Really… Are we actually “educating” individuals, or merely “qualifying them”, piling on degrees after degrees?
I bumped into Mrs. S at a birthday party yesterday. We aren’t really friends but have had a long association, professionally. A lady with a motor mouth, who seldom knew what diplomacy, was. And anyways in kiddo birthday parties, amidst all the screams and squeaks of children, her loud voice may really not bother you much.
It all started with someone complimenting my prettily dressed girls. “How cute little girls look in party frocks, shoes and shimmers,” he said. Mrs. S took no time to respond to this statement. “Girls would be cute and a pleasure now when they are young. It is only as they grow older would you realize the issues. You would have to keep a watch on where they go and whom they meet. And then the expenses you have to incur on them- spend on their education, later get them married, another expenditure on “Godh Barayee” (Baby shower equivalent in India) and later on her child. It is never-ending. I am glad I have a son.”
The group present just disapprovingly said, “Come on, things have changed”. And the conversation ended there. I of course was not really surprised. There are many such people in our society who think in a similar fashion. But here is what struck me odd.
Mrs. S holds a Masters in English Literature and an MBA in Marketing from Patna University. With a double degree she worked as a high school teacher. So if this was the thought process of the “qualified” individuals of our society, is our education system actually in place? Are we actually “educating” individuals, or merely “qualifying them”, piling on degrees after degrees?
Shouldn’t our education system be focussing on bringing out better thought processes, so that something more positive could be done for the society at large? We need to make our whole education system effective to tackle mindset issues that are prevalent.
That’s real education!!!
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Categories: Gender Issues, Social Being
Tags: Education, gender bias, Girl Child
Very valid point. I am aghast at similar statements made by learned individuals.
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Very well said Ramya! I also wish common sense (or rather progressive sense) was directly proportional to the number of degrees one had.
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Our education system is faulty in instilling “values” … of new age… times have changed.. Girls are working in every possible field and taking care of families too.. its the boys who are lagging behind these days as they are working outdoors .. only few have changed and helping at home too.. Yet They cannot give birth to a life hence they will always lag behind..
http://serendipityofdreams.blogspot.in/2016/04/ripples.html
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Teachers ought to broach this topic in the classrooms of every high school. It is sad to note that many of the students’ mindset today are no better. And it is only by chance that I came to know about my own classmates’ narrow mindsets.
Which is why it must be made a part of the curriculum in every school to discuss and understand values rather than blindly believing the society.
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Valid questions!
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