Education in the Dot Com Age

Herbert Spenser defines education as “Preparation for Complete Living”. This definition was given years ago not taking into account the changes that will come about in the coming years. Education as defined by Nunn is ,”An effort to secure for everyone the conditions under which individuality is most completely developed.” Here again, the changes to come were not considered. Jacks defines education as ,” The process of training the industry of man in its manifold activities”.

Considering all these definitions, we discern, that the changes of the new millennium were not thought of, or considered. According to these definitions, ‘Education’ is reflected in the overall personality of an individual which is a product of the heredity and the environment surrounding him or her. While the educational environment included only the school, the family and the peer group earlier, it is now being increasingly affected by the media (mostly Television), Computers and the Internet. Information Technology(IT) is gradually changing in the way we live, work, conduct business, learn and entertain ourselves. The advent of affordable PCs and internet has revolutionized the way information is accessed. While the Computers provide speed, accuracy ,objectivity and rationality, the Internet has shrunk the world into a global village.

In respect of education in the Dot Com Age, the four C’s are the critical parameters.
The four C’s stand for:
C – Computers
C – Communication (or connectivity)
C – Content (relevant information)
C – Child (the Focus)

The very purpose of education is the creation of mentally alert, physically fit, emotionally balanced and professionally competent individuals in all spheres of human activity.
Society is dynamic. The dynamism and changeability of Society have in effect made it the central point of every study related to the evolution of human progress and development.
Education is always considered to be the prima facie to help men to develop and to get adjusted to ever-changing developments. The present century, the new millennium has experienced rapid and robust changes as a result of scientific and technological discoveries and achievements.
These bring about rapid changes in modern day society – changes which are unique and complex. Education plans to meet these new demands and dimensions of such changes.

According to Ross, ‘Some changes in society happen, others are willed.’ Call the former transformation and the latter reconstruction.
Education brings changes in the material aspect of life as well as in the ideas, values and attitudes of the people.
‘Education today depends on how much one knows about the contemporary world.’

The education of today is not merely collecting information but it is the expertise in using the information collected.

Education is but lighting a lamp in the dark lives of the millions to eradicate darkness from human destiny.
It removes illiteracy, poverty and superstitions – the great evils predominant in society which hinder human progress and existence.

The wealth of a nation is its ‘literate population’ and not its ‘gold mines.’
Education is everything about man and his sublime green earth with the wonderful universe above.
Wisdom comes from knowledge, and knowledge comes from learning through books and rich experiences of everyday life.
Every moment of the day we keep learning .It goes on and on .It is a never-ending process. It is dynamic, it is continuous and it is everlasting.

Swami Vivekananda defines education as, ‘ The Manifestation of the Perfection already in Man’. He believes that perfection is already in man, it only has to be drawn out and nurtured by giving attention and care.
While Gandhiji says, ‘The object of all education is character building.’
From time immemorial the School has played a pre-dominant role in character building of an individual by modification of human thought, behavior and action.

Some of the elements which make a good School are:
A Strict Code of Discipline. (Doing things at the right time, right way )
Teaching a High Standard of English. (Medium of Instruction)
Outstanding Board Results. (Academic Excellence)
Equal stress on Co- Curricular Activities. (All round development)
A Dynamic Principal. (Leader)

The Principal is the key person in the school environment. His job can hardly be defined. He is but a leader who has common sense, wisdom and human understanding . The progress of a school depends on the dynamism and judiciousness of its leader.

To conclude, education for me is but the unending process of creating young men and women of competence, conscience and compassionate understanding ; its object being character building and preparation for living life in the best possible way, to strive achieve perfection and make life worth living so that we may earn peace and harmony for our distressed souls in agony.
We pass this way but once, so let me learn and grow, let me not defer or neglect it , for I shall not pass this way again.