Education must never be compromised

In a civilized society, education is the strongest tool. A civilized nation invests in education in whatever way it can. They are never lenient in this domain. Education for them is the only motive of their life. A Chinese proverb says that for a secure future, a country or nation has to invest in education. So, it becomes clear how important education is.

If we look at different countries, we come across the happiest and the most developed countries of the world. When we delve deep into the causes responsible for their achievements, we see that they spend much less on defence, parties, shows, etc. Instead, they invest in human brains. Their motive is human development.

Japan is a live example of this. It is the third-largest economy in the world. In 1945, they were devastated by the two atomic bombs. They made their destruction into a construction. Instead of falling into the depths of despair, they prepared themselves for something beneficial. They constructed again from the grassroots level. What they do is that they create human minds that can enable them to reach the pinnacles of development and glory.

However, in the case of India and Pakistan, the situation is quite dismal. Both countries are the product of a bloody past. They live in past. Past grudges are still found in every domain of the countries. They look at each other through the lens of animosity. For this, they try everything that can help them to feel secure. In this way, they spend a lot of money on defence. This results in the deterioration of the major pillars of the country, particularly education.

No university in either of these countries is among the leading universities in the world. We don’t have world-class research. This situation is not the product of a single factor. It is the handiwork of many things.

First is religiosity. Religion has attained the most horrible shape in our society. Orthodoxy doesn’t allow both countries to look at the other side of the coin. Reasoning and enlightenment are alien to them. They believe that religion means to apply what is written in the so-called holy books. It doesn’t come to them whether it is feasible or not. They want that whatever they believe in, should be found in the nook and corner of their countries. In this way, the hard-earned money is spent on religious activities that have no sanction in religion.

Second is that the past is dearer to both countries. They think that the present is unsuitable for living. It is best for them to go back to that period, when myths ruled everywhere. They are made to believe that once they were ahead of everyone. In this way, the past animosities, if present, persist in the present as well, making education a soft tool. They want the students to believe that in order to live, one has to go back into the past and follow that in letter and spirit.

Third is the syllabus. The Indus Valley Civilization syllabus has nothing to do with the present. Yes, it is our heritage. We should preserve it. However, it doesn’t make any sense in the age of robotics. When people have begun to colonize Mars, the students of both countries are told to live the lives of a glorious past that was half-glorious. In this way, education is compromised. The real meaning of education is to produce those people who can be problem solvers; not problem creators. In the present, students have become frustrated and hence problem creators.

The fourth and last is leniency. Both the countries are lenient in every manner. They abhor the word “hard work”. What they want is that the heavens drop things for them, without any movement of our bodies. China has the principle of “ 9-9-6”. It means that they work every day from 9 am to 9 pm for six days. It enables them to take the lead in every sphere of life and has earned the tag of being the second-largest economy in the world. Our condition is that some hours of learning or training make us tired. In this way, our educational system is out of context. Chinese students have a goal in their minds to make China “ great” in every respect. Hence, they prosper.

In short, education must never be compromised. It should take the lead. With it, health and hygiene should be given priority. When education is given its proper due, other sectors will also prosper. So, let us try our best to make creative education our priority. In the age of AI, education must be an asset.