer:
c) Instruction received in schools, colleges, and universities
Explanation:
The narrow meaning of education is typically confined to formal, institutionalized schooling.
The aim of education that focuses on making an individual a productive member of society, capable of earning a livelihood, is the:
a) Individual aim b) Democratic aim c) Vocational aim d) Cultural aim
Answer:
c) Vocational aim
Explanation:
The vocational aim specifically prepares individuals for specific occupations or professions.
Which of the following is considered an informal agency of education?
a) School b) Library c) Family d) University
Answer:
c) Family
Explanation:
Informal agencies like the family provide education implicitly through daily interactions and experiences, without a formal curriculum.
A primary function of education is the transmission of culture. This means education helps in:
a) Developing critical thinking skills only b) Preserving and passing on traditions, values, and knowledge to the next generation c) Promoting social change at a rapid pace d) Focusing solely on individual achievements
Answer:
b) Preserving and passing on traditions, values, and knowledge to the next generation
Explanation:
Education plays a crucial role in ensuring that cultural heritage is maintained and transmitted across generations.
Distance education programs or vocational training centers providing specific skills are examples of which type of agency of education?
a) Formal b) Informal c) Non-formal d) Active
Answer:
c) Non-formal
Explanation:
Non-formal education is organized and systematic but flexible and often geared towards specific learning objectives outside the traditional formal school system.
The agency of education where the teacher acts as the primary instructor and the learner is primarily a receiver of knowledge is termed as:
a) Active agency b) Passive agency c) Formal agency d) Non-formal agency
Answer:
b) Passive agency
Explanation:
In a passive agency, the learner's role is largely receptive, with little direct interaction or active participation in guiding the learning process.
II. Short Answer Questions (SAQ)
Differentiate between the narrow and broader meaning of education.
Answer:
Narrow Meaning:
Education is restricted to formal schooling, involving a fixed curriculum, specific institutions (schools, colleges), and a defined time period. It emphasizes intellectual development and certification.
Broader Meaning:
Education is a lifelong process that begins from birth and continues until death. It includes all experiences, formal or informal, that contribute to the development of an individual's personality, character, and capabilities. It happens everywhere – at home, in the community, through media, etc.
Briefly explain any two aims of education.
Answer:
Individual Aim:
This aim focuses on the holistic development of the individual's innate potentialities – physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. It emphasizes self-realization and enabling the individual to lead a fulfilling life.
Social Aim:
This aim emphasizes developing individuals who can contribute positively to society. It focuses on instilling social responsibility, cooperation, civic sense, and adapting individuals to the social environment for the betterment of the community.
What are the main functions of education? (Mention any three)
Answer:
The main functions of education include:
Transmission of Culture:
Education preserves and transmits the accumulated knowledge, values, customs, and traditions of a society from one generation to the next.
Development of Personality:
It helps in the all-round development (physical, mental, emotional, moral, social) of an individual's personality.
Preparation for Life:
It prepares individuals for various roles in life, including professional careers (vocational function), civic responsibilities, and personal well-being.
Social Control and Social Change:
Education helps in maintaining social order by transmitting norms and values, and also acts as an agent of progressive social change by introducing new ideas and fostering critical thinking.
Define Formal and Informal agencies of education with examples.
Answer:
Formal Agencies:
These are organized and structured institutions specifically established for the purpose of education. They have a defined curriculum, fixed time table, trained teachers, and specific rules and regulations.
Examples:
Schools, Colleges, Universities.
Informal Agencies:
These are institutions or places where education occurs incidentally, without any conscious or deliberate effort. Learning happens naturally through daily experiences, interactions, and observations.
Examples:
Family, Peer group, Community, Playgrounds.
III. Long Answer Questions (LAQ)
Discuss the meaning and various definitions of education. Elaborate on the individual and social aims of education.
Answer:
Meaning and Definitions of Education:
The term 'Education' is derived from Latin words:
Educare:
meaning 'to bring up' or 'to nourish', implying external nurturing and guidance.
Educere:
meaning 'to lead out' or 'to draw out', implying the development of latent potentialities from within the individual.
Definitions:
In a Narrow Sense:
Education is formal instruction given in institutions like schools and colleges, with a fixed curriculum, timetable, and examinations. It's often equated with schooling.
In a Broader Sense:
Education is a lifelong process of growth and development of an individual from birth to death. It encompasses all experiences, knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired from family, community, media, and formal institutions, leading to continuous personality development.
Philosophical Perspectives:
Mahatma Gandhi:
"By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man – body, mind and spirit."
Swami Vivekananda:
"Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man."
Aristotle:
"Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body."
John Dewey:
"Education is the process of living through a continuous reconstruction of experiences."
Aims of Education: Aims of education are crucial as they provide direction and purpose to the educational process.
Individual Aim (Development of Personality):
Focus:
This aim prioritizes the holistic development of the individual's inherent capacities and potentialities.
Key Aspects:
It stresses physical, mental, emotional, social, moral, and spiritual growth. The goal is self-realization, leading to a well-balanced and integrated personality. It believes that if individuals are fully developed, society will automatically benefit.
