Value education is a method of education, a method of prompting learning. Learning is not a passive method of absorption. It includes thinking, reflecting, questioning, feeling, doing, caring, experiencing. Value education, accordingly, is not a method of dictatorial indoctrination of dogmas. Nor is it the straight inculcation of a body of pre-determined ‘right’ values in the learners through moralistic approaches. The aim is not to encourage passive conformity and blind agreement to whatever values are passed on, but to inspireacute and reflective thinking, rational choice and liable behaviour, valuing the independence of the learner. Value education is also education in the sense that it is education for ‘becoming’. It is concerned with the growth of the entire personality of the individual- intellectual, social, emotional, aesthetic, ethical and spiritual. It includesemergingconcern to the good, the right and the beautiful, capability to choose the right values in conformity with the highest ideals of life and adopting and realising them in thought and action. In other words, to ‘value educate’ is to improve rational critical thinking, to educate the emotions, to cultivate the imagination, to strengthen will and to train character of the learner.

                 In the academic sense of the term Gandhi is not regarded as an educationist. But he was a great revolutionary person. He had deeply thought over all the aspects which arerelated with life. He has shown a new path for solution of problems of entire world by placing the universal human values at social and national level. Gandhi provides us with a guideline to advancein the direction of value education. Moreover, if we apply Gandhi’s visions even in the current perspective, they can certainly give a new direction to our education system.<br.
Gandhi expressed his views on the ideal system of education in his language as follows-“Education means all-round drawing out of the best in child and man- body, mind and spirit.” By this Gandhi means all-inclusive improvementof personality. For itself, education becomes the foundation of personality improvement on all dimensions- ethical, psychological and physical.

                While analysing Gandhi’s views regarding value education, one can observe that moral knowledge is the first point on which it is grounded. Any education system that lacks it, cannot be considered as good. Without morality no student, in the true sense, can be measured to be healthy in mental and physical terms. It is because for it self-control and noble character are important. Anindividual, who is not moralist and who does not distinguish between right and wrong, cannot rise to the essential level of a true student.

                 While analysing Gandhi’s views regarding value education, one can observe that moral knowledge is the first point on which it is grounded. Any education system that lacks it, cannot be considered as good. Without morality no student, in the true sense, can be measured to be healthy in mental and physical terms. It is because for it self-control and noble character are important. Anindividual, who is not moralist and who does not distinguish between right and wrong, cannot rise to the essential level of a true student.

                      In order to build up morality in students, Gandhi supported the introduction of religious education.Explaining the significance and necessity of religious education, Gandhi writes in Young India of 6 December 1923: ‘‘Curriculum of religious instructions should include a study of the tenets of faiths other than one’s own. For this purpose the students should be trained to cultivate the habit of understanding and appreciating the doctrine of various great religions of the world in a spirit of reverence and broad¬minded tolerance.”This type of education carries the values of self-control, tolerance and devotion in one’s character. And in order these values are an inseparable part of morality. Gandhi considered the achievement of spiritual developmentas an essential part of education and it can only be attained through morality.

                    Gandhi urged all teachers to conveyappropriate education of morality to students both at school and college levels. He thought that a teacher must lay an examplebefore society and students. This is possible only when he himself leads his life with high standards of morality and strong character. An ideal teacher needs to be polite and must set an ideal example of ‘simple living and high thinking’. Thus it is the primary duty of students as well as of teachers to make it certain that moral knowledge continues to be the essential part of the education process. By doing so, they can contribute in the expansion of value education.

                    Another significant point of Gandhi’s value education is Buniyadi or basic or technical education.Gandhi used the word ‘Buniyadi’ during the 3rd and 4th century. It meant the education that could help rural people in theadvancement of village handicrafts or to establish cottage industries. Actually Gandhi wants to prepare a student for technical knowledge right from the days of his primary level of education. It can prove to be a mile stone in the direction of value education.

                       Moreover, in basic education system it is recommended to impart education through mother tongue. Gandhi, too believed that the foundation of education should be laid through mother tongue. It helps inculcating values like love towards mother tongue and Swadeshi (native).

Again Gandhi definitelythought of imparting education centred on curriculum. As it is already stated, he put emphasis on moral knowledge, which helps in character building as well as physical and mental growth of a student since the very beginning of his education. He clearly understood that without a healthy body, mind could not be developed completely. But Gandhi firmly believed thateducation has no value until and unless itcreates a young man or woman self-reliant.

             This is Gandhi’s view-point regarding Value Education. Its significance lies in the fact that education should certainly be helpful in employment. Moreover its foundations should be grounded on morality.

               However in reality, it is found that now a days our younger generation is directionless. They are overlooking their moral values. It is a failure of our social and education system. Even after spending the golden years of one’s life in achieving higher education, our youths are not self-reliant. There arises questions- how would they be able to get rid of their day to day problems?How would they contribute to their society and the nation? Hence it is a challenge before the youths of this country as well as before the educationist, scholars and persons in the government.

                In order to tackle this problematic challenge, Gandhi’sideas can be of great support. He believed that each children has some distinctivepotentials which can also be characterised as inherited qualities of personality.Therefore at the very primary level the quality and worth of a student should be recognized by his teacher. Besides, a student should attain education according to curriculum and moral guidance and as such also develop his physical strength.

                     Gandhian educational ideas as they contain certain eternal principles, will not lose their ultimatesignificance in the future. The planners should think of a self-supporting primary education, which will develop the lot of the poorest of the poor. Such education system would be grounded on action, problem-solving, and practical activity, instead of mere book learning. An integral education, which permits the entire being of a person to develop, an education which gives importanceon character-building and cultural identity, is always desirable.Yet, whether such an education can be imparted only through the knowledge of a craft, and whether the potential beneficiaries or the state will admit it remains to be seen. It is to be noted here that the Gandhian idealrequiresa built-in mechanism forchallenging the newer and newer technologies that are emerging day by day.Sometimes Gandhian ideal seems to be somewhat planned for a static society in which steady ancestral livelihoodscontinue from generation to generation. However this does not mean that the perennial values that Gandhi promoted will lose their impact. It is everybody’s duty to discover newer and newer techniques to interpret, understand, impart, and live them out.It can be said that Gandhi’s unique and refined views about value education are not only important but are worth applying not only in India but also in the rest of the world. It can be said that Gandhi’s view on value education can be helpful in eradicating value crisis among students if it is applied in the true sense.