Education, the Great Enabler and Ennobler!

Some months ago, a group of senior students aged 16-20 from a reputed college went to teach younger students aged 6-15 in a tribal hamlet of Taralpada which is some 130 km from Mumbai. Schools had been shut due to the Coronavirus-induced restrictions, and these children were almost forgetting all that they had learnt in school. Under the guidance of these college students the school became a fun school where the children played informative games, and sang songs along with their regular syllabus. Around 30 children gathered at 9 o’clock every morning. These senior boys and girls whose college was also closed due to the lockdown had taken the initiative to teach the younger kids. A highly commendable initiative certainly, because at the end of the day, the ultimate purpose of education is to spread knowledge and understanding and not keep it to oneself. These young minds learned this because education has helped them become enlightened and other-centred.

It’s time for you students to get ready to go back to school after a long period of time, that is, after the long COVID-19 lockdown or the holidays. It is, therefore, important to ponder what education really is. Swami Vivekananda, our great spiritual genius and guru, has said, “We want an education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s feet.” He highlights four key elements of education, namely, the formation of character, strengthening of mental stamina, expansion of intellectual knowledge and making one self-reliant. Education is meant to help people become enlightened and empowered and to stop one from becoming egoistic and arrogant.

Essentially we live by choices, and not by chance. And so the commencement of a new academic year offers you an opportunity to get motivated with the right objectives rather than get manipulated by the whims and fancies of some vested interests. It is a time for you to become creative and bring about due changes in you. Be helpful to people around you. Choose self-esteem and not self-pity, strive to excel in whatever you are endowed with, and don’t compete with others, but compete with yourself. Listen to your inner voice and let your school curriculum this year help you create a clear vision for your life and thus aid you in becoming a partner in the mission of ennobling this world.

The June 2022 issue of TTT is dedicated to all of you students who are beginning your new academic year. TTT wishes you, through its contents, a wonderful scholastic year, with excellence in your academic performance marking the nobility of your deeds!