An Independent Thinking & Our Education
Social construction is based on three pillars, justice, liberty and education. Education is as important as justice and liberty is as it provides a positive conception to think, to grow, to live happily. But does the existing prevailing definition of education fulfil the purpose of education? Are our education systems creating the unbiased, unconditioned thinking in students who can think beyond the mechanical life?
If I have to answer, I will say NO....
The first and foremost aim of education is to develop independent thinking. What is independent thinking? A thinking of own, not conditioned are motivated by any social and political institution, When a child is not to be said to join this system of belief or that system of belief, when he is to be said to choose between systems of belief.
Our education is creating zombie which are no more than a technician. They are not able to think but they are made to think what their teacher, professor or Boss thinks. I am not saying that we should not learn from our professor or teachers but I am in opposition to the forced learning, created by the humiliation of students due to differences in interest. This forced learning in colleges provides no time for thinking; no time to know what their interests are. From admission to graduation, they get some tips of examination and facts. The most intelligent person at the end is disgusted with learning, longing only to forget it and escape into the life of action. Some of them become cynic. Soon, they are caught into economic machine and all their spontaneous desires are dried up.
There are some students who passively accept the teacher’s wisdom. As it seems easy to accept other’s thinking? They never think independently. They become the favourite one of the teachers. The disastrous result happens that the lack of independent thinking make them cripple as they always require someone to lead them. And these students get caught up in certain categories, communities and institution easily.
Our education seems to have a clandestine political motive, like to strengthen one particular group; to strengthen some particular beliefs which blocks the way of independent thinking. It is imparted in such a way to meet the need of money and some of us, who are not so concerned about any intellectual interest, are well suited in this education. But for one who has genuinely interested in intellectual deeds are severely suffered by this type of education and get rebuked for their disparity in their interest.
No doubt, our education is producing engineers and doctors. But just contemplate on the ratio of quality and quantity. Once some where I read,” do you think windows Xp was written in India? No, it was the ‘HELP’ files that were written in India.” Just contemplate about the money driven attitude, conditioned by the existing society and negligence of arts, spiritualism, and reverence. Do you not feel that it is lack of independent thinking?
We need happy life, more than a prosperous life. Our contemporary education is no doubt bringing a prosperous life but somehow I feel a happy life is overshadowed by our prosperity.
Comments
Actually my post is inspired by ur post...
Great post.
We need to really change the school curriculam and focus more on CREATIVITY and less on "mugging and vomiting"!!!!
Cheers
An interesting post on education in India. While there are many views and posts on this topic very few people focus on the requirements of a good teacher: to be an avid reader and experimenter. Even the best syllabus would be outdated if the teacher is not learning and growing.
One simple way to improve science education would be to bring some of the design school courses into schools and the Socratic method for social sciences.
The field of education has a lot of potential to improve but most creative and motivated individuals look at improving the education system as a second rate option compared to a full time job.
I am sure you'll find thought stimulating views by reading Bertrand Russell, Madame Montessori on education.
yes, I completely agree with you
'Mugging' and 'vomitting' can make one a good clerk, but not a good scientist , a creative and innovative person who can feel the sense of joy and happiness in one's work.
Thanks..:)
Welcome to my blog..
"Even the best syllabus would be outdated if the teacher is not learning and growing."
you are true that teacher should have to improve consistently his knowledge with the changes in technology and other areas. But fundamentally, i beleive the responsibility of teacher lies in nurturing in inherent capability of students to know how theycan learn something.Learning everything is a vast area, But to develop a learning ability is a tool that can update you at any time.
"One simple way to improve science education would be to bring some of the design school courses into schools and the Socratic method for social sciences. "
social science, especially history, I think is a biased subject in the country which only aim to glorify one's nation. If you read pakistani's History book and on the same topic an Indian History book, they are quite opposite. This distortion of facts and figures in our books creates a biased thinking and confine us into the narrow boundries. So as Bertrand Russell says that one should have International community for history books seems very relevent today.
Surely, field of education is not treated as well as it should be, by most of creative and innovative person. And the reason behind this I feel is the role of present education, that is merely a economical tool, not a way to wisdom and one's intellectual interest
Thanks
Yes, I do agree with ur opinion
our existing education makes the teacher to dominate, to control the minds of their pupils.
Some of them, find a way to satisfy their ego in different forms. A motivated individual, as a volunteer will teach with reverence, not with baised attitudes of teachers who make his favourite the one who passively accepts the teacher's wisdom and then, these teachers humiliate the others.
A motivated individual will enjoy it like a hobby and find pleasure in the the nurturing of pupil's growth like a gardener who enjoys the growth of plants and its flowering...