As you hear the term ‘education’ the nerves in your mind start to dance compelling your brain cells to come up with the fanciest unique stand out definition. So, let’s begin with the basics: what is education? How do we define it?  A process of training, a system of instructing, imparting knowledge, opening the doors of wisdom and many more. 

But where did the ‘seed’ of knowledge be sown for the first time? Can you come up with any explanation? Come on, don’t shy away! Any guesses? Some might say CBSE or UGC because that’s where all the prescribed text comes from or if I let our imagination run wild and since we are Indians let’s involve a God, because it’s quite evident everything that we Indians do has something to do with God. When we have 33 crore deities there must be one in- charge of education.  Do you see anyone? How about the old sage, white as snow sitting on top of a lotus and coming up with great ideas in his three minds (idea, three heads does that ring a bell?) Yes, it is Brahma, the creator it does make senses doesn’t it I mean he created the world so might be the one who introduced the concept of education in this world, and let’s not forget Sarasvati, she is the known Goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

Now if we take a look at the western world n Christianity, there was this tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden from where Eve plucked the forbidden fruit. I can go on and on around this. But since we live in the age where google knows everything, the answer to all our problems so I decided to ask google about the origin of education and I would love to share the results with you ; the term education  is derived from a Latin word, edu is derived from education' meaning a breeding, a rearing or bringing up and related to the homonym educo which means I lead, I forth, take out , rare up or erect. The practice of education dates back to prehistory associating it to the times of cave man. 





Now let’s exercise our brain cells by imagining that you have a book, a really old one and it really thick, thicker than the accountancy book you used to carry when you were in school and every year you keep adding a pack of 100-150 pages into that book and then you keep it away. You spent not even a single penny for its maintenance. Now what would happen to that book? The pages will turn yellow and dry resembling autumn leaves, the binding will become weak to hold the pages that will added or rather forced, corners will be rat eaten, they ‘ll be stains all over and the books will turn so weak that they might crumble with just a slight touch of your fingers.  Now how about I tell you that this is not imagination and we all have been carrying this book for almost 200 years on our burdened shoulders. 

Well, ours is a great nation with a tag line ‘Unity in Diversity’ , the culture that is vibrant, colourful, versatile and knitted together, yet we are smart enough to follow a standard system of education which was another gift from the Britishers (until only recently when Prime Minister Modi ji introduced the New Education Policy) 

Taking inspiration from Mr Bachchan quizzing skills let me test your knowledge, let’s see how well do you know your country; what is common between Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Vedas and Nalanda University? 

Answer:  India and no I am not being patriotic, I am just stating the truth, these are facts, India is a birthplace of 3 diverse religions, four vedas and the world-renowned ancient university Nalanda established by KumarGupta. We have been the pioneers of world education but where do we stand today? What is the rank of our education system in the modern times? 

It has been stated that the Indian educational culture is more degree oriented and less job oriented now you’d be raged How is it possible?? Well, when we spend half of our lives sitting in the classrooms, staring at the grey walls, copying from the black board and reading from the textbook…does this need any more explanation?

This brings me back to the question with which I began my piece What is Education then? Is it the prescribed text we read, the number of chapters we cover or is it the time you are struggling to walk for the first time?

With this I sign off and leave the floor open for interpretation.