I am Not an Illiterate but I Wonder What Education is about in Society?
The main issue I would like to discuss is the quality of the education and its system and factors affecting it.But before that, I would like to mention about few statistics as the introduction.
Literacy means understanding, reading and writing a short simple statement on everyday life and According to Human Development reports 2016, the HDI Rank of India in education Achievements was 131 out of 188 countries, with 72.1% adult literacy rate, and with youth literacy rate of female-87.2%, male-91.8%. Which is very good compared to literacy rate in 2001 ie, 64.81%
According to 2016, the total India population data published by the Population Reference Bureau was 1,329 million which was holding second place in the world and has been predicted to reach the 1st place by 2050 with 1,708 million. At the global scale, the Indian institution of science which is the finest and top one University in INDIA ranked 153rd in world 2016 reports and 33rdin Asian ranking.
While comparing these three data a question arises in my mind since we are dominating the world in the human resource like population, why are we lacking behind in global competition?. The quality of education I am talking is not about the insufficient of books, benches, classrooms, which can be seen. I am talking about something that can not be seen but effects character, making you who you are and the effect that comes to know until it’s too late, it’s about what is being taught and it’s purpose.
I had one question that I always had to answer in my application forms in which I used to get rejected because I didn’t have much, to begin with, i.e.” write about your achievements in school and co-curricular activities”? Thinking back I always regretted that I did not do anything and only wish I could have done something. I interviewed the high school students of a private school from my hometown during a motivational -interaction session when I introduced myself and told them that I would take over the class they were so happy because they could skip the subject. I requested the principal for permission that only students and I will be interacting in the lecture hall and no one else so that we can interact freely and better without any constraints such as fear, demotivation and so on.
I started my session with a simple question, “Why do you come to school?” everyone started looking others faces with the gloomy look and after few seconds there was a silence which filled the room. I asked for volunteers yet no reply; at last, I picked a 9th standard student.
“Sir, everyone comes so do I” he replied. I picked one more student from 10thstandard and he answered calmly, “Sir, because it’s a common thing to do and my parents told me to go, so I came to school.”
I was not wondered of the answer he gave because I would have answered the same. I visited few more schools and there was nothing new or simply I can say no change.
Since there were a lot of students I told them to take a sheet of paper and write an answer as I started to dictate the question. What does education mean? And what do you want to become why? As soon as I finished telling the question I told them not to copy the answers from others because there are no right or wrong, but they did because they were afraid that I would reveal if they are any wrong answers.
After reviewing all their answers most of them answered, “Education is important to students, it gives respect, studying subjects to gain more marks so I can get a good job, it is root for future security, education is life, getting the good percentage, to learn and write in exams”.
The perspective of students whom I came across about our education system and what education means is very simple i.e., to gain the marks that in turn help to gain the seat in the good university, in turn, a great job. In the span of studenthood of school, the factors affecting and made them come to this conclusion is not just their school but their friends their family, themselves.
School that expects good marks to show public, friends that laugh towards and teases when you do something different and suggest you by saying “why do you waste your time by doing other stuff?”use the time and study you will get good marks, parents who want always us to be in the first rank, society that expects a fine resume for job, and at last, us who want to be in comfort zone with no risks where no one has to point a finger if we do wrong.
Students are so busy to make a good repo for themselves through a sheet of paper called resume that represents them. in school, they forgot what passion is about, what kind of skills they have, what they like what they don’t? even if you ask a graduate what do you want to do in future, he will probably wonder and ask himself what should I do? What field have I to choose to work? What skills do I have?
During this time we start to introspect ourselves and ask one question why didn’t I question myself early, but it’s too late now, and again we give ourselves some reason for self-satisfaction and console ourselves by saying let’s start fresh. We are educating just to get a life security when life itself an enigma of uncertainty. Now a day’s education in private sectors has become more of business than a holy place it once was. Publicizing the high scores of their students and the facilities training they conduct on banners and advertisements in social media to attract more students. The training conducted to train the student on how to score more marks than how to understand the subjects and how to implement on our society and our future.
the point where we are losing our quality of education is because of the evaluation system of school that drives the every factor in society and itself to forge the path for a student who does not question himself, or the authorities.
Education is not just about teaching subject knowledge. It’s about knowing the knowledge understand our surroundings, our society, know our self better and our capabilities, knowing what is right and what is wrong?Do I have what it takes?if I don’t what I have to do?