प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

X] PERIOD-WISE SURVEY 237 obligatory for the whole Aryan community at about the beginning of this period. This gave a great impetus to the spread both of literacy and higher education. As learning became more and more exten- sive in course of time, education in the family became impracticable, and society began to encourage distin- guished scholars to become regular teachers. They used to organise private schools for higher studies, relying mainly on the voluntary contributions of students taking their advantage. Brahmacharya dis- cipline was still rigorous, but towards the end of the period the marriageable age of girls began to be gra- dually lowered, which adversely affected female education. During the earlier part of this period, however, there was no dearth of women philosophers and scholars, some of whom used to organise schools and hostels for girls. Co-education was however not unknown. Majority of girls received their education at home, as was the case with boys also during the earlier period. The educational system paid as much attention to the cultivation of the Vedic studies as to that of grammar and philology, mathematics and astronomy, epic and legal literature. Professions be- came specialised towards the end of this period and society began to feel it advantageous that they should become hereditary in order to encourage further effi- ciency. The ordinary soldier or agriculturist used however to receive a fair amount of cultural education. The training imparted to the doctor and the sculptor was fairly practical and efficient, and the average in- telligence of the artisan class was fairly high. The killed worker was respected by society. Education vas regarded as a serious proposition and society was anxious that its benefits should be extended to as large a class as possible. Various steps were being proposed