Light Within

Human beings - fortunate of all the creatures- are unfortunately plagued with needs. We want material things and comforts of life besides our basic wants like love and social recognition. Sometimes ago, in an effort to improve material well being, my outer adult joined an educational institution to study the behavioral sciences that are at work to shape the very complex society at present time. This brought back memories of student life: students’ culture, fun of the school days, aspirations I used to have when I was very young, prophecies of my teachers and the missed opportunities I (now) think I should have availed. My admission also brought in focus the main stream education system working in our country.

Earlier, I learnt most of what I have known throughout my life during early stages from my parents and in the primary school. My teachers in small village primary school taught me reading, writing, counting and other basic skills required to lead a successful life. I have never forgotten the efforts of junior Vernacular Teachers to instill some kind of discipline in me. They also taught me about giving, sharing, enjoying, commitment, helping, smiling, trying and caring in addition to the academics.

After 16 years of schooling, as fresh graduate from a professional academy, I started looking for the openings to join the race for practical life. The field I landed in was very demanding. This was like boarding an express train. I had the chance to go places, meet people from different walks of life and experience few of the fading cultures of our society.

Someone write this, I always think for me, “I learnt to take orders, give orders, solve equations, Write a poem, program a computer, butcher a chicken, make a tasty meal, fight efficiently and listen to others. Specialization has never been a passion in my life. I used to think it is only for academia and intelligentsia.” I always thought I knew enough to live in the world of mortals. Obviously, I was wrong. Knowledge is cumulative and keeps changing. “The process of learning”, as they say, “is stretched from cradle to grave.”

During my career marathon, I have had enlightening three years in National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Islamabad - one of the finest institutes in the world. There I learnt a rich language of Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov, Fedor Mikhailovich, Dostoevsky and Maksim Gorky. Without physically going to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (now Central Asian States), I got acquainted with the close Soviet society and classic literature produced by Russian writers during the eighteenth century.

In developed countries, almost every student has to take one foreign language of his choice as a compulsory subject. This chance has not been provided in our system of education. But I was lucky to get a chance to learn the language. It is during my three years at UIML that I learnt as to why largest circulation Soviet newspaper Pravda (meaning truth) failed to report the news of Soviet occupation in Afghanistan in 1979. I also became vaguely aware of some of the reasons that ultimately caused death of USSR - despite large natural resources and literate work force - at the age of 74.

Thus, as a student all my life I have experienced our rich and diverse educational heritage. But sadly, I am aware that we have no regular standard and perpetual education policy. Even the curriculum is different in different institutions. In last 52 years eight education policies were given by different governments that died the moment governments went out of power. Which is why we find no uniform education standards in the country?

So as student, who started from a village school, where in summers classes are still held under shady trees and who has now joined one of the best universities in the county, I would say to the government to accord education a priority it merits, not by giving yet an other policy or plan but by providing perpetuity and conducive atmosphere where schools, colleges and universities can become centers of excellence and innovation. Visionary initiatives should be taken to enable these centers of learning to create new knowledge. Me by, then we will not need an additional test for admission into medical or other professional colleges and our degrees will have their value. Student’s teachers, private sector, publisher of books, government all have to play positive role to change the existing education culture before it is stagnated.

Albert Einstein, one of the exceptionally intelligent scientist of last century who gave the famous theory of relativity, in his book entitles ‘the world as I see it’ wrote, “Lecture rooms are numerous and large but the number of young people who genuinely thirst after truth and justice is small”. The youth of my country, who are faring well despite all disparities and odds, have to disprove this thought. Provide them the opportunity and they can do it.