Education- Difference of perception.
I was attending an un-conference at Aaruush '12 (the Techno-management fest of SRM University, Chennai). The topic of discussion was, "Deviation from engineering, after graduation." All said, the flow of discussion went really well.
Mr. Ratan Manglani was a personnel from "Teach For India." He went on about how the system works and how many children they educated. And then he showed us a case, of a slum dweller girl, who got education. In one video of hers, she was addressing a TED event in Mariana Trench, Mumbai. The confidence she had her in her voice gave me goosebumps. Terrific English and public speaking skills she had. And then she said her last lines .The last lines of hers, they still ring in my ears and make me think over and over again. The lines were "Yes, I AM an educated slum dweller, and I am proud of it."
For many it may have been just a touching video, an inspiration. But for me it opened my so long closed eyes to a whole new perception towards education. We, those of us who are born and raised with good family background, who opened their eyes to the world of knowledge and education. We, who at the age of three had a privilege to go to schools and then continue to pursue different degrees as per our interests, it seems that we are the ones who don't understand the true value of education. As the trend goes today, we all whine about going to schools or colleges everyday, or study load, "peer-pressure", or homeworks. Many of us also just hope to somehow graduate from college and then start working. We didn't understand the privilege we enjoy then, and we don't do it now.
But for people who were not so gifted as us? Getting a proper education is one distant dream for them. A dream, for which they'll be willing to sacrifice anything. I used to see my mother teaching the kids of the house maids who used to work at our home. Then, I didn't understand the meaning of any of it. But now i think i get the gist just fine.
As they say - "People value only those things, which they don't have. If they have something, right from the beginning, they never understand its value, until its gone."
Its not about developing the nation. Its not about doing charity work. Its all about - Being Human.
