“The final criterion for 'Education'!” - INSIGHT #8

 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

 “The final criterion for 'Education'!”

 INSIGHT #8

Prachana has been reading the books she got from the library all day long, sitting, standing, walking, hanging upside down, she never kept them down! She felt overwhelmed by reading all those books and was not getting enough of any of them. Her mother had to drag her out to eat food!

By night, though she was tired, she stacked all the books neatly on her table before lying down. The orange ‘Book of Knowledge’ was kept facing the bed so that she could fall asleep watching it, secretly hoping knowledge could be transferred to the mind by air!

She woke up hearing some noise. She saw Sarvaa sitting at the edge of her chair and hurriedly shuffling all the books trying to put them in some order. He looked thoroughly confused. In between, he picked up the Book of Knowledge and stared at it, and then kept it back. He continued shuffling the books like a pack of playing cards with his huge palms. Prachana didn’t notice that he was looking at her through the corner of his eye and chuckling internally.

Prachana, lifting herself, asked Sarvaa in a tired tone “What are you doing with my books, Sarvaa!? And, why do you look so confused!?”

The books flew in the air and collapsed on the floor from Sarvaa's hand when he heard her voice.  Prachana quickly jumped out of the bed and started picking up the books. She stacked it all again neatly on the table. Sarvaa, who was sitting calm, handed over the Book of Knowledge with a smile. Prachana was annoyed and stood akimbo staring at Sarvaa demanding to know why he has made such a mess today. Sarvaa acted as though he was terrified. A few moments passed in awkward silence. The chair Sarvaa sat in squealed when he leaned back away from an adorably angry little Prachana. The noise made both laugh out loud. Prachana, without any warning, hugged Sarvaa. Sarvaa affectionately patted her back, stood up, and made her sit on the chair.

Sarvaa said, “You look very tired, Child... I can understand. You were very eager to learn everything and could not learn anything. Right?”

Prachana’s smile vanished. She felt embarrassed, disappointed, and sad. Not being able to face him, she just nodded. Sarvaa sat beside her and lifted her chin up and smiled.

Sarvaa said “My child, you are not the first one to get overwhelmed seeing the wealth of Value and Knowledge available to you to achieve what you want to achieve.” Prachana’s expression changed from that of sadness to curiosity.

Sarvaa continued “And for that, you need to do certain tasks in a certain way.”

Though those words from Sarvaa didn’t sink in well for Prachana , her expression changed as though telling Sarvaa “I am all ears”. She pulled up her feet and sat cross-legged as a disciple sits in front of a Guru.

Sarvaa said, “Relax! You can’t achieve everything before the sunrise. So, listen to me calmly and carefully.” Prachana instantly shook her head in agreement.

Sarvaa continued “Listen. Now you know you need to achieve two things. Value and Knowledge. And for that, you need to go through a procedure and there are many. The first step is to understand what you want to achieve. Then the procedure you choose has to help you achieve that. Did you understand?”

Prachana already started counting the processes she knew with her fingers saying, “I have heard, in schools and colleges, they teach, instruct and they pass exams. With that, they achieve what they want. Right?”

Sarvaa answered in a doubtful tone “You are right, but…” He paused for a moment.

Prachana asked, “But… ?”

Sarvaa continued “Such activities, or processes are legion. You cannot name them all. Almost anything can be counted as a procedure as long as…” Again Sarvaa stopped to see whether Prachana is attentive enough to understand.

“As long as? Tell me, Sarvaa!” Prachana was impatient.

Sarvaa said “As long as you ensure that, the procedure helps get the educationally valuable achievement. And…” Sarvaa paused again which made Prachana even more impatient. She got up and stood in front of Sarvaa as though demanding an answer.

Sarvaa continued “and… that needs to be voluntary. Never to be forced upon the learner. But yes, there are situations wherein a learner is conditioned or indoctrinated, or even brainwashed so that the learner cannot resists coercion.”Prachana felt sad even imagining such a scenario. Sarvaa looked at her straight in her eyes and told very seriously “They are not educational procedures at all. So this criterion tells us only what is not permitted.”

Prachana responded, “I understand, Sarvaa!”

Sarvaa continued “Now that you know that there is a procedure of education to achieve the Value and Knowledge, I will put that in one sentence. Listen and follow me carefully, sentence by sentence.”

He prepared himself and started.

“Education is the achievement of a desirable state of mind…” he paused in anticipation for Prachana’s expression of understanding and then continued.

“…characterised by knowledge and understanding in breadth and depth with cognitive perspective and…” he looked at her again. She nodded. And he continued.

