Education is the process of
receiving and giving of knowledge. It is an “Enlightening” process. It
enlightens you about yourself, about this world and much more. It gives
awareness about different ideas and things. It increases the intellectual sense
and polishes you wisdom. It builds up the confidence level and gives you the
power stand for yourself. But, unfortunately, people have made it just a mean of
securing a ‘degree’ so that they could get a job.
Education must be more than having to go through endless years of technical
knowledge. Everyone should be taught how to read, write, calculate properly,
basic knowledge of their country, basics of proper social behavior, governance
and environmental sustainability, basic life support, how to eat, finally and
most important how to think.
The main purpose of education should be to strengthen your mind so that you can
more easily learn to deal with specific challenges you will face throughout your
life. Even though you will forget most of what you learned in school, the
intense effort you spend struggling with difficult academic material tones your
mind, just like how physical condition tones your body.
The education imparted in our schools, colleges and universities should be such
as to mould the personalities of students, to enable them to face the realities
of life with courage and confidence.
The main aim of education should be the all-round development of a student. Its
purpose should be to develop a student into a full, whole and integrated person.
Education helps in achieving and developing skills, abilities, insights and
scientific temper. It aim should be at developing and bringing out the best of a
student’s inner personality, without neglecting the outer and material aspects.
It also means that students should also be made capable of standing on their own
feet, to earn their bread and butter. An educated person is supposed to face
challenges of life bravely and successfully. No person can be called properly
educated if he or she fails in making a meaningful contribution to the society
and country.
People have been considering education as a ‘job securing item’ since the very
beginning. And this is a very alarming situation as it is losing its
significance. We should not aim ONLY for securing job position but to gain true
knowledge as well. Education is a way to learn, to explore and execute your
ideas effectively. It helps you to discover your inner abilities. It gives you
courage to think, to stand and to speak. Education is not just a path leading
towards the little piece of paper which we call “degree”, it is alot more than
that.
As an American philosopher, John Dewey said;
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”