Education is the reservoir of invaluable treasure of knowledge supplemented with wisdom and so it offers awakening on everybody's part. When it is the source for knowledge, the concomitant of wisdom for man's awakening, what is source for education?
Man with insight is different from animals with instinct. There is a
clear-cut difference between man and animals. Man has the sense of insight, the
power of understanding to distinguish the good from the bad, the worthy from
the unworthy. Animals have the sense of instinct that does not change at any
cost in any period. Animals cannot be modern animals like modern men. The
animals today are exactly as they were in the past for their instinctual
nature. Man by nature or by means of insight is inquisitive. He tends to learn
the ways for him to meet his physical needs and reach his destined goals.
Man can have education from nature first and from the teacher next.
Nature that serves as a university is the primary source for education. In
imitation of birds and animals, he learns many things but not all the things.
Next, education flows to minds from the books when read by him or taught by a
teacher in the classroom.
Man is not like animals, birds and insects with their instincts. He is
different, as he has the sense of insight to mark a clear-cut difference. It is
the virtue to crown him 'special creature', 'the crest of all creatures'. The
insight leads him to do good and worthy by means of education he attains.
Education teaches him values in the form of heritage, civilization and culture.
In other words, it teaches discipline, decency and decorum as the principles.
It offers not just knowledge but wisdom, leading him to humanity for human
relations and humanistic concerns for his march towards excellence.
All
should make a note that education is complete when knowledge it offers is the
concomitant of wisdom. Man can have both knowledge and wisdom through education
as he has the boon of insight. Man, therefore, marks a special distinction
among all the other creatures as those creatures have instinct. "Blessed
is one who is born as man as he has insight".
The
people in the past had blind beliefs, stigmas, social evils and the like. There
were more or less like animals in spite of their insight. That is why the man
was like a beast, brute or animal, as he was an uncivilized man as he had no
education, 'vidya viheenah pashuh' to mean man without education is a
brute or an animal. Education was only the means for the people in the past to
be free from blind beliefs, stigmas, taboos and social evils as it dispels
their ignorance in the way light shatters darkness. The people had their
problems solved and evils shunned by its invincible means.
The
social evils like Sati were in practice. Education showed them a solution to
the evil. So is the case with bride's price. By means of education, the people
were able stop the evil. There was a curse on the part of the women who lost
their husbands in their young age were to remain widows lifelong. By means of
education, the people felt that they could fill joys in the lives of the young
widows. Education was only the means to shun all the social evils and evil
practices then.
In
the next generation, the people faced the social problems like dowry system,
child marriages, untouchability, and so on. The people felt that education was
only wherewithal to shun these social evils and bad practices.
Dowry
system confronted the society in place of bride's price. The people felt that
it was a curse in disguise. The people were ready to perform the marriages of
children but child marriages became a curse on the part of women. They suffered
for various reasons in the later stages. They felt that education was only the
means for the solution to child marriages. There were acts against all these
evils to remain acts forever.
Untouchability was in practice as a humiliation to a sect of people. The
People of that sect suffered for no reason. Education came to their rescue as a
remedy for it.
There
were suicides due to the loss of chastity, humiliation and various reasons.
Education came to the cowardly and infused courage in them to face them for
their happy living like others.
There
were prenatal examinations to get ready for foeticide in case of female foetus
in the womb. Education enlightened them to make them aware of the necessity of
female ratio against the male ratio. Many acts resulted from education came to
stop all evils.
Even
after achieving literacy in the form of education, the people in the society
faced various kinds of social problems against the principles of education. There
were inequalities and injustices, irregularities and uncertainties meted out to
the society. There were highs and lows for discrimination. Caste system,
racism, communalism and status variation for humiliation were still there in
spite of education among the people though it was remedy for all the
discriminations. There were corruption, deception and exploitation playing to
the tune of selfish goals which education never allows in its chaste field.
In the
later stages, corruption is rampant in every sector. Money, spent in the
welfare of the people is enriching the financial levels of the selfish people.
There is deception to meet their selfish goals. The milk vender selling milk
had a principle not to mix water to it. He rose to the level of mixing water to
the milk he was selling. Later he added all other substances like starch and
urea to milk, turning it milk sans dilution. Of late, he has risen to the level
of preparing artificial milk to play with the lives of the people especially
children. The people are in need of it and so he is exploiting their need. He
never realizes that it is deception but it is a part of his business. He has
education but he does all corruption, deception and exploitation. What does
education teach him?
In view of scientific advancement and
technological progress, man has invented many machines and equipments for his
comforts and luxuries in quest of super pleasures. He can make machines like
robot to work for him. He can make the machine of his hen lay artificial
eggs.
There is a high ambition arisen in the people to become rich overnight.
There are all hybrid duplicate false varieties for sale in place of pure,
original things to pose a question whether education helps them to do it or they
are going against the principles of education. Anyhow, the purpose of education
goes with the wind to prove futile.
In
the institutions, ragging is going on. Malpractices and harassments are going
on, spoiling the values of education. The wise feel sorry for the acid races on
girls. What is education teaching them?
Institutions have become business centres, charging exorbitant fees. Is
education allowing them to do so or are the institutions making education a
tongue-tied slave? Education feels polluted when the managements sell education
in the form of certificates. It really feels delighted when it offers
certificates to the worthy students. It is its sole goal in pursuit of virtues
and values.
Violence is everywhere. It is manifest in various forms. Thefts are
taking place. Murders are taking place. There are rapes. There are
rapes-cum-murders. The rapes have become news in newspapers for the surprise of
a few with wisdom and surmise for the few to think. The unfortunate thing is
that rapists are also educated. They are ready for the rape an eight-day old
baby, a girl of any age or a woman of any stage. There arises a doubt in all,
all wise whether education prompts them to do rapes or gang rapes. What type
education of education stops their involvement in ghastly brutal cruel
acts?
The
people believed in the powers and wonders of education in the past, saying vidya
viheenah pashuh as the people without education were like animals or
brutes. They felt the need for education. They had literacy in the form of
education to be free from blind beliefs, stigmas, taboos and evil practices.
Now, the people have high education and all high degrees but the evils are
going against the principles of education especially the saying, vidya
viheenah pashuh. They are doing all offences in spite of their education
and degrees to say that the saying has lost its relevance in the society today.
The meaning of the saying has become topsy-turvy in the present generation. Why
is this colossal change in these days of advancement against the principles of
education?