“…by corresponding appropriate emotions and attitudes, these brought about, deliberately,…” Sarvaa paused and asked, “Are you following?” Prachana in intense concentration and recording everything in her mind said, “Yes”.

Sarvaa “…brought about deliberately in a manner not to infringe upon the voluntariness and willingness…”

Prachana closed Sarvaa’s mouth with her hand and said loud “…on the part of the learner. Right?”.

A very happy Sarvaa stood up and said “You got it! You are very smart. Now you should ensure that the other learners like you also understand this important rule in education.”

As she kept looking at Sarvaa with great love, affection, and respect, the room went dark. It was time for her to go back to sleep and wake up with a crystal clear mind.

 

End of Insight #8

 

Reference : R S Peter’s Analysis of ‘Education’

 

#learning_from_my_child

#philosophy_of_education

#education

“Can there be Education without Knowledge?” - INSIGHT #7

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

 “Can there be Education without Knowledge?”

  INSIGHT #7

Prachana returned from her monthly visit to the Book Lending Library in the nearby town carrying a bunch of books on varying topics. This has been her practice for the last few years once she started traveling alone through the deserted 2 km forest tracks. That day, she could not forget the incident that happened at the library.

Michael Chacha, the one who runs the fairly large library used to suggest her books to read by guiding her to any row of shelves. Most of the time, her choices were random. But today, when she stood in front of him in anticipation, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked over his shoulder to an old man with a long beard sitting at a table behind him. That man had an uncanny resemblance to Sarvaa. Without even looking up, he hand gestured Michael Chacha to give the books which were kept on his table, to Prachana. Michael Chacha picked up those books and gave them to Prachana. She felt a little weird. Without looking at the titles, she picked up all the books and walked home.

She was eager to reach home and see the new selection of books given by the old man. After a quick dinner standing in the kitchen, she rushed to her room upstairs. She spread all the books on the bed. She was amazed at the selection of the books. They varied from Mythology to Biographies to Cooking to Paintings to Theatre to Sports to Science. She was thrilled. She didn’t know which one to pick up. One bright orange-coloured book caught her attention. The title of the book was artistically etched in gold “The Book of Knowledge”. Holding that book on her chest, she lied on top of all the books. She slowly slipped into a deep sleep. It was earlier than the normal time of her sleep.

She woke up when she felt the book being pulled out. When the last finger gave way, she woke up in a shock. In one brisk move she stood up on the right side of the bed. She didn’t see anyone but the usual light of Sarvaa was present in the room. Seeing her shock, he smiles mildly. He made the sound of the book closing with a bang. Again, Prachana turned in the direction of the sound quickly to see Sarvaa holding the Orange Book. Smiling, he asked her to sit on the chair and he picked up all the books and kept all of them on the table, one top of the other neatly, except the Orange book.

Showing the cover of the book to Prachana, he said “My Child, Knowledge is wealth. Equal to the Values though that doesn’t imply education. Education without knowledge is futile. Knowledge without understanding is meaningless.”

A confused Prachana sat still on her straight back chair looking straight at Sarvaa who is now sitting comfortably on her bed with one leg over the other.

Showing all those stacked books, Prachana asked “I have no clue about any of these! I have seen some folk performances of tribals but I don’t know acting or drama! Though I am healthy, I don’t know much about sports. I love paintings, but I can’t paint. I like reading Biographies but I don’t know how it is useful to me. I cook a bit but not like Mamma who experiments with recipes of her own.”

Sarvaa said “That is where the point lies, Child. The word Knowledge came from the Greek word Gnosis which means knowing through observation or experience. These books will give you the know-how to observe, experience and get trained in all those things you said.”

An excited Prachana suddenly said “Yes… I will learn all these and….” Sarvaa stopped her exciting speech by showing his hand.

He said, “With this, you will only get a broad idea about a broad range of subjects. But, that is important. Your knowledge should be broad. Not narrow and limited.”

Prachana nodded her head hesitantly. It is evident she is either not convinced or understood.

Sarvaa continued “Don’t mistake between education and training. They are distinctly different. While training is something that is done with a specific goal, education is about understanding something. Understanding Painting is different from getting trained to do a great painting. Right?”

Prachana’s face brightened up.

Sarvaa raised his hand again and said “It doesn’t end there. Knowledge about a plethora of subjects, however broad that is, is not enough to consider one as an educated person. Any breadth of knowledge without deeper understanding is not genuine knowledge.”

