Transforming lives through education

The first-ever international education day was celebrated yesterday. The word ‘education’ was derived from “Educare, Educere and Educatum” in Latin. Those who render yeoman services to the education sector must realise they are carrying out an arduous task. This will result in changing the education system, culture, society, country and world at large as students who pass out with their dedicated, determined and disciplined endeavours in the form of teaching must serve our nation for a better tomorrow. 

Education is the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, attitudes and habits. Many teachers fail to recognise the value of attitude formation among students. Inculcating the value of attitude is the ultimate factor for success of any student. If a student does not possess a positive mental attitude, he or she will fail miserably in life. Education also means helping people to learn how to do things and encouraging them to think about what they learn. It is of paramount importance to find and use information. Teachers should foster this quality among their students not solely to impart knowledge and help them secure higher grades, but also to serve their peers and families. 

Wisdom is the knowledge of how things change, rise and fall

Education can be classified into formal, informal and non-formal. Formal education will have schools and institutions involved with a hierarchical structure, uniform, full-time and proper, subject-oriented, certifications and degrees. Informal education will have practical adult learning, diversity in methods and content, mobilisation of local resources, built on learner participation and real-life examples of learning. Non-formal education will be a lengthy process, learning from examples while being at home or at work. Usually, students believe education comes to an end when they leave their schools or universities. However, they should bear in mind that leaving their educational institution is only the beginning of their learning curve.

Ideally speaking, education is a continuous process which requires lifelong commitment. It is a disciplined way of living. Students largely believe learning is merely something to do with memorising what had been learnt.  Learning is an input method of education. Equally important are output factors (reflect, implement and share). Hence, learning equates to reflecting, implementing and sharing.  Top-class fortune-makers in the world still pursue their daily reading habits.  If your students want to learn from you, teach them how to unlearn first as to conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others. Teach them the value and importance of being obedient to their parents and teachers. When a student is learning from his or her teacher, he or she should think they do not know anything and keep their minds open in order to readily absorb the subject. Most of the times, a learner feels he or she knows something or everything on the subject matter before the teacher starts taking the lesson. This is simply being egoistic. This should change for the better. 

Teachers should focus more on the formation of attitude which would definitely lead to character formation. The one who glows with life’s energy is one who lives a successful life. Hence, teach them the art of living and growing. Change was considered as pain in the previous era. But in today’s context, change means growth and prosperity. Teach students the importance of change in life. Teach them not to resist change but rather adapt it. Building a positive attitude and character formation are the need of the hour to provide a better future to our youngsters. Teachers, trainers, lecturers and managers play a pivotal role in moulding their students and employees to ultimately have inner peace from practising what they had learnt. Wisdom is the knowledge of how things change, rise and fall. This insight will rightly lead to the extinction of sorrow and unhappiness. The ultimate result of your noble work of teaching should result in gaining wisdom and this should benefit the mankind for blissful and better life. 

(The writer is a professional marketer, strategist, motivational, life education and life management coach with 30 years of experience. He could be contacted via mravindhiran@gmail.com)