EDUCATION - Part -II

Language Education

by Our Guest Writer D.Saravanan( http://oru-thuli.blogspot.com/ )

This time I would like to share my views on language education. Though I am not even sure whether the term language education exists. For me, this term means teaching or learning a language, to be precise – mother tongue, English, and Hindi. Whether to teach three languages or two languages in a school is a political issue, which I would not like to discuss in this article. I would rather like to share my views with you on importance of learning languages. I feel our students should be given a fair chance to study languages of their choice. I would like to insist that it is more important to learn languages than studying science or maths.

To understand the importance of learning languages, we first need to know why language education is ostracized or why learning of languages is not encouraged amongst our students. I guess the national fervor – ‘it promotes no economic or intellectual growth prevails’ is the main reason for this kind of discrimination against language learning.

“Language education provides/promotes no economic growth” – Do you think this is a good reason for discouraging our students from learning languages? I say NO. If you have read Swami Vivekananda’s view on education, you will agree with me that purpose of education is not to facilitate economical growth only. However, I do accept the fact that education facilitates economic growth as well but it is not its only motive or goal. In fact if you analyze closely, you will understand that even science education provides no economic growth; it is the way we apply science that gives financial benefit.

“Language education provides/promotes no intellectual growth” – Is it so? Well, that depends on how we define “intellectual growth”. If you say learning scientific principles or mathematical theorems alone are intellectual growth, then a considerable part of world population is not intellectual. Intellectual growth is perhaps possible by constantly interacting with the world around us and learning whatever we can from our experiences, experiments and education. Through this process, we continuously gain knowledge and use it for our material and intellectual upliftment. And for communicating, we need languages not science or math.

The next question: How is language education ignored or overlooked? It is mainly done by messing up the syllabus of the languages taught in schools. It is messed up to such an extent that it makes no sense to the students. Also, perhaps the curriculum developers make sure to take away its relevance. If you compare the syllabus of subjects such as science or mathematics with that of the languages taught in schools, you will understand what I mean.. Language is a vast subject and we should carefully and responsibly decide what is to be imparted – grammar, literature that reflects heritage, or contemporary linguistics etc. Science and mathematics can stimulate a student and give knowledge of specific fields and kinds, but when you a study language, it not only stimulates and excites but also inspires.

Many of us know that Swami Vivekananda started his speech with “Brothers and Sisters” in the World Parliament of Religions, Netaji said “Give blood, I will give Independence”, and Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream”. But how many of us know what they said after Those legendry words. As I said earlier, if the syllabus of a language is structured properly and taught in detail with interest, we will have a man-making and nation-building education.

EDUCATION - Part I

by Our Guest Writer D.Saravanan( http://oru-thuli.blogspot.com/ )

‘Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.’ said Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863–July 4, 1902). Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) said 'I was born intelligent, but education ruined me'. Of course these two sayings are not interlinked; but I feel this is something that’s actually in most of our schools. I remember an old joke - students go to school and run home.

I am not an academician or expert in educational system; but a victim. So, I feel I have every right to comment on this issue. Some may question what or where do we lack in our education. They may rather make a list of things that we have achieved such as designing the smallest and cheapest car, success in lunar mission, acknowledgements we get in IT-ITES areas, and so on. I never deny this success. But I wonder why our present educational system cannot create Vivekananda, Aurobindo or Gandhi? I support Vivekananda or Aurobindo or Gandhi not just for their achievement but for their values - someone who cherished his Master or someone who cherishes our culture or someone who is a staunch follower of truth.

Coming back to the question ‘why we can’t have an educational system based on the principles of these great educationists’ like many others, I too feel this is because we have been following an old educational policy since 1835. If you do not know how we came to adopt this educational policy, here is a quick recap.

After the Government of India Act was passed in 1833, Lord Macaulay was appointed as the first Law Member of the Governor-General's Council. In 1835 Lord Macaulay tabled a report on education. Based on that, East India Company decided to impart Western education in Indian school and English was made the medium of instruction.

Lord Macaulay said the following about India in 1835 in British Parliament:

"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."

Now you can understand what type of education he had suggested for us. If you still can’t, just think of the plight of the value systems in our students. For instance I would like to point out two things. First, the majority of the students feels that malpractices in exams are their right. Next, I feel we simply do not know how to work as a team. If I am not wrong, team building exercises are done only in industries that have well-organized HR department - I don’t think even they succeed in inculcating team spirits in their employees.

