Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c6.s2.4

c6.s2.4

As to the general education of a child at home—for the Indian system of primary education was mainly one of hereditary transmission of skill in arts and crafts—we know very little. Once we hear: when the son of the Seṭṭhi learnt writing (lekhaṃ), the slave Kaṭāhaka too went with him carrying his slate (phalakaṃ vahaṃāno gantvā), and thus learnt writing.² It would seem from this, that the boys received instruction somewhere outside the home, presumably at a public school. The use of the word 'phalaka' or board also shows, that method of instruction of beginners in the art of writing was much the same as in the primary schools of to-day. The boys learnt the three Rs—reading, writing and arithmetic—in these elementary schools.³