Focus: Teaching to dream

16:38 Gulf News: The education system is failing society by not investing in the liberal arts, music and sport.

16:39 Maria Vincent: This depends on the curriculum and the school. A school also has an important role to play in your overall development in different fields. It depends on how much [time and money] the school is ready to invest for such activities. Some schools have the resources and some don’t just like some schools encourage students to move out of the general line of academics whereas others don’t.

16:40 Fatima Khan: Education system today is more like an assembly line, which produces average quality products for the masses. Hence, we get skilled individuals who can be placed in the current limited job market. Liberal arts, music and sports not only help in the overall development but also serve as an effective stress outlet.

16:43 Meghna Nair: I agree, as not all education systems give importance to liberal arts, music and sports and similarly few school encourage students to take it up as a career choice. I feel that most schools do their best to develop talents by offering sports, scholarships and conducting musicals. However, at the end of the day, students have to study the rest of the subjects and all of the above is subsidiary.

16:44 Maria Vincent: I absolutely agree with Fatima, today’s education is used as something to boast about the intellect of children rather than showcase their values, talent and other qualities.

16:44 Fatima Khan: Well said Maria, ‘the heroism is momentary’. That is exactly the problem. Anything non-academic is taught to be momentary and not long lasting. This forces the students to conform to the grind.

16:48 Meghna Nair: The above mentioned points are valid, but what we seem to be forgetting is that liberal arts, sports and music careers depend a lot on luck. Not everyone who plays cricket can become Sachin Tendulkar, can they? Similarly, not everyone who plays the piano is Beethoven. However, one who has passed a degree in mathematics or commerce can have a stable job. This is the reason why most schools are seen to be focusing more on such subjects than liberal arts and music.

16:49 Samina Kausar: Education today is seen as an investment, as people link good education with a good job, and that’s why parents always want their children to become doctors or engineers.

16:49 Pavan Kumar: I wholeheartedly agree. Science and mathematics would not support us to socially progress in this present society, however, extra-curricular activities are what helps us to express our hidden talents.

16:52 Fatima Khan: Not everyone who studies mathematics is Shakuntala Devi [leading Indian mathematician]. So, why question liberal arts, music or sports?

16:52 Samina Kausar: Some fortunate students live their dreams through education. However, whenever someone makes his own decisions, he leads the world. Education should not be a force on children, rather it should be their guiding star in terms of their career.

16:53 Meghna Nair: I disagree with the above statement by Pavan Kumar. How is there an assurance that science and mathematics will not support us to socially progress in the present society? Do you happen to say that science and mathematics makes humans socially backward? If yes, then you are wrong for they happen to define the dimensions of human progress.

16:53 Maria Vincent: If we are talented and have the resources, support and encouragement, then we can attain success in what we do. As a basketball champion at my school told me once: “Your marks are important to get you a degree or a job, but to have a stable job or to work as you like and to be accepted by society, your talents, passion for work and your inner self is more important than academic score”. However, this does not mean that academics are not important, as knowledge empowers you to know more about the world around you.

16:55 Meghna Nair: I agree that not everyone who studies mathematics is Shakunatala Devi and not many who have studied mathematics have suffered waiting for recognition. They don’t have to wait for any governmental sports committee to accept them into the squad or plead to a composer or producer to recognise them and offer them a job.

16:56 Maria Vincent: There should be a balance of everything. A coin has to have two sides. There can be no coin with just one side. We should be able to balance academics with other activities to attain success.

16:57 Gulf News: Students are not even given the full range of career options because their dreams are restricted by the education system.

16:58 Maria Vincent: The education system is influenced by the economic needs of the world. Many students are forced to become doctors and engineers to meet the market demands. I aspire to specialise in planetary geology, a rare field of study, so, searching for a suitable university to fulfill my dreams is going to be a difficult task. The education system is advancing at a pace to cope with the world’s development race. The students are under great pressure of limited educational opportunities to choose their careers. Economy says one thing, career counseling says something else. This confusion cribs the dreams that we want to realise and many don’t even know what it is to dream.

16:58 Fatima Khan: There was a satirical cartoon in a newspaper once. It showed a tree labeled ‘The Education System’. A lion, an eagle, a hen, an ostrich, a penguin, an elephant, a monkey, a snake and a dolphin stood before it. Passing the exam required them to climb the tree and this is exactly what the students are asked to do today. If it is only the doctors, engineers and business management students who are well placed, the society is flooded with them. We fail to reflect upon the lack of good writers or artists to give society some food for thought; or good sportsmen to show what true sportsmanship is all about. Giving students the full range of career options will allow them to choose according to their aptitude.

16:59 Touseef Ashfaq: The current worldwide economy, demand more professionals with specific skills. In this context, university education is a must and not an option.

17:01 Samina Kausar: I agree. An education of own choice differentiates the person as a leader or a follower. Today we search for the course in demand and drag children towards that course and no one bothers about the choice of the student and what caliber he or she has.

17:01 Pavan Kumar: I agree with the statement as the education system is somewhat like a trap for students planning to pursue a career in sports or liberal arts.

17:02 Meghna Nair: That is definitely true as career options are limited to doctor, engineer or chartered accountant and other options are considered to be too unconventional or not productive. The education system is not widening its dimensions and not moving ahead with time. Students are not encouraged to pursue their dreams but instead are forced to follow what is planned for them by their parents or other elders. We are hindering the future of the child by restricting their choices.

17:04 Maria Vincent: Steve Jobs is who he is, because he worked towards his dream, crossing educational barriers despite economic obstacles.

17:06 Pavan Kumar: Education is good for people who are planning to pursue a career in an education related sector, but what about the people who are planning to pursue a career in a sector that might not be linked with education?

— Compiled by Donia Jenabzadeh/She is a trainee with Gulf News