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Kinza Ghanchi

Zoya Mirza

SS100: Writing and Communication

5th November 2019

Breaking Free of the Chains of the “Educational Factory”

A Critical Response to Rabindranath Tagore’s “To Teachers”

Repulsed by the thought of practical work from a young age (41), Rabindranath Tagore

has always been closely connected to the arts. Thus his aggressive support for an education

system that promotes creativity and free thinking comes as no surprise to the average reader.

With “To Teachers,” a lecture published in his account of his trip to China, Tagore offers us deep

insight inside the mind of a Nobel Prize winning literary genius. By contrasting the thought

processes of children and adults, he presents the “educational factory” (41) as a system highly

unsuitable to the sensitive responsiveness that children withhold. This back-and-forth structure,

dotted with the author’s own personal experiences, builds upon the ethos as well as pathos of the

argument, allowing each tidbit of Tagore’s life to become an essential tool in the criticism of

“man’s most cruel and wasteful mistakes” (42) today.

Immediately starting off with the event of dropping out of school at the age of thirteen

(41), the author draws upon his own schooling experiences to identify everything wrong with

education systems today, labeling them as, “unnatural pressures ... prevail[ing] everywhere”

(41). Contrasted against these rigid conventional institutions is something equally as flexible and

carefree, i.e. the quickness of the child’s subconscious (41). Tagore then continues to devote a

large chunk of the essay to this comparison, continuously referring to how the enthusiastic

approach of the child is slowly weakened at the hands of discipline and order that reside within
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the surrounding educational structures (41). Slowly, the author begins to throw light upon a

possible solution to these deep-rooted problems. Easing into an ideal system that caters to the

freedom of the child’s mind, Tagore then introduces us to “Visva-Bharati” (43), his own

interpretation of a “free” institution that allows thinkers of all ages and cultures to unite. Thus the

discussion of Visva-Bharati triggers a larger, overarching purpose within the essay, viewing

education systems as a force that has the power to bring together people of different ethnicities,

races and cultures (43).

What makes Tagore’s argument so effective, more so than the content, is the structure

within which he has placed his content. While the author’s stance may be aggressive, the

technique with which he presents this stance is quite the opposite. Slowly luring the reader into

his essay, the writer begins with an in-depth analysis of the child’s mind and how it is “sensitive

to the influences of the world” (41). Tagore then goes on to establish that due to their constant

eagerness to learn and absorb new ideas, children are able to grasp abstract concepts quickly,

allowing their transition into reality to be smooth (41). Suddenly the focus shifts to darker

imagery, specifically that of the, “‘education factory,’ lifeless, colorless, dissociated from the

context of the universe…” (41). Here, the tone of the author has developed from being relaxed,

and perhaps even comfortable, to a much more mundane, dull, and almost uneasy attitude. A

notable switch here can be seen in Tagore’s use of diction, moving from softer, calmer words

such as “easy and joyful” (41), “without any strain” (41), and “abstract” (41) to harsher, tougher

language, for example, “fettered” (41), “kills” (41), and “hailstones on flowers” (42). Thus by

placing two paragraphs of highly contrasting tones one after the other, the author is able to

maximize the impact of his argument upon the reader. As Tagore brings forward the stringency

and firmness of the educational factory right after his discussion of the flexibility and
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responsiveness of children, the disadvantages of present school systems become apparent to the

reader, and the incompatibility of current academic structures against the needs of children starts

to look strikingly obvious.