Prachana’s tight sitting pose got a little loose but an expression-less face. Sarvaa really could not understand whether that was a positive sign or negative. Now it was Sarvaa’s turn to get confused.

Sarvaa paused for a moment, took a deep breath. Prachana found that amusing. She giggled. Sarvaa got relaxed.

He said “Listen, in simple terms, knowing something and understanding the same by reasoning makes you an educated person.” He waited for a moment looking at Prachana’s face hoping for some expression.  Prachana smiled and nodded briskly.

A happy Sarvaa continued “So, the breadth and depth of your knowledge help you see things in a new and different perspective. That helps you to become committed to the pursuit of the underlying truth.”

Prachana stood up and went near Sarvaa who kept both his hands on her shoulders.

Sarvaa looked at her face intently and said, “That is what makes an educated person different from an uneducated one.”

Sarvaa handed over the orange book of “Knowledge” to Prachana.  

Before vanishing, Sarvaa said “Getting educated is not as simple as that. It is achieving something. And that is a task about which, we will discuss next time.”

End of Insight #7

 

Reference : R S Peter’s Analysis of ‘Education’

 #learning_from_my_child

#philosophy_of_education

#education

 

Values? In Education? Tell me more, please! - INSIGHT #6

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

 “Values? In Education? Tell me more, please!”

  INSIGHT #6

 That day, after lunch. Prachana was feeling very low. One specific conversation with one of her newfound friends was very disturbing for her. Though she tried to argue a lot, she could not convince him that there was more to what he said. She went to the riverside and sat on a rock with her legs in the flowing water. She thought that could calm her. But it didn’t. Before sunset, she went back home. She kept telling herself,

“Why did he feel like that? I am sure he has lost the plot of his life.”. Without her knowledge, she was speaking loud this time. Hearing this, her mother got worried.

Mother asked “Prachana, what happened? Who has lost the plot of life?”

Prachana said, “It's nothing, Mamma. It seems I have started seeing the world”. Saying this, she went to her room upstairs and tried to forget about it by reading some storybook.

All through her dinner, though she acted as though she was alright, Mamma is always Mamma. She said, “I know you are still concerned about something. Honey, things are not always as it seems. By morning you will be alright. Now, go and have a nice sleep. Goodnight”.  She kissed or Prachana’s forehead who smiled and hugged her Mamma.

Prachana woke up hearing loud hollow snoring to see Sarvaa sitting in her chair with his head bent backward with an open mouth. He opened his right eye and looked at Prachana with a smile but continued snoring even louder. He wants Prachana to get up and wake him up. When she went near him and almost touch him, he woke up with a smile. Shocked, she fell back on the bed. Sarvaa laughed out loud.

“My Child! I know why you are so much concerned about your new friend. And you are right. You have started seeing the real world. Yes. Your friend indeed lost the plot, but not of his life. He couldn’t understand the value aspect in education”.

Prachana looked at him intently hoping to hear from him more about this new word ‘value’ connected with education.

Sarvaa continued, “Look here. He thought Education is merely a tool or instrument to do things with, such as to succeed in getting a job or provide one with a skill to obtain extrinsic ends”.

Knowing Sarvaa a little better by now, Prachana understood where he was getting to.

Sarvaa said “Child, Education is essentially meant to reform you to become a better person. Better in what? Not for doing bad things that make society bad or hurt others. It is all about adding value to you for doing desirable things in a better way. The knowledge and understanding you will possess once you get educated become, a part of your personality. That will make you wise enough to understand what is of ultimate value. That means….” Sarvaa stopped expecting Prachana to continue.

“Education implies Value. Entirely! I got it” Prachana said with great confidence and excitement.

Sarvaa smiled and said, “No! You are not entirely right!”. That response from Sarvaa surprised Prachana.

Sarvaa continued “Education implies value, for sure. But the same need not be true the other way. All Values need not be educational. Like eating, relaxing, and playing games are all valuable. But they are not educational”.

Prachana was not fully convinced. She felt there was something more to it. Sarvaa anticipated that.

“I love dancing. I love swimming across that river out there. I run around and listen to birds. I am lucky to have all that here. But what about those friends of mine who are not as lucky as me. And they are so valuable for all Right? Don’t you think those should be a part of education in Schools?”

Sarvaa felt very proud seeing her empathy for her peers.

Handing over a fluorescent green coloured card to her he said, “Child, You earned this. This is the ‘Value’ Card for you to keep safely accessible easily when we talk about the other two criteria”. A well-decorated calligraphically written word ‘VALUES’ was written in golden letters.

