1. Swami Vivekananda and Women’s Education
Organised by
Swami Vivekananda Saardh Shati Samaroh Samiti
In collaboration with
Narayanamma Institute of Technology & Science for Women
Prof. Vasudha Kamat
Vice Chancellor
SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
National Seminar on
Swami Vivekananda: Vision
for Women's Development

2. Agenda
 Swami Vivekananda: A great Visionary
 Swamiji’s thoughts on Education
 Swamiji’s thoughts on Women’s Education
 Women’s Education: Present Status
 Contribution of Women’s Universities
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3. Swami Vivekananda
http://www.slideshare.net/edusparx/vivekanandas-ideas-on-education
 Born in 1863 in Calcutta as Narendranath Dutta
 He found his Guru in Sri Ramkrishna
Paramhansa
 Shot to fame at Chicago‟s Parliament of Religions
in 1893
 Died in 1902 at a young age of 39 years and left a
treasure of writings and inspirational thoughts.
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Background

4. Swamiji defines education as “the manifestation of the perfection
already in man”.
According to him, manifestation indicates a spontaneous growth
provided that the impediments are removed.
He explains the term „perfection‟ as the goal of actualizing the
highest human potential.
Education in Man-making
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

5. 1. Capacity which means the acquisition of a specific
characteristic or competence that makes learning possible.
2. Propensity of doing something when the opportunity comes
- implying the development of learning.
3. Capability, the competence of working towards an intended
outcome with the strength of getting rid of obstacles to
learning. It implies self-development or self-empowerment.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education
Swami Prabhananda’s interpretation of ‘Perfection’ in
Swamiji’s definition of education
http://www.sriramakrishna.org/admin/bulletin/_bulletin_1ed16b7a2592fb853a358d57913fb6594766d551.pdf

6. In the spiritual sense, education is the process of
discovering the capacity, propensity and capability of a
human being to realize own soul‟s ever-perfect nature.
In the secular sense, education is the process of bringing
out in a human being the capacity, the propensity and
the capability of self-development and self-
empowerment in order to be self-reliant with a spirit of
philanthropy and courage.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education
Swami Prabhananda’s interpretation of ‘Perfection’ in
Swamiji’s definition of education

7. Swamiji urges, …
… we want the education by which
 character is formed
 strength of mind is increased
 the intellect is expanded
 one stands on one’s own feet
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

8. Education is not the amount of information
that is put into your brain and runs riot
there, undigested, all your life.
We must have life-
building, manmaking, character-making
assimilation of ideas.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

9. Swamiji delineates moral and ethical education as:
 Help and not Fight
 Assimilation and not Destruction
 Harmony and Peace and not Dissension
Each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet
preserve his individuality and grow according to his
own law of growth.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

10. Swamiji said,
I see it before my eyes, a nation is advanced in proportion
as education and intelligence spread among the masses.
The chief cause of India‟s ruin has been the monopolizing
of the whole education and intelligence of the land by dint
of pride and royal authority, among a handful of men.
If we are to rise again, we shall have to do it by spreading
education among the masses.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

11.  Give them (masses) ideas. That is the only
help they require. Then the rest must follow.
 the medium of instruction should be the
mother tongue. The ideas must be taught in
the language of the people.
 Create a cult of learning among them to
sustain the education they received.
 Impart training in life skills, trade, commerce
and agriculture.
Swamiji’s pedagogical suggestions
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

12.  the self-sacrificing monks should go to the
villages and teach them the secular subjects as
well as religion and thus spread education from
door to door.
 „Why should not education go from door to door,
say I . . . If a ploughman‟s boy cannot come to
education, why not meet him at the plough, . . .
just wherever he is?‟ said Swamiji.
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Swami Vivekananda
Swamiji’s pedagogical suggestions
Thoughts on Education

13.  physical culture
 aesthetics
 classics
 language
 religion
 science and technology
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Subjects of study
Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

14. language :
Although Swamiji was of the
opinion that mother tongue
is the right medium for
social or mass education,
he prescribes the learning of
English and Sanskrit also.
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Subjects of study
Swami Vivekananda
 physical culture
 aesthetics
 classics
 language
 religion
 science and technology
Thoughts on Education

15. Swamiji presses the need for the eradication of
poverty, unemployment and ignorance.
“… We need technical education and all else which
may develop industries, so that men, instead of
seeking for service, may earn enough to provide
for themselves”.
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Swami Vivekananda
Subjects of study
Thoughts on Education

16. In Swamiji‟s view, for the development of
a balanced nation,
we have to combine the dynamism and
scientific attitude of the West with
the spirituality of our country.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

17. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose wrote:
“Swamiji harmonized the East and the West,
religion and science, past and present. And that
is why he is great. Our countrymen have gained
unprecedented self-respect, self-reliance and
self-assertion from his teachings.”
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Education

