All the earlier blog posts talk about the flaws in the system and about the fact that we impart only literacy. It takes a pessimistic side on the current education system in India. However, this blog is not meant to convey that we can do nothing about this system; rather it throws some light on how to improve and how to be hopeful about educating citizens in the future! I write in order to make my audience think about their own level of education and inspire people to be educated, to develop their personalities in a harmonious manner. I write in order to give a hopeful message to my audience.

Role of a teacher:

We usually have this notion that teachers have to be very strong in their content and that teachers should deliver the content effectively to the students. This notion is not wrong. However, that is not the sole purpose of the teacher being there in the classroom. A teacher is supposed to associate the books with real life. A history teacher, while teaching about Akbar remembers the dates and wars and events; but at the same time, a teacher should stress on religious tolerance shown by Akbar. The teacher should relate this to the present times and inspire students to follow the tolerant and secular path. The student should understand the purpose of learning about Akbar. An art teacher should inspire students to see around them and put it directly on the paper encouraging creativity rather than telling them to draw the same old mountains, trees, and rivers. The art teacher can play a role in environment conversation. Each and every teacher has a major role to play in their classrooms. Books can give information but teachers can give education. The saying that parents give life and teachers teach how to live life is very apt in this context.

Role of parents:

Parents send their children to schools so that the child knows everything, the child is a ranker, the child fights this world, the child gets a degree and the child earns. But at times parents refuse to acknowledge that there is much more beyond the textbooks and report cards. Parents, first of all, play a crucial role in the socialization of the child. They are very much responsible if their child is violent, or if their child is a spoiled brat. They are responsible for the overall personality of their child. Hence they should be careful about the overt as well as covert messages they are passing on to their child. Parents should encourage the child and give freedom to the child to grow so that the child turns out to be educated and not literate.

Check this video showing people’s opinion about literacy and education

https://youtu.be/dDjBCpowm7Q h

The video shows some people talking about literacy and education. It shows how all of them feel that getting educated is very important. They all talk about overall development and enlightenment. They focus on values and morals. They talk about each and every small act of humans show if they are just literate or educated!

One of them has very well pointed out that we know the words MAN and WOMAN, that is literacy but when we do not discriminate between MAN and WOMAN that is education. One of them talks about how we keep monetary ends as ultimate and not enlightenment as the goal of education! They also agree that one’s behavior shows one’s level of education.

Hence there are a handful of people who do understand the difference between literacy and education and they aim to achieve the latter! We all should introspect and reflect on our level of education and work in the right direction. We all should look forward to a day when we all will prioritize education over literacy and that we will aim for higher purposes in life.

So if I pose a question: Do you consider yourself educated? What would you say?

SWAYAM VICHAR KIJIYE!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f7R5d3J4GrIKavC5PNqNdGylgKIN3ktm/view?usp=sharing

A poem by Rajvi Trivedi. Listen to the audio to understand Vidya ki khoj!!

Vidya ki khoj denotes how people genuinely go out in search for education but the world will not give them anything more than information and literacy. The poem says when I sought for learning, I was given marks and grades; when I sought for innovation, I was given the same old books to swallow and memorize; when I sought for changing the society, the society called me a deviant, told me to fit in and made me a slave. An educated person is certainly a threat to this literate society!

There was a time when people did not know how to read and write and people were not aware of building their careers, today they know much about reading, writing, career, and making money. Today, the most painful fact is that literacy has become something that is creating the terror.

Vidya ki khoj takes a pessimistic stand on how we do not impart education and intends to inspire people to explore themselves and the lives around them, to make discoveries and innovations, to learn new things, to focus on the overall personality development rather than grades and degrees, to speak the truth even if it is against the society, to fight against the wrong and get educated in its real sense, not follow the herd in getting some certificates.

The poem shall inspire people to show and apply their knowledge when required and have a sense of pride in being educated.

If we all follow the path shown by Vidya ki Khoj, we shall all become the educated and civilized citizens of the nation, the change makers and the leaders of this society.

We all have the opportunity to get educated however we are happy with the status of being just literate. We believe in portraying ourselves as literate in all possible way. The books, the degrees, the other educational resources are all inadequate in making us educated; We all know how to read, write, speak and memorize, but we do not know how to live peacefully. Hence we are all literate and not educated.

There are many reports and statistics which show how we go to school and colleges for literacy and information and not for growth and development of the overall personality; how we indulge in crimes and going against the law despite having the opportunity to get educated.

“Individual aspirations have changed in urban India. Opportunities for committing financial crimes, corporate fraud and cyber crimes like credit card fraud are around today in an economy that has opened up but not been able to put effective regulatory systems in place to check corruption and fraud,” said Dr Vijay Raghavan, associate professor and chairperson, Centre for Criminology and Justice, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He added that the trend of educated criminals was likely to increase in the years to come.

According to the report, Uttar Pradesh tops the list followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In Uttar Pradesh alone, over 28 lakh educated youths were found to be involved in crimes like kidnapping, cheating, snatching in 2010. In Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the figure hovered at 15 lakh and 14 lakh respectively.

How can we blame others when the educators themselves are involved in crimes: In hundreds of cases teachers are involved in crimes like rape and molestation. In one of the cases, a teacher from a school in Gujarat state raped a 13-year-old girl.

There are innumerable such cases and we still call ourselves educated!

This shows the level of our education. We go to schools for getting degrees and earning money and not become better human beings, not to learn how to live in harmony with all other creatures.

I would be aware of all the things happening around, But I would show absolutely no sensitivity towards anything…

I would pretend to be very open-minded, But my statements would always show the other side of me.

I would memorize all facts and principles, But I would not bother about applying those in real life.

I would know a lot about all morals and values, But I will hardly follow them.

Since I am a literate, not an educated person!!

Though interchangeably used, there is a difference between the terms literacy and education. Through this blog, I sought to convey the need to emphasize getting educated rather than becoming a mere literate.