Education: a different look!!

“Literature is the mirror of real life.” One would indisputably agree with me in telling this so. Most of the time the literature in the world has brought umpteen numbers of changes in the world. There are many genres that can be brought under this vast ocean of literature. I consider movies as a powerful genre in this modern era of media that can bring an effective change in the minds of the people. Very often the movies are directed for commercial purposes to fill the coffer of the directors and producers. Nonetheless, we can in no way deny the fact there are very good movies that have brought changes in the world. We can of course number the movies that have their themes based on social transformation. Sadly though those movies don’t go on in the theatre more than a week or so, unless the fans of the particular star make it happen. One may wonder why all these about movies while talking about education. Dhoni- a recently released Tamil movie written and directed by Prakash Raj, who played the lead in the movie, has touched upon such an important topic with a hope of bringing a change in the educational system of our country today. This may be a topic well spoken for centuries yet practically speaking little change has taken place in this present educational system that can proudly be spoken of. I am not a pessimist to say so rather I am also voicing for the same change that the film had rightly put forward.

Over the centuries, great leaders of almost all the countries have felt the need for education that would shape the mind of the young ones and make them better instruments for bringing a  change in the world. The living legend Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa rightly said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He certainly made this statement precisely because of the hope that he had in the power of education. That is very apparent in his own life and in the life of many great revolutionaries who have fought for freedom, peace, equality and justice. The education of their time had great impact on the minds of the students and but now that is not the case.

Many things have changed drastically in all spheres of life, specifically in the field of education. If the changes were to be positive and useful for the welfare of the younger generation we can welcome them happily, but the current changes in the field of  present education are mostly not for the welfare of the student community rather most of the educational institutions at the present time function as the money making machines of the money minded men and women, who exploit education for their vested interests. As a student having passed through the present educational system, it is with a hope of bringing a change that I am penning these words.

We are at the closure of the academic year 2011- 2012 and we have to accept the fact that in many institutions the admission for the next academic year began in the beginning of this academic year itself. As the public exams are in full swing, we can very well understand the efforts put in by the educational institutions- not to make the students study better rather to make them secure good marks and that in turn is not for making the students popular rather to make their institutions known to the world. If the educational institutions truly have the intention of shaping the students they must have shown it from the beginning of the student’s entry into the institutions, why is it happening only for preparing them for the public exam. Is it to really educate the students or to exploit them as mark scoring machines?

It is a real pity to note that most of our students who are formed in the educational institutions behave worse and I am a bit skeptical whether they truly are educated ones. Many a time, the immoral individuals, as it is evident in our country, are the educated ones who have got a ‘proper training’ in the ‘so called’ prestigious and popular educational institutions for they have not been trained properly. We can neither blame the students nor the parents for this miserable situation rather we need to question the core of our educational system. An ordinary student spends most of the time in the educational institutions at the early age when s/he is formed. The parents feel the need for educating their sons and daughters and make them good human beings who can become great leaders of tomorrow. They invest a huge amount of money on their children’s education yet they don’t experience the fruits of their effort. Martin Luther King, Jr said, “ The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” But our present education has failed tremendously to do its duty in forming persons who can think intensively and critically.

Today, in the era of cut- throat competition there is a growing need for efficient leaders for most of the leaders are, though they have high educational qualification, corrupt and they don’t have a value based life. The students who are educated in money making institutions often times have the same mentality, which they carry on during their career too. The aspect of value is very much lacking in our schools and it is pathetic to notice the sad situation of education which has to function as a main key to change. Unless there is a change in the educational system of our country, we cannot hope for a real change that would lead us towards a brighter and better future. Education today has become highly expensive and there is a growing fight over school admission, paying extra donations and spending thousands for coaching. Though the government has come up with the view of giving free and compulsory education for all, it remains a mere mirage for most of the underprivileged sections of our society today. The educational institutions have great mottos and vision statements in their calendars and they remain only there and they are not actually put into practice.

The scary reality is really threatening us enormously and if we need to bring a change in our country we need to have a different look at education. We need to focus on education as an instrument for forming the younger generation into good human beings who can create a better future for others. This can happen only when the educational institutions set an example for the students. Enough of earning money for these many years, at least for a few years the educational institutions can try their best to fulfill their vision statement what lies in the calendar. The young and energetic minds of the students are pregnant with powerful potentialities that can bring massive changes in the world. It is in the hands of the educational institutions to carve out the creativity of the students and make them creative citizens of the country who can truly become change makers through their value filled life.  Enough of using education for earning, may we now have a different look at education as a tool for emancipation which in turn would sensitize  the students to fight for justice, peace and equality in the country.