Editor's Introduction

My objective in this introduction is two-fold: first, to outline Tagore’s journey as an educator, and second, to explain the aims, scope and structure of the book. In the first part, I will address Tagore’s educational ideas, how and when he embarked on his pedagogical mission and how, in the course of his journey, his vision developed from a nationalist stance to one of constructive globalism or cosmopolitanism. I will also briefly explain the major drawbacks of the colonial school system that existed when Tagore established his centre of education. In the second part, I will focus on the book’s content and structure and discuss the relevance and significance of the ideas presented.