By Ms. Arunima Dutta , Teacher of English, AWS

“A true education prepares you not only for living but also for life.”

Significance of Education in today’s World

The significance and idea of education have changed drastically in the past few decades. The age-old notion of stuffing a student with facts has long become obsolete. Gone are the days when the teachers used to deliver lectures to a class of students undermining and negating the uniqueness of every individual. Pupils were taught to learn alike and expected to behave and perform similarly but over the years we have realized that true education is to learn how to think differently. This has changed the role of teachers significantly. Teachers are not mere educators but facilitators whose only attempt must be to provide the appropriate conditions in which the students can learn. One must teach a child how to think, not what to think. Children must be prepared to deal with their present and future challenges which are so uncertain and unprecedented. The subjects and jobs which are regarded in high esteem today might very soon become absolutely out of demand. Who had ever thought a few years back that the job of an accountant would lose its relevance with the development of technology? New subjects like coding and AI are gradually gaining importance and more common subjects like general sciences and humanities have taken a back seat. So it is foolish to feed a student with facts as the only thing that is constant in this world is ‘change’. Today’s generation must be groomed to cope and survive with the changing time. Learning has become inter-disciplinary where the concepts should not be studied in isolation. With the implementation of the National Educational Policy soon, the field of knowledge will become more flexible where the students have the diverse choice to opt for Music along with Physics. As Einstein rightly pointed out “I don’t think learning facts is education.” He believed in training the mind to discover new ideas, to think creatively and critically.

Besides, educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. Education should aim at inculcating moral and ethical values, building characters and developing the right kind of attitude towards life. It should bring about a holistic development of an individual who will earn much more than mere degrees and secure jobs. Education is the powerful weapon that should liberate us from all the age-old barriers of narrow-mindedness, empower and enable us to become responsible, dutiful and global citizens contributing to the development of the society at large.