If you think that the Macaulay education system will have negative effect after a century from now, you are wrong. It has already done considerable damages. If you have the habit of reading some of the English newspapers on weekends, you will notice a bunch of intelligentsia will highlight the need for sex-education in place of value education. Some grown up bunch of intelligentsia will oppose marriages as it is nothing but a licensed prostitution. However, they will not fail to support gay marriages.

Lord Macaulay wanted to create a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. But the question is how long we would like to continue this or at what pace we would like to eradicate it?

Having said this, I do not oppose the imparting of academic knowledge. Academic knowledge is mandatory and important for an individual’s mental and intellectual growth. Apart from science, mathematics, and their disciplinary courses, a student should know his mother tongue, history and geography of his place. When I say know his mother tongue, I do not mean that one should only learn the alphabets but he should also take pride in the fact that he knows his mother tongue well. Also, this should not stop him from learning multiple languages. Similarly, History or Geography should not be taught to make students a living database, but to inculcate patriotic fervor. And last but not the least, high moral values and principles ---- Religious teachings to be precise --- should be taught to the students.

In short, the thrust of education should be based upon a holistic approach that promises the physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth of the pupil...

D.Saravanan
http://oru-thuli.blogspot.com/
P.S:
I would like to end this article here. However, I will elaborate based on your feedbacks. By comments, I mean if you support me I will write more. If you oppose me, I will write even more. If you do not give any comment at all, I will keep writing until you give one.

'Let's-Just-Live'

Hi all. I am writing this mail not to talk about the chaos that is happening around us and I certainly not wanting to talk about that. I am writing this mail to tell you Guys that 'lets live life'...I mean really just LIVE-OUR-LIVES. I think that's what we ask probably from God (or some power that we cant/don't want to name it), from people around us...from every body. We here just need this nothing more we ask. We want to survive by placing behind us all the chaos and madness around us. We try to survive for our own good. There's is absolutely nothing selfish about it. We are after all mere animals...better social animals...No I am not using it in a sarcastic way or a derogatory way. It's just the way we Humans are. There's nothing wrong about and there is no need to feel any guilt about being selfish. 'We-Just-Wanna-Live'. But....I am sure you guys were expecting what is this guy talking about and surly felt the urge to say I know it...I know there will be a But...'Here we go again' kind of that attitude. Well I am not deferring from any of the above said things that I just wanna live. Not only that I am also adding that I wanna live for a longer time. I want my children, my grandchildren and their grand children to live the way they want. Except when I think of the future it is very dark for everyone because we have a job to do, a responsibility to be accounted for. And we have utterly failed in that so far being just UNAWARE. It is about taking care of the place we live in. No rather the place You…each of You live in. Really what have I don't for the place I live in…No I am not talking about the city I live in…I am talking about the Earth we live in. And we don't have to do anything great live moving the mountains but just make a habit to follow few things. And that is the least we could do to take care of ourselves. I am forwarding a Poster about Tips to be environment friendly... Read that out loud and I am sure it is not too difficult to follow and you will agree with me on that. So I request you guys to read that and read that fully and start practicing those without fail. If time permits do forward this poster to people who you are in touch with. Do this not to protect the environment, but to help your self and if possible little bit for your brother/sister who you share this wonderful home called Earth. I am sure you will feel proud of yourselves if you are able to follow at least 3/5 of these. And because we are here to live our life and no body is going to do that job for us why don't we live it to the fullest by trying everything we could and feel good for having lived it with no regrets. Besides deep down some where in each of us we always want us human to be more of Social and less of just an animal.

Cheers to life

Jagn

P.S- I have asked my colleagues to use the image as their desktop wallpaper for a week. Think about it :)

DREAMS by Raghavendra C.Takwer

BY OUR BELOVED FRIEND AND FOUNDER OF JYOTHI.


In a few moments of dream we live more than a life time, explore unknown places, discover unseen distances, see unexperienced events, fight thrilling dangers, meet unknown people, enjoy an unrealistic experience, having an unrestricted freedom.

Fulfilling an inner desire to reach for the heights, to feel the depth, to stretch across every end possible or impossible , but for the time when reality strikes leaving us with ungasped breath, a smile, a thought...

by

Raghavendra C.Tawker
"...little drops of water little grains of sand make a mighty ocean and a big land."