The word education comes from the Latin verb ‘educere,’ which means taking from darkness to light. Isn’t that a beautiful summation of what education is supposed to be all about? A tool to shred the darkness of ignorance. However, our education systems over the last few decades have ceased to take their role seriously. Of course, one can’t say that of all educational institutions; there are still some that hold on to their original concept and principles. But by and large, many have succumbed to the false ideas of education, which, in turn, are byproducts of our ideas of success and the self. For Bashar J. Katou, Founder and CEO of BJK University, such a system of education breeds more problems than it solves. Here, he shares its three major drawbacks.
Lack of practical application
Most of us spend our fundamental years mugging up lessons that don’t come to any good as we grow. After all, when was the last time one applied the theoretical concepts of complex trigonometry during a day’s work? Yet, we spent hours going through books to get a hold of these concepts and formulas. For Bashar J. Katou, that’s the first red flag of such a system. He says, “Physics, chemistry, literature are all beautiful subjects. They have given us much of what we take for granted today. Yet, their application evades the common man who fails to find a use for their complex formulas and theorems in his everyday life. Perhaps, the change we need is for our teachers to understand the fundamental philosophy and meaning of every subject and look at Einstein, Shakespeare, Pythagoras, and more from the eyes of a curious child and not an expert.”
Less focus on understanding
For Bashar J. Katou, traditional methods of education often focus more on completing the job than helping the students understand what they are meant to learn. And for him, that’s a “serious impediment to learning itself that proves most counterproductive when students grow up and fail to find their way in the world. It’s essential to make understanding the cornerstone of education. It’s not about how much one learns at school but how well one understands it. That’s pretty much the difference between a child with a clear mind and one who feels overwhelmed by it all.”
Can create a wrong sense of self
Bashar J. Katou believes that an education system should help individuals come to terms with who they and where they are. “In short, education is about educating the child about the self and the world,” says Bashar. He further adds, “When education becomes all about marks, regurgitation of lessons, grades, etc., it becomes dead and breeds minds that are no different. However, when education is alive, it can help every child find their pace, realize their ignorance, be humbled by it, and be encouraged to reduce their nescience with due diligence and not forced rules and opinions.”
Bashar J. Katou is indeed a forward-thinking individual who believes in the value of ‘real education.’ As he does his bit to eradicate the menace that the current education system is threatening to turn into, here’s hoping all teachers, students, and parents alike follow their hearts when it comes to education.