Is there a connection between education and free thinking? Free thinking is supposed be one’s birth right. On the other hand, education is defined as a resource that empowers intellect which a person can use to lead his life freely and to pursue happiness. That way, education and free thinking are branches of the same tree.
But not in the case of our country where education is merely seen as a tool to get qualified enough to get a job, to keep oneself occupied and follow the livelihood-laws of society.
No one from birth is allowed free thinking. It is seen as an evil where if you think freely you are venturing into the domain of the unknown and taking a risk.
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On the other side of the world, education is seen as something that empowers and enhances your cognitive abilities. Here, education is only seen as an institution where you graduate to get a job, preferably in engineering or medicine. Not to take up these fields so that you could serve the country in the field of research and innovation, but because they can fetch you a high-paying job.
Adding to the stress
Many parents, who are the most influential people in anybody’s life, merely add to the stress by intending to breed a clone of the ‘high-scoring neighbour.’ They too don’t think beyond the circle of views and beliefs set by society.
All one does in school and college is to devote a certain amount of time to put the answers for the questions in the brain rather than grasp the subject and enhance intellectual abilities.
The Indian education system has become a business where the exploding population has become advantageous! More admissions equals more money.
If the Indian education system follows this path then we might create thousands of engineers but we will never create creative and innovative thinkers who emphasise on free thought and use education not as a tool to be eligible for a job but as a medium through which a person can enhance his/her skills, abilities and his own cognitive process.
Essential
Creativity and free thought process can only occur in an unrestricted environment. This thinking is what allowed us to use tools rather than our bare hands, to discover fire, wheel, to invent the aeroplane, to invent different forms of music, dance, art which have nothing to do with survival.
As a country that is emerging as a superpower and where the majority of the population is the youth, we have a resource that can propel this country to heights never imagined before if given the right opportunity.
If the youth are allowed to think freely, to choose the field that they are inclined to and given opportunities our country can break the shackles and emerge as the most creative and free thinking society of the world.
(The writer is a B.Sc. student of D.R.M. Science College, Davanagere)