The basic aim of education is to mould children to become better human beings. The purpose is enlightenment. But does modern education fulfil these aims? I don’t think so. I believe that the present education system has been converted into an industry in which parents, by hook or by crook, get their children into the best medical or engineering colleges.
Modern education has become a programming process that lets you feed books into one’s mind. It doesn’t teach you anything about morals, your duties towards society and other life skills. Our textbooks are designed in such a way that one is not able to think outside of it. At times, we are just made to remember formulas without knowing their derivations. Our syllabus directs us to know the application of that formula and cram it into our mind. The thinking power of students is restricted to this process. I think textbooks should be designed in such a way that every time we read them, we should be compelled to think hard. There is also a need to include value based chapters textbooks.
Debate and discussion that should be the most important tools in our education system are barely seen. The skills that are important for our life are gradually being left out of our education. Nowadays, digital classes or smart classes, that is, Computer Based Learning (CBL) is being launched in schools. These are computers that are filled with information which schools want to transmit to students. A genius is now the person who can remember a lot. Some of these people even remember page numbers of their textbooks! Such is their cramming power and it is being appreciated by people all around.
The problem is that even before a child enters the world, we tend to make plans for their education. We day dream that they will bring laurels to their parents and will become successful people.
The present system of education makes us knowledgeable but it doesn’t make us wise. It develops certain skills like reading and writing but doesn’t equip us with tools that we need for survival. It doesn’t tell us how to handle people around us, how to manage our time or money. Therefore, education isn’t serving any fruitful purpose in the society.
This directionless system of education is producing forces of degree holders who are deficient in skills such as research, analysis and creativity. I, as a student, know that we are never instructed to come up with new ideas.
There is no denying the fact that education is the heart of our society. It brings progress to our society and the nation. But the way our education policy has been formed, it seems like it’s doing the opposite. There is a need to give a direction to this directionless system and change it. It should be the education that Nelson Mandela thought of as a powerful weapon. When the whole world is in confusion and chaos, those at the helm of affairs should realize the importance of transmitting the real education to tomorrows’ leaders that will make them the real leaders and not the pseudo ones.