Back in my school days, rather for the entire time of my formal education, I was a top scoring student.
Off late, when exams were dismissed by education boards in India, it still came as a pleasant respite to me.
Someone in my family, who passed their exams 20+ years back, wasn’t though.
When I told them I was quite happy with it, they were rather upset.
“How could YOU be happy?”
“What would happen to students like you, whose life depended on school marks?”
“Won’t it be unfair for students like you?”
Though I could sense they were not in a position to understand, it made me think:
- How many of real world skills are dependent on the numbers you got?
- Yes, your marks gave you a kick-start at the beginning of your career, however, did they decide your entire future? Never.
- We all have countless examples of back-benchers who went out to do amazing things in life, then why do we still place so much importance on formal education?
Of course, formal education is important. However the pressure we put on it to take us to the other end is unbelievable.
What really matters beyond formal education, is:
- Real world education: To observe. Reflect. Let your life be the teacher.
- Entrepreneurship: It doesn’t just mean starting up. It also means having the mindset of getting things done with trust for them.
- Letting go: So so important. The basis of life is letting go, after being and doing your best. Everything that you see with your eyes, is going to vanish. What will stay, is how you actually lived in between your two ears, during this time.
Closing statement: Formal education isn’t dead yet. However, the authority it had to dominate our lives never existed. You get to decide how your life will be, not your formal education.