Sarvaa continued “ Coming back to your question, yes. You are indeed right. But then, to ensure that, there is another requirement which takes us to the second card, the Knowledge Criterion”. He still had two more cards with him an Orange and a Royal Blue one.

A satisfied but still eager Prachana kept her right hand on her heart and bowed down to Sarvaa with closed eyes. When she rose and opened her eyes it was all dark and Sarvaa was gone.

End of Insight #6 

Reference : R S Peter’s Analysis of ‘Education’.

#learning_from_my_child

#philosophy_of_education

#education

Nooo! I won’t teach you! That is not my job! - INSIGHT #5

 

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

“No! I won’t teach you! That is not my job!”

INSIGHT #5

That night, Prachana went to bed with tremendous satisfaction because her parents told her they were proud of her since she was becoming wiser day by day! She knew it was all because of Sarvaa. She wished Sarvaa would remain her teacher forever. She glanced at the three cards kept on the table and remembered the previous rendezvous with Sarvaa.

She woke up suddenly in shock hearing Sarvaa’s voice. He was standing near her bed but facing the door. The room was brightened, but flickering.

“No! I won’t teach you! That is not my job!”

Confused Prachana slowly stood up and walked to him and peeped to see his face. As he was much taller than her, she had to look up quite high. She noticed that his face looked very angry.

“Sarvaa, why are you angry?” He was still looking away and didn’t respond. She felt bad and confused. She slowly walked back towards the bed. Sarvaa was smiling slightly and slowly turned towards her who was standing near the bed looking into darkness through the window. The room slowly glowed again!

“My child!” said Sarvaa. Hearing this, Prachana turned quickly to see a smiling Sarvaa. Relieved, she also smiled.

She asked “Sarvaa, why did you say you were not going to teach me? How can that be deliberate?”

Sarvaa made her sit on the bed holding her shoulder and he also sat beside her.

He explained.

“Look, Child. If your intention is to get educated, someone teaching you everything is not a solution because the term education is primarily an achievement term. But it is not entirely so. It is a series of activities that educate you.

The activities, which have certain restrictions. How much ever the goal seems to be, certain morally objectionable activities cannot be justified.”

Now Prachana’s mind filled with a million questions. She didn’t know which one to ask first. 

Sarvaa continued “Education does not necessarily mean a deliberate attempt by someone to initiate another into the world of knowledge, understanding, and practice.”

Prachanaa felt relaxed. She was sure that Sarvaa has not completed. She listened to him carefully.

She asked feeling a little low “Do you mean that you are not going to teach me anything, Sarvaa?”

Sarvaa said smiling “No. I will be only initiating you. The rest is for you to explore and find out yourself.”

Prachanaa sat on the bed comfortably folding her legs. A happy Sarvaa continued.

“Imagine you acquiring knowledge and understanding without someone deliberately squeezing into your mind!

Imagine getting all knowledge and wisdom as naturally as osmosis, without any effort, just by being in the proximity of those in the know! ”. Isn't that amazing?

He paused for a moment and looked at Prachana’s eyes to know whether she was getting it.

Though Prachana’s eyes we already big, it grew larger in excitement hearing Sarvaa’s words.

“Yessss. That would be amazing!” Prachana was thrilled.

“Yes, my child! The initiation or process doesn’t matter once you understand the three criteria of education.”

He stopped talking and looked towards Prachana's table. Prachana glanced at the three cards.

She asked pointing towards the cards “Again Three? Like those?”

“No. These are different. You can store those earlier cards in your drawer and look forward to getting three new cards. The three Criteria Cards!”

Saying this Sarvaa flashed three brightly coloured Cards and got up to leave. Suddenly, Prachanaa got up and hugged him saying.

“Sarvaa, please don’t tell no for being here for me. I will be devastated!”

“My dear, I cannot go anywhere because I am within you. It is just that I am manifesting you to guide you. And that is because, you are full of questions, which is a good problem to have. So, don’t worry!”

Sarvaa vanished and the glow in the room fades away too. Prachana goes to sleep. The moonlight revealed her smiling face.

End of Insight #5

Reference : R S Peter’s Analysis of ‘Education’.

#learning_from_my_child

#philosophy_of_education

#education

Enlightenment in Education? Are you joking? - INSIGHT #4

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Enlightenment in Education?! Are you joking?!

INSIGHT #4

After dinner, Prachana tried to tell her parents what she learned recently about the Sociological and Institutional use of the term Education. She said to them that there seems to be a third one which is very different from these two and asked them if they knew what it was. They listened to her patiently and motivated her to think and explore more and find out about the third.

