Mahatma Phule as Champion of Gender and Social Inclusive Education: Special ob His Birth Anniversary 2026
- Lalit Kishore
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
On the occasion of the Mahatma Phule Jayanti in 2026 (Apr 11), I share my paper which was to be presented at a conference at Kurukshetra University in 2025, which described him a champion of the cause of women’s education and social justice.
Towards Truth Seeking Society via Phules' Community Based Schooling: Equity and Inclusion Insured
Lalit Inshore, Chairperson, BNS-NGO & Commonwealth CASTME-India Adviser
Chaksu Block. Jaipur (Rajasthan), Email: lalit_culp@rediffmail.com
Abstract
The education model developed by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and his wife Savitri Phule combines two elements of education, namely, community based schooling aiming social transformation and feminist pedagogy stressing group learning. In a society full of diversity and varied learning styles of children, the model emphasizes learning with community inputs in a non-competitive learning environment emphasising group learning as a part of classroom processes. The model has been tried in small school settings with vertical grouping with community as the main stakeholder in organizing and monitoring the school. An adapted model has been tried for running bridge schools in project mode earlier on early 2000s in rural Jaipur and Tonk districts. However, the problem is the mainstreaming such a model though in project mode it seems to work well. The content analysis of the reports on the Phules' model indicates the success of the model in educational activism format. The implication is that unless the teacher education courses train the prospective teachers in the Phules' model, it could be mainstreamed and can work as a viable model in small school settings in remote and tribal areas. Since, the NEP-2020 promises universal school education through flexibility, innovation and creativity, there seems to be the need of institutionalizing Phules' education model among the children of marginalized and remotely located communities.
Keywords: Community based education; educational activism, feminist pedagogy, Phules’ educational model, small schools, social transformation
Introduction
An internet access (Wikipedia, n. d.), abstraction of AI Overview and information from other sources (Jadadav, 1986; Sperandio, 2018) indicate that Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, was born in the Mali caste family was initially educated at a Marathi school and later attended an English medium missionary school in Pune. He had been a socially sensitive and keen student. When he grew up he realized that gender and socially equitable education was a crucial tool for bringing about social justice and equality and advocating for universal access to education. As a social activist, he championed education of the deprived and oppressed lower-caste children and empowering marginalized community for education of girls.
Consequently, Jyotirao Phule and his wife, Savitribai Phule, became pioneers in promoting women's education among the lower caste communities in Maharastra. They opened the first girls' school in Pune and later at several others places. Backed by the success of the schools with child-friendly learning environment through person insights and community mobilization as a social activist. Then he along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes and to promote education as a tool for social reforms. He conceptualized a philosophy of education for the marginalized community and turned his efforts into a movement in spreading education as a human right as equitable and inclusive education universally accessible irrespective of caste, creed, religion, sex, or disability. With gaining his maturity in his thoughts as social and educational reformer, Phule wrote extensively on social and political issues, advocating for the upliftment of the oppressed and the eradication of the caste system (Phule, 1991).
Shrama (2018) writes a brie bio-note on Phule in his blog, “Jyotibai phule born on 11 April 1827 at village near Pune. His family was into flower trade since many generations. He taught wife Savitribai Phule to read & write using branches of tree under shade of tree. As first female teacher of India she used to go to villages for teaching children free of cost. Savitribai Phule had to carry multiple sets of dresses with her as people used to throw cow dung, stone at them. Even Brahmin girls studied in her school. They opened 18 schools, free hostel & Agriculture University. Phule was not against Brahmins. Tilak was friend of Phule. Savitribai Phule died while serving plague patients in 10 March in 19th century.”
Methodology
The mixed method of internet research and content analysis was used by culling out and adapting the key lines and phrases about the work of Phule. The objectives of the present study were: (1) To access internet information, and (2) to work out a pedagogical model of school education attempted by Phule.
For content analysis, Holsti (1969) has grouped the analytical outcomes into three basic categories, namely, making inferences about the effects of a communication; making inferences about the antecedents of a communication; and describing and making inferences about characteristics of a communication.
It is held that content analysis is a research tool used to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts for hidden meanings and relationships between them. According to Dovetail Editorial Team (Damyanov , 2023), content analysis can be used to analyze many forms of text, including speeches, lectures and discourses interview and discussion transcripts; newspaper articles and headline; literary works; nonfictions; essays; letters; historical documents; government reports; academic and research papers and music lyrics.
Kishore (2024) expresses the features of content analysis as qualitative research tool in the form of an ABC-poem as follows.
