I remember the days when I slaved myself for the sake of qualifying the merits, the standards, set by some academician, who may or may not be setting these merits based on the values of education itself, or perhaps according to the mould of the invisible and respective political interests.
And how I fret memorizing -the who, why, what, when & how. And now that I am in my mid 30s, I asked myself, where is the relevance of this? 20 years of my life, figuring out the 5 questions, right now, when I look back, all I could think of is-SO WHAT?
What is education really? And if you graduate from the highest degree with the highest merits, are you educated? And if so, what is the benchmark, could there be one, and should there be one?
Someone so dear, told me once- we are blessed with so many data, look left, look right, look ahead, and look behind, its full of it. Data that could be tangible to the mind, or intangible to the ears. And with a little effort, if we could make something out of these data, finding the zillions possibilities of its relation and correlations, we formed information. And when one, has been informed, we earned knowledge. And once we apply this knowledge with the help of a little experience, it will add on to our wisdom cap. If so, am I wiser now?
Education is to educate, it comes in many forms, in many levels, and through many sources. It teaches the most valuable lesson, its called discipline. Discipline to wait, to know, to learn, to adapt, to apply, to appreciate, it teaches us the values of the past, and it teaches us the lessons for the future. And how much can one apply this, depends entirely on one’s ability to digest, consume and understand its significance, and the success is evaluated based on the movement and reinvention of the mind, the soul, and the self in the social ladder of our so called man made community.
Similarly, what is language? If one speaks the Queen language with zero grammatical error, and perfect composition with a great accent, or is able to speak in the diversity of foreign languages, how would the person score? How many of us, actually sit back, and try to see language as it is, a tool, a mere tool, one of the tools to assist in communication. And what is communication? It is a passing of information/data in any format with the intention to inform. So, if a person speaks well, does it necessarily mean, he or she succeeds in using this tool to transmit what he needs to? And with visual multimedia accessories or high tech gadgets, does that make communication more effective than before? And if yes, who can guarantee the levels of understanding, or rather, how the targeted audience is able to digest the information, and how informed can they be? And lastly, would it make any difference to them? Would it help them? Harm them? Bring added value? Influence them? If none of these transpire, what do you call it? Failure in communication? Redundancies of data and information, lack of human touch to affect the communication?- I call it, ….A WASTE OF TIME!
In my closets, I have attires of all sorts. These were all chosen with the basic understanding of knowing who I am, in & out. It’s the result of my ability to understand, believe and accept my flaws, & my strengths. It doesn’t come in one day; it comes with years of experience and that final step, call- accepting,… accepting with courage. And it takes knowledge to decide which attire suits me most for different events. It’s a choice, like how everything is. And like how everything is, it’s a choice that will define who you are and sadly, what you are made of.
Today, I questioned myself, of how I truly understand the significance of May 13th, August 31st, or even, when some stranger called Parameswara sat on a tree, by the name of Malacca. And how I truly appreciate those who were involved in bringing the peace “home”, after each World War. And as I completely embrace the fact that history needs no justification, and how truly it can speak for itself, I am disappointed, how education, and the tools of communication may have failed to reach out, readjusted certain facts, or even misunderstood certain events, that would again, penalize the significance of history and its value, in the minds of the present and the future. And if history no longer spells the truth, would it become a true myth? Will the survival of the human race soon becomes the joke of a mere published literature?
2 comments:
Wisdom that culminates in one's own self over years of meaningful learning experiences will transform or change a person's perception and attitude towards values on living a life of humility, sincerity and gratitude. Life has been so wonderful to me indeed, meeting with interesting people from all walks of life, some even touching deep inside has manage to tranform me into what I am today. I thanked the All Mighty for blessing me with such valuable learning experiences so that my soul will someday rest peacefully....Ameeen.
Thank you for dropping by Mr. Fuad. You have and will always be a source of inspiration to me.:)
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