18. “There is no chance of the welfare of the world
unless the condition of women is improved.
It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing.”
Swamiji
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Swami Vivekananda
Women Empowerment

19. Swamiji declared that the western ideal of womanhood is
wife, while the eastern ideal is mother.
“The very peculiarity of Hindu women which they
have developed and which is the ideal of their life, is
that of the mother …”
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Swami Vivekananda
Women Empowerment

20. It is very difficult to understand why in this
country so much difference is made between men
and women, where Vedanta declared that one and
the same Self was present in all beings.
Women must be put in a position so that they
could solve their problems in their own way.
Women in statesmanship, managing territories,
governing countries, even making war, have
proved themselves equal to men, if not superior.
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Swami Vivekananda
Women Empowerment

21. Whenever they have had the opportunity, they have
proved that they have as much ability as men, with this
advantage – that they seldom degenerate.
They keep to the moral standard, which is innate in their
nature.
And thus as governors and rulers of their state, they
prove-at least in India far superior to men.
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Swami Vivekananda
Women Empowerment

22. The main objective of his scheme of women's
education was to make them strong, fearless,
and conscious of their chastity and dignity.
According to him, for women, problems can
be many but none that cannot be solved by
that magic word „education‟.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Women’s Education

23. He was emphatic that women must be
educated, for it is the women who mould
the next generation, and hence, the
destiny of the country.
Therefore, in Swamiji‟s educational
scheme for India, the uplift of women and
the masses received the highest priority.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Women’s Education

24. To make a beginning in women‟s education,
his argument centred on chastity because it
is the heritage of Hindu women.
He said, daughters should be supported and
educated with as much care and attention as
the sons.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Women’s Education

25. He prescribed an education that would create
“great fearless women – women worthy to
continue the traditions of Sangamitra, Lila,
Ahalya Bai, and Mira Bai.
For him development of true ideal of
womanhood was the primary goal of education.
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Women’s Education
http://samyukta.info/site/node/320

26. Swamiji emphasized women studying
religion, science, art, housekeeping, cooking,
sewing, hygiene, etc. along
with, japa, worship and meditation.
He said, “Ideal characters must always be
presented before the girls to imbue them
with a devotion to principles of selflessness.”
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Swami Vivekananda
Thoughts on Women’s Education
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Calcutta: Advaita Ashram

27. 9/29/2013 Prof. Vasudha Kamat, Vice Chancellor, SNDTWU 27
Bharat Ratna Maharshi Karve
Thoughts on Women’s Education
Women as a class have different
functions to fulfill in the social economy
from those of men…both national and
social economy require that women
should occupy a station of their
own, distinct from that of men.

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Japan Women’s University
Thoughts on Women’s Education
“Our aim in establishing Women‟s University is
neither to copy the higher institutions for
women in America and Europe nor to rival the
men‟s university courses in this country. We
aim to frame our study to suit the mental and
physical conditions of women at present…”
Mr. Naruse (1901)

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Asian Women’s University
Thoughts on Women’s Education
“This residential university will focus on
helping women to become innovative leaders in
their fields and promote intercultural
understanding and sustainable development in
Asia and other parts of the world.” (2008)

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Women’s Universities in India
SNDT Women‟s University 1916
Sri Padmavati Mahila Vishwavidyalaya 1983
Banasthali Vidyapeeth (1935) 1983
Mother Teresa Women‟s University 1984
Avinashllingam University for Women 1988
Karnataka State Women‟s University 2003
BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya (1936) 2006

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In Asia and Africa
Ewha Women‟s University (Korea) 1886
Japan Women‟s University 1901
Seoul Women‟s University 1919
Philippine Women‟s University 1919
Asian Women‟s University (Bangladesh) 2008
Women‟s University in Africa (Zimbabwe) 2002

32. Enrolment of women in higher education
(2009-10)
Total Women %
1,46,24,990 60,80,373 41.6
7 Women‟s Universities till XI Plan
20 more will come up in XII Plan
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Women Enrolment

33. Swamiji‟s vision for Women‟s Education and
present globally emergent issues related to
women‟s education need to be addressed
especially by the Women‟s
Universities, Women‟s Colleges and
institutions of higher learning….
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Next Step

34. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (1959), Vol. II,
IV, V, VII Calcutta: Advaita Ashram
Maheshwari V K and Shastri Veena Swami Vivekanand -
Education of women
http://www.scribd.com/doc/51163064/SWAMI-
VIVEKANAND-EDUCATION-OF-WOMEN
Sanyal Bikas C. (2012) Revisiting Educational Thoughts
and Actions of Swami Vivekananda
http://www.sriramakrishna.org/admin/bulletin/_
bulletin_1ed16b7a2592fb853a358d57913fb659476
6d551.pdf
Usha K. B. (2009) Swami Vivekananda On The Women
Question http://samyukta.info/site/node/320
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References

35. Thank You
Prof. Vasudha Kamat
Vice Chancellor
SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
vc@sndt.ac.in