Dreams are often shaped by family members in middle-class families. We don’t always grant children the freedom to pursue their own aspirations. Instead, there’s often a blind emphasis on our education system. Our education system tends to prepare us solely for jobs, neglecting other aspects of personal development. I am exploring a few common questions in our society: Why is this happening, and how long will it continue?
I was the child who never bunk school in my childhood. I never took leave for enjoyment purposes during my childhood to schooling including my corporate journey.
It was the rainy season. I woke up early in the morning and saw outside of the window that it was raining. I prepared for school. I put my uniform and the bag in a polythene and reached my school. I wear my uniform after reaching school. Many times I wonder what people will think about it but I don’t care at all about other people. I was doing it for myself, not for others.
Isn’t it?
After returning from the school first I have to complete my homework then I go to play outside with my village friends. If any day the homework is too much then I cancel the plan of playing outside. That means that study was my first priority always. Before the examination I stopped going outside.
I still remember an incident when I was in 6th standard. I started learning English as a subject from 6th standard in government schools. So, there was my first English exam in 6th standard. The syllabus was 5 names of colors, 5 names of fruits, 5 names of organs, 5 names of vegetables, an unseen passage from which you have to answer the questions and a letter or an application.
It was my first English exam so I was scared about it. So, there was a Sunday and from Monday the exams started. The whole day in the sunlight I prepared for my English exam. I learn each and everything and then write after memorizing. I repeated this whole process again and again until I was not confident. I appeared in the exam. Guess what. I attempted all the questions without any mistakes and scored good marks in the subject which was just started.
This story seems silly for you but for me it was an achievement in my life and I can’t forget it in my life. How I started learning English for the first time.
What we learn from this story is that hard work never goes to waste. Yes, if you use your mind smartly in the hard work, you can achieve any target before what you expect which is called smart work. There are various tools and technologies available to make your work smarter. But keep the intention of never giving up.
For every middle class child the dreams were designed by his family members not by his/her own what I observed. Becoming a doctor was my dream obviously it was not mine. Because I was not aware of anything. But whatever the family members talk about the child, listen to each and everything carefully and start thinking the same.
So, I also began to entertain the same idea and embraced it as my dream. However, due to financial constraints, I had to abandon the notion of becoming a doctor. Reflecting on it now, I believe everything happens for a reason. In reality, it wasn’t truly my dream, and today I am grateful that I didn’t pursue a medical career. Otherwise, I might have been fainting before a patient’s surgery as I can’t handle the sight of blood. In fact, I once fainted while stitching up my child’s head.
Instead of becoming a doctor I chose a BCA course which was also a new thing for me. Actually not for me but for my whole village it was new things. Again I was not clear what the scope of BCA was even after its completion. We four friends joined this course. We all were from a Hindi medium schooling so in the first semester we all have backs in all the subjects. Having a back in a subject was a failure for me. I went back to my home and told my family members about the same. My family members always supported me. Especially my elder brother. If you got back in all subjects then what? It’s okay, don’t worry. They believe in me more than me. They even can’t believe that I did not give my best. They know that I always give my best. My brother encouraged me not to take it seriously, instead focus on how you can do it and try once again.
Even all four friends were ready and happy to give up. They were more than happy if I also gave up with them and It was easier for them to convince their family members that I was also giving up this course. Because I was an example for their families. But you know what I said to them. I will not give up if you want to go, you can go happily. I have to try once again. After listening to my answer they also stayed with me. We all clear the next semester with the previous semester without any back and good marks.
Later on they thanked me. It’s because of you otherwise we will leave this course earlier. I not only helped him during the course but in starting their corporate career journeys as well.
In today’s world where we are living we avoid and stop facing challenges and struggles for our children. We stop them from making decisions on their own. We stop them to see dreams. If any child wants to follow their passion instead of supporting him/her we make it a joke.
We are more than happy if a child scores good marks in modern education and not happy if a child builds or develops something on their own. Why?
We only prepare our children for jobs only and not encourage them to do what they love. Why?
Modern education does not prepare us to face challenges. How to face real life challenges. Still we focus only on modern education only, why?
The modern education system does not prepare us to develop holistic human beings. Still we focus only on modern education, why?
We can’t fulfill our dreams even after completion of our full degrees and high education, why?
And most importantly,
We can’t live a happy and fulfilled life after getting a good education. Even though we don’t know and do not try to understand about the actual means of our life.
Why?
I am leaving these reasons for you. What do you think? Mention in the comment box. I will be more than happy to discuss in detail, you can DM me.