Within Krishnamurti’s vision, education is not a narrow preparation for a career but a profound means for inner transformation. Its central task is to awaken intelligence rather than to reinforce psychological conditioning or social conformity. Such intelligence is not mere accumulation of information; it is a clear, direct perception that is free from fear, prejudice, and the weight of authority. Education, in this sense, is called to liberate the mind from nationalistic, religious, and ideological indoctrination that fragment human beings and perpetuate conflict.

This approach demands that education address the whole human being—intellectual, emotional, and what might be called the deeper movement of consciousness. Students are to learn not only mathematics or science, but also the nature of relationship, fear, pleasure, sorrow, love, and death, along with the structure of the self. Self-knowledge and sustained inquiry into one’s own psychological patterns become central, rather than peripheral, to the educational process. Through such exploration, learning is no longer fragmented into isolated subjects, but becomes an integrated perception of life’s interconnectedness.

Krishnamurti’s understanding of education also emphasizes freedom and responsibility. True learning arises in an atmosphere where questioning is encouraged and inner freedom is nurtured, not as license to do whatever one wishes, but as a capacity to observe and act without compulsion, reward, or fear. This freedom is inseparable from a sense of responsibility toward other human beings, animals, and the natural world, and it undermines the competitive, ambitious spirit that breeds psychological violence. In such a setting, sensitivity to beauty, to nature, and to human suffering is cultivated, giving rise to compassion and a more peaceful way of living.

The relationship between teacher and student, in this light, is transformed into a shared inquiry. The educator is not an unquestioned authority imposing conclusions, but a fellow traveler in the exploration of life’s fundamental questions. Dialogue, attentive listening, and mutual investigation replace mere transmission of opinions or beliefs. Krishnamurti saw in this reimagined education the possibility of a new culture—one grounded in clarity, non-violence, cooperation, and deep awareness—so that psychologically healthy individuals might bring about a radical change in society.