Though it is said that, ‘Man is a student in the school of life’, yet the meaning of ‘student’ in today’s fast forward world is far far different…
Right from primary stage of education, a child lives not just one but two ‘lives’! A ‘school life’- loaded with books, homework, weekly tests, coaching classes, exams, additional exams and the list is endless!!! And if by good fortune some time is spared from this schedule, then finally the child can live his ‘normal childhood’, where he can freely play, enjoy and follow his heart…
As we move towards higher standards, slowly and steadily, the study time begins to dominate the free time and you never know when it transforms the child into a ‘load bearing donkey’!!! The adjective ‘donkey’ might seem harsh but no one can deny watching the regular site of an innocent small child carrying a large bag on his shoulders almost equal to his own weight! And by the way, this is just the ‘physical load’ that we are talking about. Greater than this, is the ‘mental load’ of study/exam pressure, desperate attempts to not just score good marks but to excel in subjects whether you like/dislike them and adding to this, to live up to the expectations of parents , teachers and all your near and dear ones…
And just as you escape from this of ‘school life’, begins the ‘life cycle’ of high school. Greater pressure, higher studies, heavier books and so on… There’s no time even to breathe!!! Your talent, your liking, holds second priority in front of your ‘mark sheet’! And inspite of all this, at the end you find, all those who are mere ‘bookworms’, ‘strict followers’ of today’s education system, can probably score well in the exams, but stand ‘Nowhere’ in the cut throat competition of practical world… So what use is all this ‘donkey work’? Or is it necessary that each of us should be God gifted with exceptional intelligence to stand tall in today’s age? Can people with ‘normal’ intelligence like you and I do nothing?
This leads to development of a child with inferiority complex, least self confidence, shying away from society, unable to keep pace with the fast moving world… Such individuals either end up being satisfied in doing petty jobs or getting frustrated, jobless, wanting to end their lives… Is this not the failure of our education system???
Being a student is not just attending any educational institute but to develop and progress intellectually… To learn the reasoning and questioning skills, to understand difference between good and bad, to know our own capabilities, limitations… To discover who we are, our hidden talent and how we can put it to the best use not only for us but for our society, our world… To learn techniques for doing this, to sharpen our skills, to prepare ourselves to face life, its obstacles, is what ‘education’ is…
Every student should realize that, he/she is ‘special’ and ‘unique’ in his/her own way… A child need not aspire to be ‘An Engineer’ or ‘A Doctor’ just because that’s a ‘respectable profession’… Instead he should grasp knowledge from all the four corners and choose a field where he can deliver his best and achieve a ‘respectable position’ in his chosen profession…
– Snehal Mayekar
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