It is common to attribute the
source of ones problems to a third party. Rarely do one sees himself as the
root cause of his miseries. It is always a case of, I have done my best but due to persons x I have not been able to fully utilize
my potential and leap my benefits. Yet, we are cautious to take that
initial step of owning our issues and reflect on the best way forward.
Taking a
different perspective is never an option. Apportioning blame and excuses
happens to be the easiest route of escape. Sometimes we cling onto false hopes,
wishing that things will somehow work out for us, sometimes to the extent of
leaving it at the hands of a power beyond the realm of human ability.
From politics, churches,
schools, homes, streets etc., we are all suspicious of the others. Despite not being able to precisely define,
who are these others that are an obstacle to our ultimate joy. The obsession with the perception that others
are impending your progress and ultimate joy is pegged on false premises. Can it
explain why it is always appealing to seek compensation, even where evidence
exists that such acts won’t change one’s life wholly or for the better? It may
be due to the realization of a false sense of self-importance. The feeling that
your view and perspective of issues is always right and the fear of giving ground
to others points of view; not acknowledging and appreciating individuals’
diversity and uniqueness. We fail to appreciate the immense potential in each
individual. We have failed to understand and recognize the diverse individuals’
potentials that can be harnessed and brought to work in harmony.
Do we reflect on our actions
and imagine maybe, maybe there could be another better way to do things? A case
in point is why would an educationist advice parents to monitor their children
when they come home for a weeklong break? That parents should try to supervise
school work so that the children may not forget what they learnt in school. For
starters, this is a break from the usual school work and in fact they shouldn’t
engage in any school work. Furthermore, a good learning session should aim for
a permanent transformation; life time learning. That learning should aim at
changing ones’ thinking permanently. That even after leaving school no one, least
of all the teacher, should fear that one will end up looking uneducated.
It is thus sad to see an
educator negatively punishing a pupil simply because he went for a 3 week
school break and did not finish school work at home. How would it be if we were
to take home work to finish at school or place of work? Why does the teachers’
system feels obligated to change the society alone, without incorporating the
inputs of all in society?
The schooling system should
strive for an education or learning that creates self-driven individuals who
can leave the schooling system confidently at any given point, and continue
learning unsupervised throughout their life time. It should be a life defining
education that aims to transform one wholly. One should be entirely transformed
into a better person. Otherwise there is no need of going to school.
But looking at the prevailing social
ills and misery, one would think twice about the nature of the social systems, structures
and institutions currently in place. The school might be the best mechanism or institution
to change the society together with the local leadership and a far-seeing
dynamic political goodwill. Unfortunately irrational conflicts impede this. A political
leadership that lay great emphasis on rewarding and recognizing scholarly input
from its citizens will go a long way in changing the philosophy in the
schooling system. The key stakeholders will no longer regards each other as
conflicting interests but as a team with a clear common goal; a better
humanity. Emphasis will no longer be on excelling in exams but in a
transformative learning. Learning that will unleash the creativity, critical
thinking, the problem solving abilities and other potentials in the unique
individuals.
The importance of each individual’s role in the society will be
the main focus and not how far one can perform in the so called standard exams
that resemble a standard race in the wild, supervised by king lion, that
requires each animal to compete in a tree climbing race. Of course, only the
cunning monkeys will win. The rest will be considered failures and losers and
relegated to the dustbin of social justice until a revolution occurs. The bottom
line is that each individual is unique and relevant to the bigger picture in
transforming humanity.
