Saturday, 28 January 2023 | Dr BKS Sanjay & Dr Gaurav Sanjay
GUEST COLUMN
Dr BKS Sanjay & Dr Gaurav Sanjay
Education is one of the human rights. It plays an important role in the development and peace of all human beings. One of the universal declarations of human rights is the right to education. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education and it further goes on to stipulate that all countries shall make higher education accessible to all.
The 2030 agenda for sustainable development aims at ensuring and stipulating quality education for all.Education empowers people with knowledge and skill which leads to employment and employment leads to empowerment of everyone irrespective of caste, creed, religion, region and gender. Noted reformer BR Ambedkar also credited for his role in drafting of the Indian constitution had said that the progress of any society depends on the progress of education in that society. He also said, “Education is what makes a person fearless, teaches him the lesson of unity, makes him aware of his rights and inspires him to struggle for his rights.” He believed that education is a movement. If it does not fulfill its objectives, it is useless. Education enhances self-esteem which is the primary force for any act.
Without education the individual, society and nation will not succeed in achieving their desired goals. Unfulfilled goals result in frustration and disturbance in the peace of mind. Though the Government of India has guaranteed education as a constitutional right we personally feel that emphasis should be laid not only on the right to education but also on the quality of the teachers as well. It is rightly said that only the learned can teach. Education is an asset which can be understood with an Indian shloka that means education gives you discipline, discipline comes from worthiness, from worthiness one can get wealth and from wealth one can do good deeds, and the combination of all these things can make you feel pleasant and joyful.
Education broadens the horizon of an individual brain. As we go higher our thinking broadens and so does our compassion for society. Education needs the least investment compared to the returns. Education enhances the creative and innovative ideas which are the primary source of all kinds of evolution and development. Good education not only helps to enhance the strength of the individual but also helps an individual understand one’s weaknesses. The strength of any individual depends upon strength whether physical or mental. Education gives the opportunities to explore yourself, your environment and surroundings which help one to understand how to live in those surroundings. Education opens up new avenues and new opportunities to evaluate and enhance your knowledge and skill to deal routine and future problems.
The countries which have invested in education are taking the advantage of available natural resources and transforming their resources through their knowledge and skill. If you analyse the current global scenario the countries which have invested a lot are developed and rich, the countries which are ignoring the value of education are underdeveloped and poor.
We can say for sure that none of the countries are devoid of natural resources. In fact, nature has given something important and valuable to every nation but the poor nations are unable to take advantage of the resources. Take the example of Gulf countries- about half a century ago these countries were the poorest in the world and were inhabitable but after the discovery of crude oil the socio-economic status of these countries has changed drastically. The hosting of the FIFA world cup is a recent example of the drastic change the region has undergone.
Our constitution in its preamble gives the guarantee of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The equality of all citizens can be achieved if education is given to all. Education will give equality not only in terms of political and social aspects but the economical aspect as well. Education is the simplest, easiest and cheapest tool to achieve the concept of equality among all citizens. It can transform and is transforming the lives of millions of poor in our country and in other countries. The credit for whatever development has been achieved all over the world since the medieval times goes to education. After the advent of the era of digital technology not only has the quality of the education, training and teaching been changed, the propagation and dissemination of the education has increased manifolds. The invention and later on use of digital technology in education has narrowed the gap between the rich and the poor countries.
There are still some issues due to the use of multiple languages in the different countries of the world. Can one imagine the exponential changes in society when the whole world speaks, writes or uses only one language.
If there is any ideal meaning of education and moral lesson to learn from democracy, then opportunities should be given to all citizens to develop the unique potential of an individual at every step and to produce disciplined and dedicated citizens so that all can contribute something for the welfare of the nation.
(The authors are Dehradun based orthopaedic surgeons. Views expressed are personal)
