Education is the bedrock of social and economic development.
Victor Hugo said “He, who opens a school door, closes a prison”
Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
Before we delve more into the subject, let us distinguish between Education & Literacy which people, more often than not, tend to synonymize.Literacy teaches us how to read and write and Education teaches us what to read and write. Literacy is fact oriented while Education is value oriented. A literate person will talk about economic growth rate whereas an educated person will talk about economic growth with distributive justice.Education brings all round development of human personality i.e. physical, psychological and spiritual development and revolutionizes thinking.
In Swami Vivekanada’s words, Education is the training by which the current and expression of will is brought under control and becomefruitful; it is the development of faculty, not an accumulation of words. It is the training of individuals to will rightly and efficiently.Real education is that which enables one to stand on his own legs.
Lack of education, over-population & poverty all go hand-in-hand. Once the population is educated, the other two are solved without much extra-efforts. Education inspires a person to think in an unconventional but creative and innovative way. It liberates person from mental slavery of superstitions, bias, disbelieves and outdated rigid social and religious customs. Sustainable development is an urgent social & ecological needand education has come to be seen as a process of learning how to make decisions that consider the long-term future of the economy, ecology and equity of all communities. Building the capacity for such future-oriented thinking is a key task of education. Education enables us to understand ourselves, others & our links with the wider natural and social environment, and this understanding serves as a durable basis for building respect.
Dear readers, you will all agree that EDUCATION is indeed the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world. Friends, it is high time we as the educated and aware citizens realize our responsibility towards our nation and take out sometime to educate someone less privileged than us. EACH ONE TEACH ONE could be the ‘mantra’ for the bright future of India!
Let’s all resolve to do so and BRING ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE!!!
Student – 2nd year BE(ElectricalEngg)
Delhi Technological University
Summer Intern 2014 with Uday Foundation