When Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam was the President of India, he was invited to a parent meet. One of the parents put him a thought provoking question. We have good education system, we have law and order, we have imposed so many rules to follow, and we have great intellectual power. In spite of having all these elements, why are we not able to root out the social evil, corruption,and dishonesty which have been repeatedly happening for many centuries? And the answer given by the legend (Kalam sir) was an eye opener. He said, only two persons are capable of changing this, Parents and Elementary School Teacher.

We are trying to amend a building after finishing the entireconstruction. But, by being farsighted prior to construction, we could construct the building as we need and as we required. We need to have an education system which can make the students complete citizens. Recently, the Yashpal committee has also revealed the same opinion on our education system. The committee suggested revolutionary changes in the system.

In some areas, where plus-2 level education is completely being maintained by big corporate colleges, education system has become like a system of producing money making machines. In addition to that, our present syllabus is also not exactly focusing on characterization. Being worked as alecturer in the past, I can accentuate it. Today, we wouldn’t have heard of theword “Ragging” in our educational institutions if we had focused on characterization and personality development from the very beginning.

Why are we not teaching them about the noblest and the richest culture of India? If they don’t know about the life history of inspiring personalities of India such as Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Gouthama Budha and Ravindranath Tagore and many others (the list is unending), how can they proudly feel that they are the successors of such noble personalities.

I really feel very sad, many of our students do not aware that India is the country, where the very first University (Thaksha shila), inthe world, was founded. World’s second University (Nalanda) also founded in India only. Each of the University was accommodating more than 10,000 students coming across different countries. Ours is such a great country which couldproduce Vivekananda who got the standing applause, in the World Parliament of Religions held at Chicago, America, for addressing the people in typical Indianstyle.

Why are we ignoring the words of Swami Vivekananda? He always used to tell one thing that the future of the nation is built only in the classrooms. Water the routes of the plant the total plant will be watered. Focus on the fundamentals, the end result is automatic. Catch the students young, mould them in a right way, and make them the most useful resources to the nation. Teach them the noble history of India and make them proudly feel that they are the successors of great people of India.

Our education is making us read, write and speak. We are capable of reading the statutory warning “smoking is injurious to health” written on the cigarettes packets. But we are incapable of understanding it. Yes! If we understood it, there wouldn’t be an antismoking rule which was imposed from the 2^nd October, 2008 (GandhiJayanthi). OK. Fine, but what is the result. Across the country, how many smokers, the anti smoking rule could change into non-smokers, so far? At leastone? Instead of passing an anti smoking bill in the parliament, if thegovernment had added a lesson on smoking and its consequences in the school level, there must have been a considerable change in the country.

I saw some educated fathers who often smoke in front of their children. This is one of the major inducing factors for their children who in the course of time take up habit of smoking when they grow, with the inspiration of their fathers.

The first and foremost duty of the Government is to give protection to its people. For our self protection we have formulated so many rules and regulations so far. But, despite having the law and order why the crime rate has been increasing every year. We need preventive measures rather than curative measures and it is only possible by man making education. Rules are curative measures whereas man makingeducation is preventive measure. Choice is ours. Of course, we always look for the best choice. Now, our government shouldalso make the best choice in this regard.

Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there,undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man making, charactermaking and assimilation of ideas.

We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet.

-Swami Vivekananda