Educational Philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: A Rigorous Reconstruction for Contemporary Social-Justice Education
Author : Dr. Mohammad Mustaqeem
Abstract :
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s educational philosophy is best understood as a normative theory of human emancipation in which education functions simultaneously as
- A method of critical consciousness,
- An institutional guarantee of equal citizenship, and
- A social technology for dismantling caste-based domination.
This paper reconstructs Ambedkar’s educational philosophy by synthesizing his writings, speeches, and constitutional thought, and by locating his educational commitments within a larger framework of democratic ethics—liberty, equality, and fraternity. Using qualitative interpretive analysis of primary texts (e.g., Annihilation of Caste, States and Minorities, and key constitutional provisions), the study identifies four pillars of Ambedkar’s educational theory:
- Education as liberation from graded inequality;
- Education as democratization of public reason and civic competence;
- Education as a state obligation grounded in social justice; and
- Education as moral formation oriented to fraternity and dignity rather than mere credentialism.
The paper further argues that Ambedkar anticipates contemporary debates on inclusive schooling, affirmative action, and the political economy of education. Finally, it proposes a policy-and-pedagogy agenda for “Ambedkarite education” in the 21st century: anti-caste curriculum, institutional accountability, distributive justice in financing, and democratic school cultures.
Keywords :
Ambedkar, educational philosophy, caste, social justice, democratic education, emancipation, equality, constitutionalism, critical pedagogy.
