Opinion | The imbroglio of education.

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. -John Dewey
It is drizzling here in Kupwara amidst the ongoing autumn season as I am deskbound in my retail lab on a rather busy Monday afternoon. My grin is spreading ear to ear behind a very composed face as one of my 9th class students came up to me and asked a question; “Sir, what is education and why do we study?” I sensed a unique inquisitiveness and curiosity in her approach. I had two answers on my mind; either to go with the traditional one or throw the dogma of world at her face or just articulate the real essence of education to her. I chose the latter option which was a hard task, but the answer was going to build her perception and her entire notion around education. Pertinently, putting up with the system for 5 years now, the answers were burning my insides and I had to give vent to my despair. I took a few seconds to recapitulate what I have been through, what I have understood thus far and how I would have wanted my education to be. After a quick reminiscence, I started to answer to make her understand what real education stands for and what it is supposed to be.
Education is the liberation of mind, body and soul. It is understanding the essence of creation and creativity. It is the upliftment of those spirits who are being discarded due to lack of privilege and are a victim of adversity. It is supposed to make a person feel more humane and introduce him to his consciousness. It is all about application and building a sense of morality that enables an individual to distinguish between righteousness and dishonesty. Additionally, education should inculcate compassion, the sense of being and belonging in a person. Real education should transcend the traditional boundaries and make a person think beyond his conventional limits. More importantly, as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) puts it, it is a continuous process which starts at cradle and ends in grave. It comes in all shapes and forms but one must be eager to pay attention and listen to what the nature is offering. As one of my teachers used to say, always keep your eyes and ears open, if you are caught in a nap, you might miss the next train.
Education being the most stereotyped and misconstrued subject since most of us seem to have understood it conversely, very few know the spirit of it in the truest sense. We come from a world where education has been reduced to cramming, memorising facts and preparing for examinations. Our world of learning and studying remains confined within the four walls of a classroom. Our visualization stands blinded behind the societal norms and our vision being blurred by being numero-uno in our respective fields As Jeannie Fullbright highlights, “If the purpose of learning is to score well on a test, we have lost sight for real reason for learning.” Moreover, we stand cornered in an environment where we are forced to think within the box. The same box that was passed on from one civilization to another with aplomb and gratitude. Unless we think outside that box and break it apart, we are falling into this dismal abyss like others before us. We are high on talent but low on efficiency as our efforts lack imagination and there is hardly any candour in our process.

There are days and instances while delivering a lecture, I find myself at a passé by failing to mend the learning gaps and doing justice with my potential. It’s infuriating at times to look at those innocent faces who are keenly looking at me with hope and optimism. At that instance, I dive into profound introspection that I may have chosen the wrong job and do I fit the bill or not? I try hard every single time I walk into that class to break the conventional shackles and make a difference. However, it is easier said than done. Alas! This world is a stage and we are all failing to play our part to perfection. Although I do realise that, we are all bounded by our limited knowledge and surroundings that are not feasible to our sailing. Well, as they say, smooth waters have never made great sailors. In a world where materialism is the only criteria for real success, we may have lost that human touch and affection for each other. We are hell-bent on blaming the system for giving us limited exposure and playing the victim card every time. However, I firmly believe, the problem lies within us and so does the change. As they say, it is always darkest before the sun rises and when that dawn is upon us, we ought to be ready with answers.
Historically, for any revolution, change is inevitable and for that our modus operandi needs to change. We must overhaul our egocentric nature and stop glorifying our degrees and designations. We are caught in this beautiful cage where servitude has become more important than freedom. Without realising, we are all turning into cynics and armchair warriors who are big on ideas but an utter disappointment in actions. If we desire our community to thrive, we need to be self-sufficient and for that our kids need to be empowered. Evidently, every person is unique and so is his meter for success. We should shun away from comparing them and weighing our children on conventional parameters. We must have faith in nature, which takes care of everything and they will eventually find out the way on their own. It may take time and the failure might break them but they will eventually rise. And when they do, their mistakes will be theirs and they will understand the sense of responsibility. The fact of the matter is, it is the process that gives us enlightenment and teaches us more than the destination. As soon as our children understand that, new prospects and horizons are waiting to be explored.
In conclusion; the thing is we cannot afford our society being run by parasites, victim card holders and irresponsible people. My faith lies in the human race being here with a certain purpose and to realise our full potential we must not belittle our contribution, no matter how small it is. I dream of watching my students work with conviction and excel in their profession irrespective of its nature. Our kids need a vision where they realise their potential in different fields of study and where their capabilities are not measured by the same scale. We need to make them realise that a cobbler is as important to the society as the cardiologist. And that is what real education stands for. I dream of seeing them having mutual respect for each profession, bridging the societal differences and walking beside each other for the common good. That day is not too far and that dream is not too wild.
– Aadil Majeed.
aadil.majeed2009@gmail.com