My Views on Education

When I use the term education, I tend to define it within certain parameters. This way I keep my discussion on this vast subject limited and focused. Hopefully clear too. So here goes..

Education can become a universal concept, only when it is accepted as an empowering tool universally. For eg I stay in a rural part of India, where the education isnt considered to be so important especially because many of the parents are either farmers or poorly educated.
They havent seen education bring any value-addition to their lives, as such. So in such a scenario, how can we sell education as an empowering tool?

First, show education in the light of its usefulness....preferably in everyday life. For e.g. if a kid were to go to a shop, and tell the shop-owner what its mother has told him to get...4 packets of CCC shampoo. If the shampoo costs 2 rs. per packet, how much would the kid have to pay for 4? It needs to use multiplication and deduce that the order costs 8 Rs. There....that's how learning Maths will help that kid.

Growing up, when the kid turns into an adult, a shop-owner and has to decide how much it has to keep the selling price in order to turn up a profit of 8% always, then it needs to know the concept of Cost Price, Marked Price, Discount etc. Again Maths education at work.

Or how about the kid befriends another from town, one who knows English. How can it converse with the new friend? By learning English conversation, of course. That is the value-add of learning English.

In all the above cases, we can clearly demonstrate that education can lead to an increased confidence in conducting ourselves in the society. Besides, it is also a tool that can prevent us from falling prey to tricksters.

The other aspect of Education is that it refines our sense of humor.