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independence country. The condition turned into a more serious condition with British’s policy to build school for the sake of their own government. A long time
waiting for independence made the Indian people lost their hope. They despair of their destiny. Such condition forced the Indian to do bad things, a moral
derivation. They chased opportunity to get a better job in British government’s
office as the government officers. Therefore, The Child Angel
implicitly draws Tagore’s expectation on classroom which is conducive for the children. Along with Tagore’s expectation,
Montessori in Palmer, Bresler, Cooper 227 states her idea about a classroom which is able to make one feels safe, secure and loved. Thus, Tagore realizes his
idea in his school in Santiniketan. In this school, the students feel free to learn everywhere.
The last, Tagore expects parents’ participation in child’s development. Tagore draws
his idea using the representation of “bosom”. Child is the part of the family, so the family must love, guide, protect the child, and provide conducive
situation to grow. Driyarkara states the importance of family in chapter two. Driyarkara’s idea is about the same as that of Tagore.
2. Tagore’s View of Education Reflected in When and Why
Tagore’s When and Why presents the characteristics of The Crescent Moon. It has the child as the character of the poem. Considering the poet’s background as
a teacher, the writer finds some of Tagore’s view in this poem. Since Tagore has a school, called Visvabharati, there must be many students he has. For that reason,
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the writer prefers to use the word student. So, the writer regards the child as the poet’s students. The writer starts the discussion from the Tagore’s idea which is
generally seen in the poem as a whole. Then, the discussion continues to Tagore’s view in each stanza.
In general, the writer sees When and Why as a poem which has nature as its background. They are clouds, water, flowers, waves, morning light, and summer
breeze. Each of them symbolizes knowledge that can be obtained from the nature. In each stanza, Tagore states that he is able to learn many things from the nature.
Tagore uses nature to show that he can learn from the nature. He learns from the clouds, water, flowers, waves, morning light, and summer breeze. Then,
considering Tagore’s background, the writer finds that the poem conveys a message that teaching can be done in many places.
In addition, Tagore also learns from his students. In When and Why, Tagore states his idea that education is not merely a transferring knowledge of teacher-
student but also in contrary. In each stanza, Tagore states some knowledge that he obtained from the students. The discussion about the things that Tagore learns
from the students will be stated in incoming paragraph. Starting from the first stanza, the poet gives
a clue about the students’ world. The poet presents colorful world of the students. He uses the symbol of toys. Toy
is the symbol of something that the child usually plays with. Toy is also something that makes people fun. This symbolizes that his students are children
who need something fun. As a teacher, Tagore feels that the teaching learning activities must be fun and interesting. Then, Tagore compares toy to the color of
51 water, flower and clouds. Each of the nature’s symbols has its own meaning.
Water symbolizes hope. It is the poet’s expectation towards the child as his
students. He wants them to be the hope for their country. Flower symbolizes the colorful world. It represents the students’ world that is so colorful. In contrary, the
poet symbolizes the situation around the child as the clouds which symbolize the gloomy world. In conclusion, the poet feels that his students are the hope for his
nation and they have colorful life that must not be destroyed though the situations around them are not good.
In the second stanza, the poet gives an idea that teaching-learning process must be conducted in a harmony and the students need guidance from the
teachers. Tagore uses the symbol of song and dancing as the symbol of harmony. The uses of song and dancing are influenced by India’s tradition. In dancing, the
Indian mostly uses accompanist to support the dancing so that the dance will be seen more beautiful. Like the combination of song and dancing which creates
harmony, teaching must also be in the harmony of teacher and students. Another harmony stated in the representation of music in leaves and waves that its voices
come to the heart of the earth. Teacher and students must work together as a team. This situation creates a closer relationship between students and teacher.
The third stanza gives another character of the students. This stanza, gives an idea to the writer that Tagore draws the students’ character which is greed and
selfish. This character is represented in the use of “greedy hands” which refers to the students. For that reason, the writer concludes that his students are children.
They are human beings who are not yet adult. In the milieu of children, human PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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beings are usually greedy. They want everything for them. However, the children are the sweetest and the most beautiful creature in the world. Tagore symbolizes
their beauty on flower and their sweet on the fruits. The students’ character is an irony. In one side they are greed and selfish but in another, they are sweet. The
representation of Tagore’s students gives a message that the teacher should be aware of the students’ behavior. The teacher must treat the students differently but
in the same opinion that the students must be taught in affection. The fourth stanza gives three ideas about education. The first, it conveys
idea that the students are God’s gift. Tagore realizes it when he writes that there is a pleasure streams from the sky. The representation of pleasure from the sky is the
symbols of God’s presence. The second, this stanza conveys message that the students are the hope. Tagore draws his message on the symbol of summer breeze.
Summer is often symbolized as a new hope. Looking at Tagore’s life background,
which he had travelled around the European country, the writer concludes that it is used as the background knowledge to write the poem. Another symbol to show
that the students are the hope is the representation of morning light. Morning and summer has the same connotation as hope. The third is about affection in
education. The poet represents his affection by kissing the students. “Kiss” implies the meaning of love. Many poets and writers use the word kiss to
symbolize affection or love to other. Thus, the message is that the students need affections from the teacher. The best love of all is the love of parents to children,
so hopefully the teacher could love hisher students as heshe loves hisher children.
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In conclusion, the wr iter states some of Tagore’s view of education as he
stated on When and Why . First, the students are the nation’s future. So, the
teacher must teach them with affection. Second, every student has its own character that arise teachers’ awareness in treating them. Third, there must be
harmony in teaching learning activity so that the goal is accomplished. The last, Tagore teaches that classroom is not the most important thing in teaching as stated
by Chakravarty quoted from Tagore that creating an atmosphere is more important than classroom teaching 215.
3. Tagore’s View of Education Reflected in Benediction
