Are we really getting educated?

Everybody gathered in seminar hall to attend the congregation.

After few minutes of arrangement and settlement, all the members sat at their respective places.

‘Thank you all for arriving on time. Once we all reach at a consensus at the end of this meeting, our seniors will hold another gathering and a conclusion will be reached at’ said a very old man, well-suited, named Mathematics.

An almost same aged lady, named Physics, stood up and introduced the agenda to the assembly,’ Welcome all. Mr. Mathematics, like me, is very old in this system of education. We both have been in the system since ages. Today’s twelve years old child is being taught the same things, in the same way, with the same agenda, which was taught to his mom or probably his mom’s mom too, sixty years back.’

‘I agree with you Ms. Physics. Even I have seen generations, studying and learning the same material of me. But what I am more concerned is that not everybody in the class goes through me willingly. Most of my students always skim through me’ broke in a middle-aged man, named Chemistry.

A quote is written in the hall where meeting was going on,

“We are students of words: we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation -rooms, for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and do not know a thing.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘Same is the case with me. No matter how much simplified or challenging I became, I could never hold the attention of whole mass’ continued Mr. Mathematics.
‘Some children even disrespected me by not even going through my content.’

With this stood a quite young lady, named English who said, ‘I thought this was in my case only. Half of the mass doesn’t read my whole chapters, and rely upon the summary, which fails to give the insight of my stories.’

‘They depend on thin books, which are shorter version of me, to pass their examinations. Only a small chunk of pupils go thoroughly what they should go through…..’ added Mr. Chemistry.

A young, fit personality interrupted Chemistry, named Sports,’I thought mine was the worst case, but listening to all of you, I feel I am luckier one. Mr. Chemistry, I have noticed few pals holding and reading your fat books in my session. I guess you have a good fan-following.’

‘They must be the ones who have the same grasp and attention during my session too. So yes, no such ‘good’ fan-following.’

Ms. English, who was sitting beside Mr. Chemistry, very thoughtfully, said,’I feel I know how can we sort out this huge mess.’

‘How?’ asked Ms. Physics.

‘See the issue is every person that comes in our sessions is a different individual, having his/her own interests. But our system has made these rules long back, and according to them these individuals once segregated in the sections, have to learn the same study material. Till an age it’s fine, when these individuals have to learn the very basics. So if we could bring some changes to the system and make sections according to individuals’ interest, then that might help.
All I’m saying is let us try this out. One system is already not working, so instead of keeping on trying this failed system, we should give new one a shot.’

With this murmurs started in the hall.

I couldn’t agree more,

“When you take the free will out of education, that turns it into schooling.”
― John Taylor Gatto

After few more minutes of discussion, the idea of Ms. English got accepted and the decision to put it forward in front of the seniors was made.

This new decision captivated seniors attention and their summit was held.

Mr. Sports was there when the summit took place, and discussed about it with colleagues.

‘There were not many arguments during the meet, as all the leaders were facing same issues, and some additional too.
The most depressed one was Mr. Engineer. He said it is not only zeal which is missing among individuals, but also the aptitude. Many come unknown to what ‘Engineering’ is and stay in the same state even after becoming one. If they had not chosen the former, then latter wouldn’t have even occurred.
Almost same case was with Ms. Doctor too.
Ms. Artist, the leader of sculpting, dancing, singing , writing and many others, had the issue of less mass in her province. She observed a lot of individuals under the guidance of Mr. Doctor, Mr. Engineer and other leaders, should have been with her instead of them. A lot of innate talent gets wasted every year, she lamented.
Only she had a heated argument with few other leaders on how due to them she loses her ‘could be future artists’.’

‘But what consensus did they reach at?’ ,asked curious English.

‘Unfortunately they decided to stick to the current system. Engineer, Doctor, IPS Officer and all other leaders didn’t want to lose their students. They didn’t want students to get involved with Ms. Artist to end up with no future, no respect in society and no money.’

The only thing they were ignorant of was – If the individual isn’t happy and satisfied from the within, then this money or society’s respect wouldn’t make much of a difference to him/her.

Couldn’t find a better way to end it with,

“And just because you have colleges and universities doesn’t mean you have education.”
― Malcolm X

So please realize that by building huge campuses and education complexes you are not elevating the level of education, rather drifting from the major intent of building those campuses.

How do you feel about it?

Copyright © 2016 by Idle Muser. All rights reserved.