Her mother smiled and said “If only I could answer to you. Dear, you should explore and find that out. Then you will never forget.”

Prachana had kept both the ‘Use Cards’ side by side on her table and drew a rectangle for the third.

In sleep, she felt a familiar fragrance in the room. She slowly opened and looked through the corner of her right eye; she looked towards the door hoping to find Sarvaa. The room was still dark. The fragrance was strong. She slowly got up, sat on the bed, and waited in anticipation. She looked at the table for the third card in the moonlight that was falling there. But the rectangle was still vacant.

“Looking for the third use?” Sarvaa’s deep voice reverberated in the room. Any child would have been scared to death. But Prachana was cool.

“Do you have any friends who go to regular Schools or who mingle in the society?” Sarvaa’s voice again.

Prachana thought for a moment and said “I have a couple of them. One goes to a fancy college 20 miles away and the other in Government College near here. But I don’t enjoy their company much. They are weird.”

Sarvaa appeared just near her like a genie with a fake astonished expression and asked “Why!? What is your problem with them?”

Prachana got a shock and almost got thrown on the bed. But she was laughing as though Sarvaa tickled her. She settled on her bed and started talking as though telling a long story.

“One, the girl said, (Acting like an introvert girl) ‘I go to college regularly without fail. But I am still confused. I don’t feel confident that I am even educated!’ The other, who is a happy-go-lucky boy, who rarely attends any classes, is happy and content saying (Acting animatedly like a proud boy) ‘I get what I want by talking around and reading my own selection of books. I am not really happy with the pomp in the college. Neither have I felt that I understand what they teach’. Such responses didn’t make any sense. So I normally keep away from them.”

Sarvaa was amused seeing her acting skills. He chuckled and after a beat, she asked “Do you think you are getting educated?”

She said “Yes. But not as I want. I always feel wanting.”

“Now, listen to me. You are doing good studying by home-schooling. But that is not enough. You should not be closed from others. You have something or the other to learn from every other person or thing around you. Look for it.”

A confused Prachana asked “You were supposed to tell me the third use today. You are talking something else.” She bowed her head and sat quietly.

A smiling Sarvaa went near her, lifted her chin up and gazed into her eyes.

“That is exactly what I am going to tell you today, my child! I am happy to take your 'not so great friends' as examples. The girl thought education comes from her teachers and books alone. While the boy thought learning is everywhere. What you learn from books or teachers is superficial. The moment you give depth and understanding to them, it becomes an achievement which the most valuable and general development of your mind.”

Prachana’s eyes widened and Sarvaa could see her body automatically straighten. Then he magically took out a card and placed it in the rectangle she had drawn on the table. A happy Prachana picked it up and looked at it. It was written “The General Enlightenment Use of the term 'Education' ”. On the other side, it had a picture of Sarvaa holding a large crystal ball in which she could see some purple colour electric spark activity happening.

Sarvaa said “Next we will learn about the ‘Criteria to understand the Concept of Education”. Before Prachana could fully understand what she heard, Sarvaa vanished into the Card she was still holding in her hand!

Once again the room got dark after Sarvaa’s exit, she tucked herself under the blanket but still holding the card as though she is holding Sarvaa himself with care.

End of Insight #4

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System & Education!? What!? - INSIGHT #3

 

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

 System & Education?! What?!

 INSIGHT #3

Though Prachana was happy that she is being homeschooled, she was oblivious to other possibilities. She thought “Can there be one as good as mine?”

Though she planned to keep awake and wait for Sarvaa, she didn’t realise that she was asleep till she was woken up by a long bell. She thought it was an alarm bell from her parents’ room; weirdly it sounded different. She never remembers herself using any alarm clock ever. Normally she automatically wakes up or her mother used to wake her up if she overslept.

She rubbed her eyes seeing Sarvaa holding a big brass disc hanging in a thread and on the other hand, he had a short iron rod. He was all smiling. As soon as she was awake she stretched herself to get water from the table nearby. Suddenly Sarvaa moved swiftly and gave her a glass of water. Then he sat on the bed till she finished drinking the water.

Sarvaa asked “My child, you have never heard such kind of a bell before, right?”.

She nodded in affirmative. Now she is sitting cross-legged and all ears.

Sarvaa said, “That was the sound of a School Bell that rings when a class starts.”

Prachana knew where he is heading to. She said “Tell me, Sarvaa! Other than the Sociological use for the term Education you told me there are two more. I am eager.”

