51. To Kakasaheb Kalelkar

Kartik Vad 3 [November 14, 1924]

BHAISHRI KARA,

After writing an article for the Kelvani issue I have started thinking more about children's education. Can't we try it on the Ashram children? That is, if the ideas stated their appeal to you. A child calls a pot a pot, but he does not draw a picture of it. Similarly he may read the alphabet but may not draw pictures of the letters. A child hears a new word before he reads it and he pronounces it or rather repeats it as he hears it. Why should't we stop Lakshmi, Rasik and the other children from writing and teach them first to draw? Could we not give them a good many things orally? Just now they should use the hand for drawing only. For this the teacher should know the rudiments of drawing. I am going deeper into the subject and hence stop here. For the present just think over it. More when we meet.

Blessings from,
BAPU

Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XXV p. 324

1 Original in Gujarati
2 Dattatreya Balkrishna Kalelkar (1885-1981) - Educationist, writer and constructive worker; a close associate of Tagore and Gandhiji; awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1964.