VALUE OF EDUCATION

"To me, education is something that actually makes a person wiser, and something that teaches one to be a better person.. Let me pose you a striking question. How would you have reacted if anyone threatened to close down your school, or college, or whatsoever it is?"

Recently enough, I purchased the book titled, "Malala Yousafzai"- authored by the world's youngest Noble Peace Prize recipient. I am not a person who appraises books much, and you can call me a hard critic. As the pages went by, I understood a point: the value of education we receive. What is education to us? If we ask anyone from a developed nation, I suspect they'd actually laugh at our benchmark for being literate. We are taught from rudimentary levels that a literate is a one who can sign a document. The standard defines it all.

India's literacy rate, as of the latest UNESCO survey, stands at 74%. Would you help to increase it?

India has a lot of schools set up in urban towns and cities. From high-repute schools to the "commoner's" schools- there are thousands of them. People send their children to these schools for obtaining report cards that serves as eye-candies. Everyone prefers good grades, and I don't deny the fact. Even I do. After all, there is immense competition in this world of today. Being at the top of the achiever's list is the only way to ensure a credible job. However, there exists a problem. A big one.

How many of these youngsters actually value the education they receive?

To speak practically, very few would be the apt answer. The realization must come from within. That it is not about mugging up texts and mere memorizing. It is not getting answers right to score a top ten on ten. To me, education is something that actually makes a person wiser, and something that teaches one to be a better person. I have always had a different philosophy, and a different perspective of issues. Malala claims that there were imminent threats to her school being shut down. Yet she continued her campaign for education. Let me pose you a striking question: How would you have reacted if anyone threatened to close down your school?

A learning place is a sacred place. It is a place where the Divine Lord resides, as the Lord is synonymous with knowledge. The next time you learn something, try to apply it. Try to feel that you've got to know a bit more. Praise the fact that you're actually ahead of 775.4 million illiterate people in the world. If you do take this article to heart, and learn sincerely, you'll watch wonders happening.

Learning would not be boring. It would become an enthralling experience- joy of a lifetime. You are the master of yourself. I am only a small Blogger. I have only expressed my ideology. It is upon you to do what you want. If you learn to value your education, be gratified that you are actually contributing to our motherland India's bright future.