Beyond the image of Swami Vivekananda as a valiant monk, social reformer, thinker or philosopher, his words and writings continue to hold a profound place in contemporary society and civilisation. He did not
view education merely as conventional, curriculum-based learning or the accumulation of information. According to Vedanta philosophy he developed his teaching ideology. For him, “Education is the manifestation
of the perfection that already exists in man.” In other words, he believed that true education is not something imposed from outside, but a process of unfolding what is already within. In his view, the true purpose of education was to
create and develop people as people of character. He placed particular emphasis on the education of women, as he believed that the root of many societal problems lay in the lack of genuine education. According to him, if women received
the right kind of education, they would be able to solve their own problems independently. For this reason, he repeatedly stressed the importance of women becoming self-reliant or self-dependent. Vivekananda felt that conventional
education only contributed to financial or material advancement. Instead, he insisted it mustbe elevated to the level of spiritual development. He saw education as the fundamental means for the holistic progress of humankind. In this
lies the originality and enduring relevance of Vivekananda’s educational philosophy.
