Of all the definitions of Education I've come across I think I like " an instructive or enlightening experience. " Still, I'd like to amend that to " an instructive AND enlightening experience. " An experience that fulfils the meaning of the word itself in totality.

We each have dreams we'd like our children to fulfill. On top of our expectations that are based on the belief that our children are the best and thus deserve the best in order to become the Best. And we push and prod and pressure their little minds to absorb all they can, as a sponge would water. There are too kind of people, I believe. Those who expect too much of their children and those who expect too little. Why isn't it that we can find a median to these lavish prospects ?

In India, the emphasis is solely on the what the books hold. Marks are compared in .01 % and coming first is the ultimate goal. Being a doctor, engineer or CA are the only viable career choices and if anything else is even considered, it's a cardinal sin. In today's age with the cropping up of call centres and people wanting to find themselves, we find many a person leaving the fields their parents chose in order to walk down paths their destiny might lead them. In contrast, with all the options available in the US, in Every field possible, Rounding off your credits with useless subjects just so that you can make the final cut is a burden each student must carry. No matter what they do, but Harvard and Yale are the ever elusive Holy Grail.

Why isn't it that among these cultures and thought processes, it's not thought of to let a child have a thorough knowledge of the basics and then grow to be whatever their talent makes of them ? Sure there is an uncertainty in this, but isn't it important that each child find happiness ? I really admire parents in India who base a basic importance on graduation in a select field and they allow them to follow their own paths. That's the least they can do considering the competetiveness in every aspects of our lives. In today's cut throat condition, it's important to give the child a well rounded learning experience that teaches them all about the world and the moral values that make it what it is. They need to be taught at an early age that life has more to it that their own selves. The world needs bright, loving, sensitive children who grow up to work towards a better tomorrow.

For anyone who feels that the education system really needs some sort of a revolution, the movie " The Ron Clark Story " is a must see. Today's children who grow up way too fast, need nurturing in a way that rounds off their character, instructs them on the ways of life, gives them knowledge that will help them understand the world around them better AND cultivate the talents they are born with. Going to school ought to be fun and a learning experiance that stays with you for life. Not just cram up ur lessons to vomit and forget the day after the exam. All children are naturally intelligent with a natural born curiosity about the world around them. Their education and environment can make them whatever they desire to be. But there is no harm in making that path of enlightenment full of smiles, giggles and laugher.