Sarvaa lovingly looked at Prachanaa and continued “My child, as you will be called a home-schooled child most of the children out there are called schooled and they learn things in a very different way.”

Prachana got curious “What is the difference? Is that better?”

Sarvaa caught off-hand with that question but he thought for a moment and said “Both are education. But the method is different. You explore and learn at your pace. There, a bunch of kids like you, are taught and guided systematically as decided by a group of people. An educational system is created. It is all timed in months and years and as subjects. And that is called 'The Institutional Use of Education'. There is no right and wrong in any method for getting educated. Likewise, there is no good and bad in the method of acquiring knowledge as well. It is all the question of what and how you do it. And of course how you use that acquired knowledge.”

Prachanaa is amazed at the thought of how a whole bunch of kids studies together in the same way at the same pace. She got a little confused, how was that possible. Sarvaa sensed this.

Sarvaa said “Child, don’t get confused. As I told you, there is no….” Prachana interrupted and continued “right or wrong in the method and all that matters is what the result is. I understood.”

A happy Sarvaa stood up to leave. Suddenly Prachana also jumped up and asked “What about the third use? I have not forgotten, you see?”

Sarvaa said “I have not forgotten. Now you go to sleep. The time is already 4 AM. Remember. I will not come and ring the School Bell to wake you up. Because next use is all about the unconventional method.”

As usual, Sarvaa left. The room went dark and Prachana tugged herself under the blanket.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes the next morning was the second card partly visible from under her pillow. It read “The Institutional Use of Education”. On the other side, it had a picture of Sarvaa holding a large brass disc and the short Iron Rod exactly as she saw last night.

End of Insight #3

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Education? For What? - INSIGHT #2

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 

"Education? For What?"

INSIGHT #2

The term ‘education’ was always a mystery to Prachana. She has read the same word in many contexts. She asked her father about it. But he lovingly told. 

“Ask your Sarvaa. He will tell you”. 

Prachana got a little upset but thought it was a good idea. Her father was always right. He always tried to make her think and find the answers. But she was not sure whether Sarvaa would come again. With that thought, she slowly slipped into sleep.

Exactly at 3 O’clock in the early morning, the room brightened and she saw Sarvaa sitting on her study chair. He seemed to have shrunk his massive body frame with the heavy cloak attached with a lot of paraphernalia to fit into her chair. This time, she noticed his long white beard and his pony-tailed long butter white hair.

“My Child, why are you so confused about the term ‘education’?” 

Prachana looked at him with her big round eyes in wonderment.

“OMG, Really? You came again?” She ran to him and hugged him. He smiled, picked her up like a child, and sat her on her study table. 

She could see him holding three cards close to his chest through the beard.

Pointing to the Cards she asked curiously “What are you hiding behind your beard?”

Sarvaa said “These are three magical cards which will be revealed to you one by one”

“Sarvaa!” She stopped suddenly and after a beat, she continued with great care   “Can I call you like that?”. 

Sarvaa smiled and nodded in affirmative and said "Absolutely! I have many names. This name is exclusive to you. Feel free!" 

A happy Prachanaa continued “Sarvaa. I am indeed confused because everybody is using that word left, right and center. Some say it is only for students, some say it is for anyone, anything, and everything. That's why I am confused. I am all ears”. 

She smiled and sat comfortably on the table crossing her legs like a kindergarten kid waiting to hear a story from a storyteller.

Sarvaa said, “Listen! You must have heard the usage broadly in three different contexts. Understand that, education need not be always related to schools or colleges alone. Like, you are home-schooled by your parents, your acquaintances, nature, and life itself. You don't go to any school. Yet you are getting educated, right?”

Prachana’s eyes got widened when her name was mentioned. 

“It is all about getting prepared to live in a society and be useful. The society that includes your friends and family or even strangers. That is called ‘The Sociological Use of Education’. There are two more types of uses for the word ‘education’. But you need to understand this one in more detail. Then only you will know the difference”.

She was wide awake now and jumped to the bed and sat on it. “Sarvaa, tell me more about it”.

Sarvaa replied, “Beta, be patient. This is only a start. The world is not going to end. We will go step by step. Otherwise, this will be overwhelming and you will wish you had never met me. Now sleep”.

The room went dark. She slept. In the morning, she saw a card revealed on her table which read “The Sociological Use of Education”. The card had the picture of Sarvaa on the backside. She got excited and carefully kept it inside her precious diary. 

End of Insight #2

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#philosophy_of_education

#education