Plato's Educational Theory

     Plato's Educational Theory

Brief Introduction of Plato's life

Plato was born in 428-BC and lived up to 347-BC, around 81 years of life, in Athens city of Greece. He was a philosopher of classical Greece and founded his academy in Athens, which is considered the first institution of the western world that imparted higher learning. He was the most influential and pivotal person in the development of western philosophy.

  Plato’s educational theory:

Plato held education in high esteem and gave utmost importance to education to transform one’s life. According to Plato, education was the only great thing in the world to bring positive changes in one’s behavior as well as in one’s outlook of life. He set higher objectives of education and supported state-controlled education.

i. The objectives of Plato's educational theory

As a philosopher, he has his lofty thought about everything and, indeed, he thought very highly of education in terms of its objectives. According to his views, the primary function of education is not only to put knowledge in one’s soul but to bring out his hidden talent and make him useful to the state and society. The purpose of education is to prepare those bodies with souls directed towards the good and well-being of his ideal state.

ii. State-Controlled education

Plato considered buy and selling knowledge as a heinous crime, and that is why he was against private education. He proposed that the government must take children in its custody and raise them in an environment conducive to their nature and needs where they could cultivate physical and moral health to achieve virtue (virtue means excellence in an ancient Greek) and to become the just member of the state. The primary purpose of this policy was to negate the notion of individualism, incompetence, immaturity, and establish an effective and efficient rule.

iii.  Influence on Plato's Educational theory

In Athens, where Plato lived, education was private, but in Sparta, it was controlled by the state. He was very much influenced by this notion of state-controlled education and adapted it in his theory. Spartan’s education system was, however, only limited to physical competence and lacked literacy. He, then, mingled both Spartans and Athenian's system of education to produce both physically and intellectually healthy people to run the state.

iv. Characteristics of the theory

Plato’s education was for all and sundry, regardless of gender and it was a state-controlled education. The education aimed to provide future servants for the state and to produce virtuous intellectuals among future rulers. It also glorified courage and military skills among warriors and to develop competent, obedient, and temperate workers. It tried to create social disposition among all citizens and to train the character of citizens to control their appetites and subordinating the senses to reasons.

v. Organization and curriculum of the theory  

Plato’s education was tertiary as it was divided into three stages.

·       Elementry

In this stage of education, both boys and girls would study together until the age of 18, where they will study mathematics, literature, poetry, and music.

·    Secondary    

The secondary phase of education included military training. For the next two years, the student has to attain physical education and the best students would be selected for the higher studies to become the ultimate and just rulers.

·   Higher Education

In this category of education, only students from 20 to 35 years would be enrolled, and those who have gone through the first two stages successfully. These are the future guardians who would receive education in mathematics music and literature. At the age of 30, they would start studying philosophy and 35 they would enter upon a minor administrative post before a major one.

vi.  Teaching Method

At the elementary level, Plato proposed that teaching should be as close to playing as possible while upon reaching the higher level, the reasoning faculty of the students should be through the process of thinking and abstracting.

    Criticism on Platonic Theory of Education

According to critics, Plato proposed education for all at the elementary and secondary levels. Still, for higher-level, only those students can qualify whom he considered being fit for the job of guardianship which is profoundly undemocratic. He also thought of the working-class inferior to the ruling class, which is against the fundamental human right to equality and human dignity.

Along with this, he thought that Greek literature is unsuitable and improper for the educational source and desired to curb excessive freedom of speech. This thought was also against human nature as human nature celebrates literature in its all forms and want to find escape in it. Again, the curbing of freedom of speech is a fundamental human rights violation.

Critics also termed his theory unpractical as he laid more stress on mathematics alone, while ignoring basics and much-needed subjects like law, military principles, and finances.

            Be The Best Of Whatever You Are

                                                                                                            By Douglas Malloch (1877 - 1938)

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
  Be a scrub in the valley — but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
  Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
  And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass —
  But the liveliest bass in the lake.

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
  There's something for all of us here;
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
  And the task you must do is near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
  If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail —
  Be the best of whatever you are.

What the poet wants to tell us?

In this poem, Douglas Malloch motivates us not to be ashamed of our job status. Because not everyone is the same or has the same talent and capability to perform the same job. But everyone has got a different life situation, opportunity, and talents. Not everyone goes on the same path as others. So, we all end up having a different job.

Thus with the use of suitable figures of speech, he compares different jobs and the persons who can perform their job. Or by chance, you have landed on a specific job; you have to be the best in it. The success or failure is not by the size of your personality or the job you have but by the way you perform it. If you are the best in your job, you will definitely be recognized and appreciated. So, the job description does not matter as every job is important and necessary to run the machinery of the world. But it is highly significant to your satisfaction and success that you do it with vigor and with a full heart. Thus, you will be the best of whatever you are.

What is poetry?

Poetry is a genre of literature that gives expression to those feelings and emotions that we feel. It also gives words to those feelings which we feel but do not know and cannot give an outlet to it. It also conveys those thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a variety of ways. Sometimes it takes the form lyrical poetry while in other, a free verse in a drama or narrative story in epic poems.

