Chapter 3 - Female Education

(Delivered before the Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Girls’ School, George Town, Madras, on 17 th July, 1906)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When your worthy Vice-President explained why this school has been called Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Girls’ School, it occurred to me that this is the most appropriate name by which the school could be styled. There could not have a better name for the Girls’ school in this age, because Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna realized that every woman, whether young or old, is the representative of the divine Mother, the Sakti, the Mother of the universe, Jaganmata. It was he who, for the first time, made it known to the world that every woman should be considered as the divine Mother in flesh and blood. Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, who is now recognized as the Incarnation of Vishnu, made his first teacher a lady.^[1] He was the only Avatara who took a Brahmin lady, the Brahmacharini, as his spiritual teacher. By doing that, he raised every woman to a position which is desired even by the gods. The highest position that can be given to womanhood was given by Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, and he realized that the greatness of our country could be achieved only by educating the young girls, the women of our country. The young girls who are studying here, will become the future mothers and their children will be the future generation. They will be the heart and soul of the Hindu community and of Hindu nation. How important it is for us then, that these girls should be properly trained and educated. Why should more than half of the Hindu population be deprived of all the privileges that come through right education and of the enlightenment that comes through the knowledge of various branches of science, philosophy and religion? They have more right than we have, because they are going to be the mothers of the future generation. You do not realize how important it is for mothers to be well trained. Otherwise, the children will not inherit those qualities which are great and inspiring. If we want to have children, strong and genius-like, we must educate their mothers first. This has been the great defect in our present system of education in India, especially among the Hindu women; but from the vedic period we find that the education of women was highly considered and was given freely, irrespective of caste distinction. If we study the Vedas we shall find that there were ladies who were like Incarnations of Sarasvati such as Gargi, Maitreyi, and others. You will find many female names like Gargi in the vedic literature. Even in the Pur anas, we find that their knowledge and education were supreme, and they were held in great respect, and that they even commanded the male members of the community and guided them; but today we are so negligent about our education that we pay little attention to our young boys and girls. I appeal to the Hindu parents not to neglect this school but to support it strongly and make it a Hindu National Girls’ College, where higher education will be imparted to all the Hindu girls and where some girls will be trained as teachers later on. We need women teachers. It is a mistake to let male teachers teach the girls, because women know their needs better than men. Therefore, the first advice that I can give to the Directors of this school is to train women teachers.

I am very glad to know that you have two woman teachers in your school, but we want two dozen. If we have this number, they will be able to go from one Peta to another Peta and start other schools. If there is any influence brought to bear by the missionary ladies, as has been said, then our Hindu ladies will do better. I also look forward to the time when a principal of a National Hindu College for women will be a Hindu lady. If you go to America, you will be able to see the culture of women. They are like the flowers and blossoms of the twentieth century, and those flowers are very beautiful in every respect. Young girls there do not marry so early as here. They devote all their youth to education. I have seen women 35 years old, pure in character, who are devoting their whole energy to study. They are not willing to be get married, because marriage is considered by them to be the greatest bondage. They are staunch lovers of freedom and knowledge. If you go to public offices and public schools and colleges, there you will find women clerks and teachers more in number than men, and they are the best teachers. In the Kindergarten schools, in Primary schools, in High schools and colleges in America, you will find everywhere women teachers. Why should we not try to train such women teachers among ourselves? Everything is destructive of Hinduism in missionary schools. Nothing there is constructive. It is constructive in their own way, because they try to break the Hindu community. All this should be guarded against. You must unite your energy, and take a stand against such foreign influence. If the parents of the girls do help and encourage such an institution, they would be ruining themselves. It is upon them that the glory of the future generation greatly depends. Therefore, I appeal to all the parents to show proper encouragement without further delay, and help the Directors to erect a large building for this school. I hope that within a short time this school will have thousands of students. I would like to see it growing into a High National College for Hindu women. I thank you all for having given me an opportunity to say these few words.