Education
Much is written about education and many have been in the process of redefining it. Some say it is a change in behaviour. Other say it is to develop cognition. For many it is a cultural and religious imperative while many more are looking at it from a critical perspective.
Education is also passing through a phase in which national politics is reasserting itself while globalization and free trade are posing a strong resistance to this politics.
Development in science and technology is opening up new avenues to understand the system of education. A greater desire among people can be seen to see education as a creative and problem solving process. Hence the process of learning and unlearning are equally valued.
Another dichotomy in the prevalent education is a diversion from the traditional "jack of all trades and master of none" notion towards specialization in a specific field. Mushrooming cadet schools, business schools, medical and engineering schools and many other such specialized education are attracting people.
Defining education is no longer an easy task. Culture, religion, national politics, globalization and the growing complexity owing to scientific and technological development together with new challenges to collective survival have been exerting tremendous pressure upon us. The system of education is perhaps more confused today than it had been some years ago. If you are parents you are much more worried about the education of your child. A high school student has no clear direction for the future and an undergraduate is more occupied by a brighter career no matter what he or she would learn or unlearn.
Isn't human history a history of consistently suppressing, diverting, manipulating and persecuting the artist and scientist within us? How much our current system of education is capable enough to polish and further develop human potentials as per our contemporary understanding of the universe? Has our ever increasing notion of modernity brought any change in the way we treat our children and young ones?
We may be relatively more advanced as compared to our ancestors but aren't the fruits of modernity available to quite few and majority of us are still living in abject poverty, suffering from diseases and are enslaved by fellow human beings? We are still far far away in addressing key human issues let alone thinking about bio diversity, ecology and the cosmos beyond our planet.
Much is written about education and many have been in the process of redefining it. Some say it is a change in behaviour. Other say it is to develop cognition. For many it is a cultural and religious imperative while many more are looking at it from a critical perspective.
Education is also passing through a phase in which national politics is reasserting itself while globalization and free trade are posing a strong resistance to this politics.
Development in science and technology is opening up new avenues to understand the system of education. A greater desire among people can be seen to see education as a creative and problem solving process. Hence the process of learning and unlearning are equally valued.
Another dichotomy in the prevalent education is a diversion from the traditional "jack of all trades and master of none" notion towards specialization in a specific field. Mushrooming cadet schools, business schools, medical and engineering schools and many other such specialized education are attracting people.
Defining education is no longer an easy task. Culture, religion, national politics, globalization and the growing complexity owing to scientific and technological development together with new challenges to collective survival have been exerting tremendous pressure upon us. The system of education is perhaps more confused today than it had been some years ago. If you are parents you are much more worried about the education of your child. A high school student has no clear direction for the future and an undergraduate is more occupied by a brighter career no matter what he or she would learn or unlearn.
Isn't human history a history of consistently suppressing, diverting, manipulating and persecuting the artist and scientist within us? How much our current system of education is capable enough to polish and further develop human potentials as per our contemporary understanding of the universe? Has our ever increasing notion of modernity brought any change in the way we treat our children and young ones?
We may be relatively more advanced as compared to our ancestors but aren't the fruits of modernity available to quite few and majority of us are still living in abject poverty, suffering from diseases and are enslaved by fellow human beings? We are still far far away in addressing key human issues let alone thinking about bio diversity, ecology and the cosmos beyond our planet.
