One of the famous educational systems practiced in India in ancient times was The Gurukul System. It has always boasted of a rich tradition of learning and education since ancient times. You might wonder what exactly a Gurukul system is? It was a residential schooling system whose origin dates to around 5000 BC in the Indian subcontinent. It was more prevalent during the Vedic age where students were taught various subjects and about how to live a cultured and disciplined life.  During this time, teachers were gurus, and students were known as shishyas. The focus of Gurukul was on imparting learning to the students in a natural surrounding where the shishya lived with each other with brotherhood, humanity, love, and discipline. These lessons were primarily covered by Hinduism and Mathematics. Time has changed and decades have passed since then.

Bringing back such folklore of education, stated as The MODERN Gurukul school. The modern system of education brought to India in the year 1835 by Lord Macauley is all about the rat race to be ahead of others. There is a total absence of personality development, the creation of moral conscience, and ethical training. One of the biggest flaws of this education is that it is more commercial in nature rather than an institutional concept that should impart holistic learning to the students.  Present-day education mainly focuses on a rank-based system that is driven by animosity towards their peers. More fuel is added by the over-ambitious parents who judge the knowledge of students only by academic performance.

The application of the Gurukul system instead can work with a value-based system where the focus can be given to the uniqueness of the child so that they can excel in their area of interest. This will also build a good character which is far away from fierce competition and increased stress levels that usually lead to depression. Gurukul has never tagged the child, we never suppress them, they never disappoint them, they never pressurize them, they never do anything which kills the child’s creativity. A large part of the Vedas is dedicated to traditions, cultures, and rituals. Preservation of the literary and cultural traditions was necessary.

Education was the means to pass traditions to the next generation. Hence, the students were taught that they owed three debts — to the gods, to the past gurus, and to their ancestors. Many people may consider the Gurukul system to be quite unstructured and a bizarre concept. The thought of living with a teacher, the absence of a curriculum, or a set routine can make people wonder how exactly a child will learn anything? In today’s modern-day educationalist has taken a backward look and realized that there are many teaching approaches from the Gurukul system that can be inculcated in the present-day educational system. Overall, the idea of inculcating a Gurukul system in Indian education has been just to assist the children in understanding the concept of a balanced life.