Poetry represents themes as diverse as life itself. We can learn a lot from poetry as it alludes to historical events, natural phenomena, religious teaching, and life experiences. It also widens one's thoughts and understanding of different hidden aspects of life by exposing us to various mystical and metaphysical worlds by creating and conveying those situations that an ordinary man cannot even think of.

  

Owing to its highly subjective nature, the definitions of poetry are as subjective and various as the poets themselves. According to Mathew Arnold, poetry is "simply the most delightful and perfect form of utterance that human words can reach”; It is, “a criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the laws of poetic truth and poetic beauty.” 

According to Wordsworth, poetry is, "The spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity." 

Sigmund Freud considers poetry and poets as masters of ordinary mind and says "Poets are masters of us ordinary men, in the knowledge of the mind, because they drink at streams which we have not yet made accessible to science." He further adds that " everywhere I go I find that a poet has been there before me"

Paul Engle says that "Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words."

W.H Auden has given a very detailed and significant definition which covers almost different aspects of poetry and tells us about the nature of the poetry. He says, "One demands two things of a poem. Firstly, it must be a well-made verbal object that does honor to the language in which it is written. Secondly, it must say something significant about a reality common to us all but perceived from a unique perspective. What the poet says has never been said before, but, once he has said it, his readers recognize its validity for themselves."

Robert Frost has his own definition of his poetry as he says, "Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."

Another romantic poet  Percy Bysshe Shelley has defined poetry in his peculiar words as, "Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar."

Another great romantic writer John Keats considers poetry as "Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself, but with its subject."

So, by studying all these definitions one can easily find the subjective nature of poetry. These definitions of known and great poets made it clear that poetry is as subjective and has a wide domain as life itself. Because poets are inspired by there surrounding nature and circumstances of immediate life.

What is CSS and who can appear in it?

What is the CSS exam?

CSS is the abbreviated form of "Central Superior Services" a prestigious competitive examination in Pakistan which is held in mid-February every year. it is conducted by Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) Islamabad for the recruitment of candidates to (BPS-17) posts in Federal Bureaucracy in various groups.

Candidates are allocated to the following groups in federal bureaucracy:

1. Pakistan Administrative Service
2. Foreign Service of Pakistan
3. Police Service of Pakistan
4. Pakistan Customs
5. Commerce and Trade Group (CTG)
6. Inland Revenue Service of Pakistan
7. Information Services of Pakistan
8. Military Lands & Cantonment
9. Office Management and Secretariat Group
10. Audit and Accounts Service
11. Postal Group
12. Railways (Commercial & Transport) Group

The pattern of the CSS Exam:

The pattern consists of three stages which are Written part, Psychological+ Medical Assessment, and Viva Vice.

Written Part:

The written part of CSS consists of 12 papers of 1200 marks. Of which 6 papers are compulsory and carry 600 marks. For the other 600 marks, one has to select subjects from the syllabus provided by FPSC.

The Federal Public Service Commission has issued a syllabus for the subjects which are to be examined. The syllabus includes almost all the subjects which are taught in Pakistan's universities. these subjects are further divided into groups, keeping their relevance and course contents in view. The subject groups are divided so that one can a variety in subject selection. One can select subjects carrying 200 marks from each group. For example,  if you select a subject which carries 100 marks then you can select another subject of 100 marks from the same group. But if you select a subject from a group which carries 200 marks then you cannot opt for more subjects from the very same group. so, each group allows you to select subjects of 200 marks.

Compulsory subjects:

English Essay

English Precis

General Science and Ability

Pakistan Affairs

Current Affairs

Islamiyat

These subjects are compulsory and all candidates must appear in these papers. One cannot opt to change it. However, non-muslims can opt for a Comparative Study of Major Religions instead of Islamiyat.

Compulsory Subjects are of 600 marks. Each Subject carries 100 marks and passing criteria for compulsory is 40% (40 marks).

For optional subjects, you can select the subject of 600 marks from the syllabus according to your aptitude and interests.

Psychological Assessment test:

Those candidates who qualify written part are called for Psychological assessment. The psychological test consists of a personality test in which questions are given and to be answered by candidates in yes/no or Agree/partially agree/disagree. The psychological pattern often varies to suit the need. After the test, a short interview is conducted by a panel of psychologists to further observe the overall personality of a candidate.

Viva Vice:

Viva Vice is the final round of this prestigious exam. The viva is conducted by a panel of learned men of other fields and bureaucrats. The questions are most of the asked in optional subjects and it lasts, normally, up to 20 minutes.

Allocation of candidates:

Those candidates who successfully qualify all these stages and comes in the orbit of merit are then allocated to various groups in Pakistan's bureaucracy. The allocated candidates are jointly trained in Civil Services Academy Lahore

Eligibility

Education: Bachelor's Degree with no less than 2nd division

Age:          From 21 up to 30 years. If you are a government servant or from backward areas, you can claim 2 years of relaxation.