Higher education is not meant for everyone. Only selected individuals trained in brahminical culture should be allowed to pursue a higher education. Educational institutions should not aim to teach technology...

Herded off to college

What is higher education?

In this verse we find the word dvija, indicating that the student was a brahmana. Actually, in those days, only members of the brahmana class became students of Vedic literature. Schooling is meant especially for brahmanas; previously there was no question of schooling for kshatriyas, vaishyas or shudras. Kshatriyas used to learn the technology of warfare, and vaishyas learned business from their fathers or other businessmen; they were not meant to study the Vedas. At present, however, everyone goes to school, and everyone is given the same type of education, although no one knows what the result will be. The result, however, is most unsatisfactory, as we have seen in the Western countries especially. The United States has vast educational institutions where everyone is allowed to receive an education, but the result is that most students become like hippies.

Higher education is not meant for everyone. Only selected individuals trained in brahminical culture should be allowed to pursue a higher education. Educational institutions should not aim to teach technology, for a technologist cannot properly be called educated. A technologist is a shudra; only one who studies the Vedas may properly be called a learned man (pandita). The duty of a brahmana is to become learned in the Vedic literature and teach the Vedic knowledge to other brahmanas. In our Krishna consciousness movement we are simply teaching our students to become fit brahmanas and Vaishnavas. In our school at Dallas, the students are learning English and Sanskrit, and through these two languages they are studying all our books, such as Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita As It Is and The Nectar of Devotion. It is a mistake to educate every student as a technologist. There must be a group of students who become brahmanas. Without brahmanas who study the Vedic literature, human society will be entirely chaotic.

Government's duty to ensure work for everyone according to his nature

BACK TO GODHEAD MAGAZINE: The founders of America said that another natural right is the right to liberty, or freedom—freedom in the sense that the government doesn't have the right to tell you what kind of job you have to do.

PRABHUPADA: If the government is not perfect, it should not be allowed to tell people what to do. But if the government is perfect, then it can.

BTG: The third natural right they mentioned was that every human being has the right to pursue happiness.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. But your standard of happiness may be different from my standard. You may like to eat meat; I hate it. How can your standard of happiness be equal to mine?

BTG: So should everyone be free to try to achieve whatever standard of happiness he wants?

PRABHUPADA: No, the standard of happiness should be prescribed according to the qualities of the person. You must divide the whole society into four groups: those with brahmana qualities, those with kshatriya qualities, those with vaishya qualities, and those with shudra qualities. Everyone should have good facility to work according to his natural qualities. You cannot engage a bull in the business of a horse, nor can you engage a horse in the business of a bull. Today practically everyone is getting a college education. But what is taught at these colleges? Mostly technical knowledge, which is shudra education. Real higher education means learning Vedic wisdom. This is meant for the brahmanas. Alone, shudra education leads to a chaotic condition. Everyone should be tested to find out which education he is suited for. Some shudras may be given technical education, but most shudras should work on the farms. Because everyone is coming to the cities to get an education, thinking, "We can get more money," the agriculture is being neglected. Now there is scarcity because no one is engaged in producing nice foodstuffs. All these anomalies have been caused by bad government. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is engaged according to his natural qualities. Then people will be happy.

BTG: So if the government artificially puts all men into one class, then there can't be happiness.

PRABHUPADA: No, that is unnatural and will cause chaos.