REIMAGINING EDUCATION THROUGH INDIGENOUS WISDOM: A REVIEW OF THE PARROT’S TRAINING BY G. N. DEVY

Abstract

Education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge; it also involves developing critical consciousness, creativity, and cultural identity. In The Parrot’s Training (2022), the distinguished Indian scholar and literary critic G. N. Devy traces the historical and philosophical background of education in India. Drawing on Rabindranath Tagore’s fictional story, “The Parrot’s Training,” he critiques the colonial inheritance shaping today’s educational institutions. He argues that the present system fosters rote learning, uniform assessment, and bureaucratic control over imagination, experiential learning, and cultural diversity. Using a multidisciplinary approach, he advocates an education system based on indigenous knowledge systems, linguistic plurality, and humanistic values. This article critically reviews the book’s central arguments, thematic concerns, and contemporary relevance to debates over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Overall, The Parrot’s Training represents a significant contribution to contemporary educational thought, particularly for educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking culturally responsive alternatives to conventional pedagogical practices.