VALUE OF EDUCATION
Pic courtesy: www.duskyswondersite.com
Roots of education may seem bitter but fruits of education are
really sweet and last for whole of life.
I categorise the human beings in 3 categories generally:
1. Unemployable: Those who do not possess any skill or education
and look for job as a daily wager.
2. Employable: Know the mother tongue and are employable in
their own states where mother tongue is spoken and written and their maximum
job market is their own country.
3. Globally employable: Who know their mother tongue, national
language and international language like English. They are educated and command
employability throughout world.
While emphasising on education, one simple sentence is
used:
Education is a better guard of liberty than standing army.
As seed grows into a big tree of different sizes and colours,
so is the education gives the fruit throughout life in different ways. One
fruit is you belong to the world through internet and without spending a dime,
enjoy meeting kith and kin, friends from different countries. Who does not like
having friends from different countries!
Another couplet impresses me:
Formal education gives living,
but self-education gives a fortune.
So, never stop learning even after leaving school, college or
university. Reading 5/6 pages a day will make you better than those who do not
read. Start is difficult. Muster the courage to start and your interest will
grow.
Education adds value to you. How?
Scrap of iron is sold say price is 1 cent per kg.
But when scrap is sent to the furnace, it is burned in the
furnace. Good quality scrap turns into steel while bad quality scrap is burned
during the process.
Steel sells 10 times costlier than scrap.
From this steel, very costly products are manufactured. Value
addition keeps on adding at each and every step.
Now, steel when turned into "magnet" costs 1000 times
more than steel. Magnets run the turbines that generate electricity and
electricity is life line of humans and industries.
Applying the same to humans:
1. As a child, we go to school. Some bear the pressure and
continue the education. They are good scrap. Others don't discipline themselves
for any reason whatever it may be and drop. They are bad scrap.
2. Many complete schooling but do not join colleges. Those who
join college are like steel i.e. they have better value and work options. They
have employment opportunities - nationally and internationally.
3. The third level is steel turned into
"magnet". Applying to the same yardstick to humans, the growth
oriented minds who have been sharpened in schools, college or university keep
on becoming better and better. They do not compare themselves with others or
fellow beings but keep on improving their levels of learning. This makes them
"magnets" or experts in their field of work.
Education enables a person to differentiate between
"good" and "b ad" , ethical and in-ethical, moral and
immoral, legal and illegal and many more. Education is the best gift to be
given to the kids. All other gifts are perishable and but gift of education is
imperishable.
Education is self-acquired skill. Certificates can be given to
the children or others but the knowledge and skill acquired through those
certificate cannot be transferred.
Education empower, education elevates. Be educated. Age does not
matt r for learning. A 92 years old lady, said on TV in reply to a question of
the anchor: So, grandma, you have finished 10th standard. Now what is your
dream. She replied in fumbling broken words: I, I, I w
i s h to b
e g r a d u a t e b e f o r e
I c l o s e m y
e y e s. Who teaches was the next
question? M y g r e a t g r e a t g r a n d
d a u g h t e r.
77 years old Vinodji from Patna is doing Ph.D.
Value yourself and value education.
Here is a story from a student who had completed his +2 from
Punjabi medium school from a village. He told:
I paid you Rs. 2200/- as fee for English Speaking Course
but it will pay me over 1 crore in life. I was surprised and asked: How?
He further told: It is a long story. I
belong to a village. My father is a village head. I passed my +2 from Punjabi
medium school with 80% marks. An advertisement from a bank said candidates with
60% marks in +2 can apply for the posts of Clerks. I was happy and applied for
the post.
The word of my applying for the bank spread in the village and
the villages around as my father used to tell each and every person he met.
With great zeal and zest I prepared for the exam. I took the
exam. The result was FAIL. I was discouraged. My mother boosted my
morale and father too said that it was first attempt, don't bother.
Next time too I failed. This time my father was angry. I felt frustrated.
But I attempted 3rd time and this time too I failed. I reflected upon the
reasons of my continuous failure and found that my English was poor. I
worked very hard on English. 4th time I attempted and I failed.
This infuriated my father and he threw me out of the house. My
mother wept a lot.
I came to your city and started working in a factory. I was paid
Rs. 4000/- per month. I stayed in a dingy room.
I joined 2/3 institutes to learn ENGLISH. But at the time of
admission, they said: You will write and speak ENGLISH well but the course
ended they said: You are from Punjabi medium school and that too from a
village, hence you are very weak in ENGLISH. These words hurt me a lot.
But I could not speak back.
As luck would have been, one day I was going back to my room in
the auto-rickshaw (3-wheeler) and as usual I was telling my story of
frustration to one of my friend. In that auto-rickshaw, a lady professor was
sitting. She was hearing all this. She advised me to meet you. I met you
and you gave me hope. You told me that I would learn English writing and
speaking. It all heartened me. I joined the 2 month course by depositing
Rs.2200 in 2007. I attended the class. I felt a new energy for studying and
working hard. Meditation techniques, memory techniques taught by you made me
more confident.
Your words: Two characteristics Attitude and Making Efforts are
in your control. If you believe you can pass any exam, you must have positive
attitude and should "Never Stop Doing" . These words inspire me to
work hard.
As I lived all alone and had failed in the bank exams 4 times,
throughout night I kept on reading the books in addition to the SELF-LEARNING
MATERIAL, audio CDs, workbook given by you. This all made me confident
and I took the exam of the bank. This time, I
cleared the exam.
"That's true, but how it will give you 1 crore?" I
quipped out of curiosity.
"Sir, I am getting Rs. 20000/- as salary and will work at
least for 30/35 years. My promotion will be there. Respect and prestige is
there. This will make me more than 1 crore in 35 years. "
I gave a loud laugh as this was never thought by my small head.
"Sir, now my father is addressed as "father of bank
manager" by the villagers and villagers come to our home for seeking
guidance for bank exams for their children. It boosts the heart of my parents.
Now my father on the rainy days comes to my bank to pick me up in the car. I
thank you a lot. It is all due to your guidance. Your way of teaching is
excellent. It generates confidence. THANK YOU SIR, PRANAM."
I was thinking that a teacher can never know how his teaching
will benefit the taught.
So, Rs. 2200/- investment on education will pay the taught Rs. 1
crore in life. This is the value of education.
Success is not tough but it demands:
1. Hard work, continuous focused hard.
2. Positive attitude with end result in mind.
3. Powerful self-trusting self-talk makes you winner.
