Teacher Talk: Nuggets to Ponder
The ultimate objective of education is not to provide knowledge but to allow the learners to think. Theories and concepts are discussed in class not for the sake of discussing them, not for them to be memorized, but for them to be applied in real life situations. Classroom discussion therefore, though considered part and parcel of the process, is not the end of education. Instead, its perfection is attained when the situation calls for the application of the same theories and concepts learned in class. There are two contending, yet complimentary views of education – Francis Bacon calls it ornament while S.P. Lopez considers it uneducation. These two luminaries may not be great educators, but they are great observers as to how people regard education. Their thoughts may be relatively old, yet one will see the relevance and universality out of their antiquities. A person, for example, enrolls in a program to earn a diploma, not expertise. To him a certificate is more important than the knowledge, skills, or expertise that goes with it. Paper qualification seems to have more weight; hence, education serves only as an ornament. It is not at all surprising that the higher the educational attainment is, the more a person forgets the basics – a situation wherein education becomes uneducation. This is evident even in universities where students enroll in a course and shift to another after a while, realizing that the hurdles can not be overcome; or students who stay in class not to acquire knowledge and skills, but simply to get a passing mark. No wonder then that even during the age when the so-called technology is accessible to almost everybody, a college graduate ends up either staying at home or getting underemployed because he lacks the competencies needed in his field, not to mention the attitude that one should have developed while in school. Perhaps, the most classic example as to how a person should regard education is that of Benjamin Franklin, a noted statesman, scientist, inventor, and businessman. He went to school only for two years, but he won honorary degrees from Yale, Harvard, and Oxford universities. His formula is very simple – his life after leaving school did not end. He continued to educate himself by turning each opportunity as an avenue to learn; each failure as a lesson to remember. Perhaps, our own concept of education deserves a second look. - jfv jfv is a member of the Department of English of BulSU -College of Arts and Letters. His passions include writing poems, planting and drinking coffee. His sharp wit and eloquence are always evident in his lectures to English majors’ classes. Possibly Related Posts:
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