This Thing Called Education

The term conjures up so many different things. To learn to live an ethical, well rounded life; to learn some skill or trade by which to make a living; to learn to live in harmony with other members of society; to learn values and ethics such as compassion, empathy, discipline, perseverance – qualities required of a good human being; to understand that material success doesn’t always guarantee happiness; to learn to understand the threats faced by the environment and society at large and how to combat them - these and more…. isn’t this what education is supposed to mean, for our children and us?

But the question is - what does education really mean for most of us? A process one needs to go through on the path to adulthood; a necessity that needs to be done in order to progress in life; a degree one needs to secure to get a job.

We live in a world where success is measured in terms of the amount of money you have in your bank account, a world where material wealth means everything. It really doesn’t matter how you get your money… as long as you get it. We are willing to resort to any and every means possible to get what we want. We will trample on anyone. What matters is that we get ahead in life…. at any cost… even at the expense of our soul, our conscience. This is the kind of world we have created for ourselves, our children and their children.

We have only ourselves to blame for the mess we are in. We live in a world where merit is seldom recognised; after all what matters is the connections you have and the amount of money your father/ forefather has left you. If you have connections, money – well, you can get away with anything, even murder. It seems, we are slowly losing touch with our humanity… at least with what it means to be humane. The corruption, the nepotism, the utter self serving nature of the powers that be - the signs are everywhere. In our narrow minded, selfish pursuit of material wealth and fame, have we lost track of the more important things. Are we losing our humanity? If so, how can we regain it or are we even willing to?  

Education, in the proper sense of the word, can be one of the most important, if not the only way, of bringing about this much needed change. Personalities can be moulded, character can be formed and perceptions can be created through education. Of course, for that to happen, we have to redefine education first. We have to give priorities to values and ethics. We need a set of immensely dedicated teachers to lead this revolution in the schools and colleges. The very system of teacher education, teacher training and teacher recruitment needs to be overhauled. Being a teacher myself, I feel the teacher plays an extremely important role in the entire process of education. Therefore, it is imperative that talented and intelligent young people with good ethics and moral values must be motivated to join this noble profession.

I envy societies where the rule of law is respected by everyone, regardless of class, creed or position. I envy societies where the rights of the people are respected. I envy societies where people enjoy freedom of speech and religion. I envy societies where women are genuinely liberated and able to prove that they are the equal of men. I envy societies where merit is recognised and acknowledged. I envy societies where corruption is negligible. I envy societies where the elected or appointed officials truly perform their jobs and serve the people. Don’t you wish to live in such a society?? Well … it isn’t impossible to create one right here in India, you know.