Furthermore, Tagore continues to use the organization of his points to his advantage,

taking us back and forth between conflicting ideas multiple times. For example, the

“purposefulness, which belongs to the adult mind” (42), clashes against “nature’s purpose” (42),

that is the ability to learn from our surroundings as opposed to artificial concepts created by man

himself. The next comparison then focuses on adult thinking; Tagore explains how adults seem

to have no time for life’s lessons as their thoughts are clogged at the hands of everyday concerns

(42), hence their only focus seems to be the “shortest path to success” (42). On the other hand,

the later paragraph once again redirects us towards the agility and swiftness of childish thinking,

how children are consistently open to new notions and always learning (42). As a result of

Tagore’s clever arrangement of concepts, a back-and-forth movement is created throughout the

text. What that means is, for every paragraph explaining the compatibility of childish thinking

with informal education systems, there is another paragraph explaining the incompatibility of

childish thinking with formal education systems. In addition, not only are concepts enforced due

to the clashing of themes, but rather, due to the repetition of themes as well. Before starting the

piece, Tagore makes it clear that he will find it difficult to analyze and place his ideal of

education before the audience (41). This statement puts forward Tagore’s dislike towards the

boxing up of ideas, establishing the central theme of fluidity. From here on, throughout the essay

we find images and phrases taking us back to this idea; the “stream of lessons perpetually

flowing from the heart of nature” (42), the child’s “mind that is always open” (42), and the “open

beauty of the sky” (43) are all visualizations that re-emphasize feelings of freedom and calmness.
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Therefore, at every point in the essay, Tagore is able to further reiterate his points, strengthening

his argument and persuading the reader to a much greater extent.

The third literary technique that heightens the impact of this essay is Tagore’s constant

use of personal experiences. The author’s confession regarding his decision to leave school at the

age of thirteen acts as a compelling hook to the piece (41); Tagore swiftly captures the

audience’s attention within the first few lines. Interesting to note here is the author’s choice of

the word, “finished” (41), instead of “drop-out,” or “leave,” a small detail that has the ability to

convey such a detrimental decision as something positive, rather than negative. The writer uses

certain words and phrases within each paragraph; these act as tiny building blocks, coming

together to convey a much larger message, slowly manipulating the audience and luring them

into Tagore’s side of the argument. Moreover, the use of anecdotes serves two significant

purposes. Firstly, they inflate the ethos of the essay: as the author describes his school years as

“unbearable torture” (41), making it clear that he was “forced” (41) to attend, the reader receives

first-hand knowledge of the education system from a source that is exceptionally renowned in the

field today. Hence by giving the audience a look into his school life, Tagore builds up the

credibility of his arguments, providing clear-cut evidence behind his burning ambition to abolish

traditional academic systems, and making his statements more believable. The second purpose of

these anecdotes involves elevating the level of pathos in the essay. While the author has already

made use of pathos multiple times in the course of the text, be it by the dark imagery of the

educational factory which “kills the sensitiveness of the child mind” (41), or the monotonous

visualization of “machine-made lessons” stunting the child’s growth (42), nothing compares to

the effect upon the reader when such implications are made on the author himself. Tagore’s use

of first person to narrate his feelings about his school years acts as a critical tool in persuading
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the audience (41). For example, the continuous use of “I” throughout the third paragraph (41)

puts the reader inside Tagore’s mind, allowing them to experience every emotion that the author

feels, increasing the level of empathy and intimacy between the reader and the writer. Moreover,

whilst other parts of the essay may not make sense to the reader, here the logic of the author is

difficult to question as you are following events from their perspective, adapting to their views

and beliefs. Lastly, the use of personal experiences, particularly in this topic, is extremely wise.

Every individual has felt “the unnatural pressure” (41) of an education system “weigh on [their]

mind” (41) at some point in their life. Consequently, by bringing forward his experiences,

Tagore makes his argument relatable and comforting for many readers who feel what he feels.

In conclusion, Tagore’s attention to detail throughout this essay is what makes his work

so striking; at every point in the piece, strong diction that enforces heavy dark-and-light imagery

is used to enhance the argument. This technique, framed within the over-arching back and forth

structure, becomes twice as effective. Points regarding fluidity and nature are repeated, and

justifications re-emphasized, allowing the reader to take in and absorb each piece of information

to the maximum extent. Finally, Tagore then brings his argument full circle with his arrangement

of ideas; the use of comparison becomes the defining tool in establishing his reasoning.
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Works Cited

Tagore, Rabindranath. Talks in China: lectures delivered in April and May, 1924. Rupa

& Co., 2002.