I am not in the business of educating anyone - with the exception of our offspring who for the most part seems to have a knack for knowing right from wrong and does use the formal channel of school based learning to her advantage. Leaves me to focus on idiotic things like this blog.
I did in my past life proffer some knowledge to young engineering students as a visiting faculty at local engineering schools. That was many years ago and was a very rewarding experience from what I recollect. The recollect part is getting harder with age though.
Anyway, where I am going with this rambling episode is that I am contemplating the quality of our global education today. Is it better today than in the day of Gandhi or Kennedy; Da Vinci or Akbar? What about mere access to education? What about its cost?
Can formal education be hugely successful but home schooling not? Do people need to have multiple degrees, each defined by the local education authority as being a criteria for success?
There are many examples of all possible scenarios where SUCCESS has not correlated with formal education or the source or type of the knowledge imparting institution.
It ultimately requires some intangible inner strength to decide on how to utilize one's energies to extract what may be most relevant education for your own future growth and seek it in the most optimal manner.
Many brands from universities to local schools to government bodies use the specter of 'doomsday without schooling' as a marketing tool to get people to part with their cash (in the form of taxes et al) more than they actually understand what may be most relevant for the society.
Private sector today does account for a large chunk of education dispensing going on across the globe but it comes at a price that may not be affordable to a large portion of society. However it is imperative to ensure that all children born on earth have the opportunity and to an extent a mandate to gain core education in math, science, social studies, history and geography.
It will ensure we will cheat the Mayan's at their forecast and survive beyond 2012.
I did in my past life proffer some knowledge to young engineering students as a visiting faculty at local engineering schools. That was many years ago and was a very rewarding experience from what I recollect. The recollect part is getting harder with age though.
Anyway, where I am going with this rambling episode is that I am contemplating the quality of our global education today. Is it better today than in the day of Gandhi or Kennedy; Da Vinci or Akbar? What about mere access to education? What about its cost?
Can formal education be hugely successful but home schooling not? Do people need to have multiple degrees, each defined by the local education authority as being a criteria for success?
There are many examples of all possible scenarios where SUCCESS has not correlated with formal education or the source or type of the knowledge imparting institution.
It ultimately requires some intangible inner strength to decide on how to utilize one's energies to extract what may be most relevant education for your own future growth and seek it in the most optimal manner.
Many brands from universities to local schools to government bodies use the specter of 'doomsday without schooling' as a marketing tool to get people to part with their cash (in the form of taxes et al) more than they actually understand what may be most relevant for the society.
Private sector today does account for a large chunk of education dispensing going on across the globe but it comes at a price that may not be affordable to a large portion of society. However it is imperative to ensure that all children born on earth have the opportunity and to an extent a mandate to gain core education in math, science, social studies, history and geography.
It will ensure we will cheat the Mayan's at their forecast and survive beyond 2012.
My theory is that an education can be had without going to a formal school. Reading is a good substitute, maybe with a bit of home tutoring in early years. For instance, Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything is a good substitute for about 20 books on various subjects. You are right in that it's a marketable (and marketed) commodity, but the quality varies widely.
ReplyDeleteIndeed if only Brysons and Carlins and Pu La Deshpandes taught in elementary schools we would have a much better, thought provoked citizenry!
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