A: Analysing, interpreting and making inferences objectively by identifying special characteristics of messages given in the content of a communicative piece
B: Besieging the purpose and conducting the narrative inquiry of content of a write-up to find out the presence of certain words, phrases. themes, or concepts along with qualitative presence to infer their meanings and relationships between them.
C: Content of a communication is examined objectively, systematically and quantitatively which is both narrative and observational to reveal patterns, meanings, intention and messages contained therein
Analysis
In the light of the first objective the study, the following abstract content as data is being listed as follows: Phule...
· Championed education as a tool for social justice and equality, particularly for women and marginalized communities,
· Believed that education is a fundamental right for all, regardless of caste, gender, or social status.
· Advocated for the spread of inclusive . Saw education as a means to address social inequalities, injustice, and the oppression of women and lower castes.
· Emphasized the importance of both theoretical and practical education, advocating for subjects like mathematics, science, history, geography, language, agriculture, and medicine.
· Suggested that schools should provide education based on vocational skills, believing that such courses would attract students and help them gain employment.
· Pioneered of language formula in schools, advocating for mother tongue (local language), Hindi, and English as the three languages
· Batted for vocational training and multilingual education resonate with modern policies like the new education policy, 2020.
· Quotes: "awaken, arise, and educate".. "All gets lost without knowledge, we become animals without wisdom"... "Education is the primary requirement of man and woman".. 'Lack of education leads to lack of wisdom, which in turn leads to lack of justice.
Kshore (2025) summarises the essence of education and pedagogy of Phule as INSPIRED HAIKU which go as follows.
Education that / Leads to inclusion, justice / Equity is true...Be educated! / Strive to make learning life-long / Shun bestiality ...Be educated! / Education empowers / For social reforms...Social equity / Gender equity can come /Through education...Educate women/ With care-n-share pedagogy /Value diversity! .. Educating girls - / That's powerful tool to change world / 'N great equalizer.../ Shun role reversals / Gender is diversity! / Value feminine gifts!/ .Feminize learning / To change course of history / That is male controlled
The following pedagogical model can be culled out from the foregoing in terms the modern educational science glossary
Figure 1 Pedagogical model of the schools established by Phule
Thus the education model developed by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and his wife Savitri Phule is pedagogically sound and has been tried by a few NGOs as short term projects but it could not be mainstreamed. However, the model combines two elements of education, namely, community based schooling aiming social transformation and feminist pedagogy stressing group learning. In a society full of diversity and varied learning styles of children, the model emphasizes learning with community inputs in a non-competitive learning environment emphasising group learning as a part of classroom processes.
The model has also been tried in small school settings with vertical grouping with community as the main stakeholder in organizing and monitoring the school. An adapted model has been tried for running bridge schools in project mode earlier on early 2000s in rural Jaipur and Tonk districts. However, the problem is the mainstreaming such a model though in project mode it seems to work well.
The foregoing content analysis indicates the success of the model in educational activism format. The implication is that unless the teacher education courses train the prospective teachers in the Phules' model, it could be mainstreamed and can work as a viable model in small school settings in remote and tribal areas.
Since, the NEP-2020 promises universal school education through flexibility, innovation and creativity, there seems to be the need of institutionalizing Phules' education model among the children of marginalized and remotely located communities.
References
Damyanov, M.(2023). What is content analysis?, Dovetail Editorial Team, https://dovetail.com/research/content-analysis/
Guha, Ramachandra, Ed. (2011). Makers of Modern India. Harvard University Press
Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley
Jadhav, M. H. (1986). "Anti-Caste Movement in Maharashtra". Economic and Political Weekly. 21 (17): 740–742.
Kishore, L. (2024). ABCs of Content Analysis Research Tool, Speekingtree.in, 02 January, https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/abcs-of-content-analysis-research-tool
Kishore, L. (2025) Jyotiba Phule Jayanti 2025: Haiku inspired by his life and work https://lalitculp.wixsite.com/website/post/jyotiba-phule-jayanti-2025-haiku-inspired-by-his-life-and-work
Phule, J. (1991). Selections: Collected Works of Mahatma Jotirao Phule Vol II. Mumbai: Government of Maharashtra.
Sharma, N. (2018). Jyotirao Phule : Great Education reformer. Jyotirao Phule : Great Education reformer, https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/soul-702691
Sperandio, J. (2018). Pioneering Education for Girls across the Globe: Advocates and Entrepreneurs, Rowman & Littlefield
Venkatesh, K. (2020). Education for liberation: Exploring Mahatma Phule’s work in education
Wayne, T. K., Ed. (2011). Feminist Writings from Ancient Times to the Modern World: A Global Sourcebook and History.
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