Educational institutions enforce books upon books on students, expecting them to remember each and every line
THARPARKAR: The past has had a great influence on human consciousness. In different eras, consciousness has evolved and developed. This is why we now live in a technologically-advanced world where anything is possible. Intellectuals of the past would categorise their thoughts in the form of books in order to understand humans and the universe in a systematic way.
It is said that reading books awakens ones inner spirituality as it is food for the soul. It is because of what these genius minds did in the past that we are able to achieve so much in the present. They provided a solid ground for future generations to work on. In the past, reading culture has always been important. One’s worth was considered by the amount of knowledge he had, which was passed on through books.
But as time went on, with the rise of other virtual medium such as the internet and social media, reading culture has slowly diminished. It has been forgotten that books have a great influence on the human mind for knowledge and wisdom.
Reading books enhances the rationality and develops thought. Most people claim that social media is the reason for our decreased interest. However, in my opinion this is not the only reason.
What matters the most is the way we are taught. Educational institutions enforce books upon books on students, expecting them to remember each and every line. Instead of understanding the core concepts, students take the easy way out and rote-learn. This does not encourage self-cultivation.
We need to instill in our children the habit of reading and learning if we are to create a better society.
Education ministers need to make policies and strategies to develop the environment of reading in educational institutions.
Dolat Chandani
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2019.
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