Proponents:
Thinkers like Rousseau ("Education is for the child, not the child for education") and Pestalozzi supported this view.
Critique:
Critics argue that an overemphasis on individual development might lead to selfishness or disregard for social responsibilities.
Social Aim (Social Efficiency and Adjustment):
Focus:
This aim emphasizes preparing individuals to be efficient and responsible members of society.
Key Aspects:
It focuses on instilling social values, fostering cooperation, developing civic sense, promoting adaptability to societal norms, and contributing to the welfare and progress of the community. Education is seen as a means to achieve social solidarity and continuity.
Proponents:
Durkheim, John Dewey (who balanced individual and social aims), and many sociological thinkers advocated for this aim.
Critique:
Overemphasis on the social aim might suppress individual creativity, freedom, and lead to conformity, potentially hindering innovation and personal growth.
Conclusion: A balanced approach is ideal, where education fosters individual excellence while simultaneously preparing individuals to be socially responsible and contributing members of a democratic society.
Classify and explain the different agencies of education. Discuss the role of family and school as primary agencies.
Answer:
Classification of Agencies of Education:
Agencies of education are institutions, organizations, or groups that directly or indirectly influence an individual's learning and development. They can be broadly classified as:
Formal Agencies:
Definition:
Deliberate, systematic, and organized institutions established specifically for providing education. They have a defined curriculum, structured environment, qualified teachers, and specific aims.
Characteristics:
Planned, structured, time-bound, curriculum-bound, certified.
Examples:
Schools, colleges, universities, professional training institutes.
Informal Agencies:
Definition:
These are agencies where education takes place incidentally and spontaneously through daily experiences, interactions, and observations, without any conscious or pre-planned effort.
Characteristics:
Unplanned, unstructured, lifelong, natural, no fixed curriculum or teachers.
Examples:
Family, peer groups, community, playground, religious institutions, public opinion.
Non-Formal Agencies:
Definition:
These are organized educational activities outside the traditional formal system, designed to provide specific learning to particular target groups. They are flexible in terms of curriculum, time, and methodology.
Characteristics:
Organized, systematic, flexible, target-group oriented, often non-certifying or providing specific certificates.
Examples:
Distance education programs, adult literacy classes, vocational training centers, coaching centers, NGOs providing skill training.
Role of Family and School as Primary Agencies:
Role of Family (Informal Agency):
First Educator:
The family is the child's first school and parents are the first teachers. It lays the foundation for all future learning.
Moral and Social Development:
It inculcates basic moral values, discipline, manners, habits, and social skills (sharing, cooperation).
Emotional Development:
Provides love, security, and emotional support crucial for a child's psychological well-being.
Language Acquisition:
The primary environment for learning the mother tongue and basic communication skills.
Cultural Transmission:
Transmits family traditions, customs, religious beliefs, and cultural heritage informally.
Personality Shaping:
Plays a significant role in shaping personality traits, attitudes, and worldviews.
Role of School (Formal Agency):
Systematic Learning:
Provides structured and systematic learning of academic subjects (reading, writing, arithmetic, science, social studies).
Cognitive Development:
Develops intellectual skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and creativity.
Socialization:
Acts as a miniature society where children learn to interact with peers and adults, understand rules, and develop social skills beyond the family.
Vocational Preparation:
Offers specialized knowledge and skills, laying the groundwork for future vocational choices and careers.
Cultural Preservation and Innovation:
Systematically transmits cultural heritage, but also introduces new knowledge, ideas, and fosters innovation.
Democratic Values:
Inculcates values of equality, justice, liberty, and fraternity essential for democratic citizenship.
Holistic Development:
Aims for the all-round development of a child's physical, mental, emotional, and social faculties.
Conclusion: Both family and school are indispensable agencies of education. The family provides the initial emotional and value-based foundation, while the school builds upon this foundation by providing structured learning, intellectual development, and broader societal exposure, ensuring a holistic upbringing.
IV. Fill in the Blanks
The word 'Education' is derived from Latin words 'Educare' meaning
to bring up/to nourish
and 'Educere' meaning
to lead out/to draw out
.
Education aims at the
all-round/holistic
development of a child.
Formal
education is characterized by its systematic and planned curriculum.
The
Family
is considered the first and most fundamental agency of informal education.
Mass media, like television and the internet, are powerful agencies of
informal
education.
V. True/False
The broader meaning of education implies lifelong learning.
(True)
Vocational aim of education focuses primarily on character building.
(False - It primarily focuses on preparing for a livelihood; character building is part of holistic development but not the main focus of 'vocational' aim specifically)
Libraries are examples of formal agencies of education.
(False - Libraries are generally considered informal or non-formal agencies that support learning, but are not formal educational institutions themselves.)
Mass media serves as an active agency of education because it deliberately intends to educate.
(False - Mass media is generally considered a passive agency as the learner passively receives information, though they can be active in seeking it out. It's an informal agency as it's not structured like a school.)
Democratic aim of education emphasizes the development of civic sense and social responsibility.
(True)
