Perspective

Educat'i'on

'I was born intelligent, but education ruined me', is one very interesting quote. We are all aware of the growing importance of education. The parents are aware of the importance of education. In fact, education is one of the biggest industries.

Industry! Of course, Industry! What does an industry do? The industrial revolution in Europe gave a lot of material comforts. Industry introduced pollution. Industry gave us unimaginable things. Man landed on the moon.

But somewhere, we lost touch with learning. Learning was replaced by structured education. Structured education introduced weekly/ monthly/ quarterly tests and decided the intelligence of students.

A student who clears an exam is considered an expert in that course/ subject. He/ She is awarded a degree/ diploma, which eventually fetches a job. The person rises in the job, many a times quite naturally, like the sun rises in the east.

Over a period of time the presence of the person in a particular position does not in any way improve the functioning of the organization. The good impression of a highly qualified person gets lost due to his/ her non-performance.

Why does this happen? Is it that the person is ill qualified? Is it because the person has no interest in the job? Is it because the 'system' is rigid, and unwilling to change?

Yes and no. Both these are equally true because the structured-education industry has only created a system which cannot feel, which cannot understand. The product of such an industry is called a student. Just like any other industrial product, many a times, the student performs functions without any thinking. The students too call themselves as being the product of such and such a school. The teachers too take pride in telling others that such and such a student is a product of our school.

Thought is replaced by ego. The process of thinking is shut off and a highly qualified student emerges from the education system.

What happened when structured education system did not exist? What happened to those who defied structured education? Didn't they become great?

The basis of medicine, algebra, geometry, chemistry, biology, art and commerce was laid down during the period when a structured system of education did not exist. The pyramids were built by architects who never went to a college of architecture. Charles Darwin, Einstein, Vyaas, Valmiki, Aryabhatta, Leonardo da Vinci, Mendel and a lot others who influenced humanity had original thinking. They did not conform to the structure which the society at large submits itself to.

The structured system has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is for the discerning to take the good and leave the bad. But the discerning are few.

Many a doctors treat ('treat' also stands for a pleasurable party) their patients by medicines and operations. Only a few doctors heal the patient without medicines and operations. But both are highly qualified.

Sometime back, an hospital employee said something, which is very pertinent. He said, 'Stay away from the black coat (advocate) and the white coat (doctor).' Yes. These are facts of life. We cannot ignore them. We all belong to a system. We have to, ourselves, think and act.

Only then we can say that 'I was born intelligent, but education brought out the best in me'.