The Five Dimensions of Education

The text ‘The Five Dimensions of Education’ taken from Freedom from the Past by Osho, features in B.Ed. 1^st Year’s General English book (Tribhuvan University). The key takeaways from the text are as follows:

• All the past education has been very insufficient, incomplete, and superficial. Not only incomplete, but harmful too because it is based on competition.
• Education up to now has been exam-oriented: what you are learning is not important; what is important is the examination that will come a year later. It makes future important – more important than the present.
• In Osho’s vision, there should not be any kind of examination as part of education, but every day every hour observation by the teachers; their remarks throughout the year will decide whether you move further or you remain a little longer in the same class. What you are doing right this moment will be decisive, not five questions at the end of one or two years. Instead of teachers there will be guides: the guides will tell you where, in the library, to find the latest information on the subject. The teacher should not be imparting knowledge to you; he should be only a guide to show you the right channel, to show you how to use the computer, how to find the latest book. His function will be totally different.

The five-dimensions of education envisioned by Osho are:

1. Informative subjects like history, geography, and language (international language and mother tongue); can be taught by television and computer.
2. Different sciences; can be taught by television and computer but requires more the help of human guide
3. Art of living + sense of humor (love, laughter and reverence for life)
4. Art and creativity: painting, music, craftsmanship, pottery, masonry, etc.
5. Art of dying (meditation), and art of self-defense (martial arts)

• Osho envisions a new commune which will have a full education, or a whole education. All that is essential will be made compulsory and optional too, meaning, one can choose from the many options offered. Once the basics are learned, one will have to learn something one enjoys like music, dance, painting, etc.