It is only in recent times that democratic principles and values have entered the field of education. The credit of this revolutionary change goes to the American educationist John Dewey.
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He emphasized that in a democratic society, educational planning should be done in such a way that each individual member is made capable to shoulder social responsibilities efficiently and discharge them effectively and profitably.
According to him, education should inculcate in the individuals the sense to welcome needful changes in the social structure and reoriented one’s behavior smoothly to the ever changing social milieu.
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The impact of this, philosophy has brought about revolutionary changes in the thinking about educational planning and schemes of public education have begun to emphasize the provisions of the education of the masses so that general people become conscious about their rights and duties, about their individual and social responsibilities and about their national and international obligation.
As the democratic rule is by the people for the people, they should be made to understand their obligations and to discharge their duties intelligently. Hence, in all democratically ruled countries, more and more emphasis is being laid upon free, compulsory and universal education.