A modern look at education

Knowledge is considered as the moot currency of ultimate power as it awakens the kernel of success, on an individual as well as collective level. However there are innumerable instances where the distribution of education is skewed; one look at the disparity between rural and city based education can clear the air.

It is usually the benefits of education that are extolled from ages, since the one thing that segregates man from base animals is the ability to advance knowledge and expertise from one generation to the next. Yet, some may argue about the difference between ‘having an education’ and ‘possessing knowledge’.

Modern day education has tread a path full of path-breaking advancements, paired with the core ingenuity of a human mind, to come to its present avatar. Listed below are a few advantages that the present brand of education has brought on to the table:

Advantages

Human Capital

The biggest advantage for any nation is that an educated population offers a more extensive capital base to the economy. A stable economy has a larger concentration of jobs requiring highly skilled work force expertise in specific fields. This can only be achieved through disseminating quality education to all at a primary, secondary and higher secondary level.

Broadens perspective

A key merit of education is its contribution in developing minds of people. Education arms people with sensitivity to understand other cultures, religions, places and culture. It helps gain a bigger understanding of the world; something that is needed in this impersonal era. This is very important if seen from perspective of nations which are plagued by old notions. Regressive dogmas still exist in this modern era everywhere and the only way to eradicate them is through proper education.

Hones potential

An education rewards individuals with an innate ability to enlarge their potential to a greater extent. Exposure to different fields and interests, as a result of education, allows a person to choose between a plethora of profitable options and hone in one field that they have inclination towards. This also cultivates an ongoing interest in a number of other non-academic fields such as art, culture, music, all of which are important to develop a wholesome perspective towards life, while enshrining a multi-dimensional personality within.

No doubt, present day has its salient features but it also comes with its set of shortcomings, something that one cannot afford to refute. So let us have a look at what ails the education system gravely:

Challenges

Status symbol

These days quality education has become a veritable means for discrimination. Alongside regular economic and social barriers, the level of education and place from where it has been obtained, have become valid grounds for looking down upon people.An elite education has its own inadequacies and shouldn’t be a yardstick for making assumptions on any living being.

The atmosphere in which elite students are taught brings upon most a sense of false achievement and superiority, widening the chasm between members of society. At the end of the day, what one achieves in life comes solely from his/her interpersonal interactions and actions.

Restricts ideas

There are plenty of instances where education unforsightedly imposes ideas upon young minds, instead of teaching them the importance of lateral thinking. The core purpose of education is to allow young minds to bloom, while applying themselves to think on a bigger scale. Unfortunately, a faulty education system can do more harm than good.

Often knowledge imparted is of bookish nature, whereas in the dog-eats-dog world, there is no substitute to experience. Unless the mode of education nurtures all aspects of an individual’s personality, it may not be as advantageous as predicted.

Conclusion

Though it has its purveying set of drawbacks, the modern education system, if implemented to its fullest extent, is very helpful in accelerating the quality of human life, as well as eschewing a sense of harmony amongst every entity on earth. Education facilitates transmitting knowledge, skills, customs and values, all of which are essential in harnessing a complete conscientious being.

Hence, modern education is a necessary tool to aid children in enhancing their future to a greater level. As the mankind progresses to a level of hyper sensitized era of information assimilation, education is geared in taking up a more inclusive form of participation in the ways of living.

(Written by Raunak Jain, MD of Tula'Interational School)