Thoughts on Headless Education
on January 11, 2010
Kartikey Sehgal
Many people pursue higher (master’s) education without thought
We often study to stay away from our passions*. Studying is comfortable and acceptable for parents as it lives up to their ideal of coping-with-the-west. Pursuing activities other than the hobby of studying makes them terrified and often violent. They are not proper parents in the sense that they will not encourage the child to do what his heart desires. Any extra-curricular activity must be an appendage to the ultimate goal of a money-making and a respectable profession, the latter being ordained by the sect of similar-minded people in a society.
Indian parents’ obsession with studying is determinant of a slave-mentality. It tells the kids that the only way you can measure up to the rich western nations is through studying. The foreigners, of course, can successfully take up professions that use their skills and wisdom and are not reliant on rote-learning.
Indian parents are not comfortable in sending their children to art schools, music schools and sports schools. The prevailing top-notch universities cater to a small minority of students many of whom rely on rote-learning to clear the tough entrance examinations. Our generation of parents and grandparents didn’t make many outstanding universities; another determinant of the slave mentality.
I shall now move to the scenario of a student enrolled in a master’s degree at some university. He has just bought himself two years of security; the parents would feel he is doing something worthwhile, never mind that their child is wasting his time in a course he doesn’t swallow with distinction; as long as there is some food on the table.
The boy, of course, would be confused during his studying time at the university, popularly referred to as education. Would he have time to first search and then pursue his passions considering he would be spending time learning things he doesn’t like? He could experience a feeling of guilt for being untrue to the textbooks and hence untrue to the expectations of his parents. Should he find a career in what he is learning—a seemingly safer option—or should he leave aside the pressures and pursue what he wants.
I think again of the first sentence.
We often study to stay away from our passions.
* in reference to master’s courses at universities
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Comments
It is not a problem that is easily solved: given the disconnect between what we learn and what we do later in life, I’ve come to the conclusion that education (whatever you study) is all about teaching you to suffer without complaining!
Because life is about endurance, right? May be that explains why despite the rotten syllabus and teaching system, people from India do well in general, anywhere they go.
Or, I might be wrong, of course.
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less religious restrictions, freedom to think and adapt. indian education, then, is like a majboori to be dealt with and, as you say, suffer. the educational freedom abroad is a bonus and we lap it up.
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Very cogently argued. Indeed the purpose of study is primarily to ‘catch up’ with the West. May be because we were so far behind that this stage was necessary in the beginning. But it has gone on for far too long, even for the elite who have already arrived.
Vinod Sharma´s last [story] ..NO PRICE IS TOO HIGH, JUST ‘LOVE PAKISTAN’
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education in the sprawling lawns and big libraries is a romantic dream for students. it is time we have many brilliant institutions in india. the thought of sipping coffee and reading a book in a large library into the wee hours is a big turn on indeed.
consider the state of teachers in india. pitiful. have we any regard for education? no wonder rote-learning persists because that curtails the need for a good teacher.
Kartikey´s last [story] ..Thoughts on Headless Education
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